Bargain guide, week beginning January 5th

I should probably make clear first of all that neither the print nor blog version of this are even REMOTELY official Weight Watchers publications. This is the electronic version of my little handout of the bargains and good prices on low-calorie, low-PointsPlus, and otherwise healthy foods that I’ve found in the weekly grocery flyers, along with whatever other tips and trivia strike my straying mind as interesting. And if you run across any bargains I’ve missed, please post them in the Comments section there!

Coming in 2012: nutrition labels on cuts of meat! It’s a year away, but starting next year packages of ground or chopped meat or poultry will have to have nutrition labels like other packaged foods, and raw cuts of meat will have to have the nutrition information either on the package or available at the point of purchase. (As the Fooducate bloggers point out, though, it’s important to keep in mind the distinction between “serving size” as defined by the USDA – in the case of meat, three ounces – and the actual portion size that you put on your plate, which may be twice or three times that.)

And new studies reveal, yet again, that losing weight is much more complex than calories-in-versus-calories-expended. Arya Sharma, chair of obesity research and management at the University of Alberta, points to “studies where people's eating and activity are carefully monitored. They show that some people can eat an additional 1,000 calories per day and not gain a gram, while others would gain five to six kilograms over a six-week period.”

This is or will soon be the second week in January, National Pizza Week. Pizza can be healthy! January is as well National Oatmeal Month, National Wheat Bread Month and National Soup Month as well as a number of other not necessarily quite so healthy things, including National Candy Month, National Egg Month, National Bread Machine Month, National Meat Month, National Hot Tea Month (my beverage of choice), and National Prune Breakfast Month. This coming week includes:

January 5th: Whipped Cream Day
January 6th: National Bean Day, National Shortbread Day
January 7th: National Tempura Day, Fruitcake Toss Day
January 8th: English Toffee Day
January 9th: National Apricot Day
January 10th: Bittersweet Chocolate Day
January 11th: National Milk Day, Hot Toddy Day
January 12th: National Curried Chicken Day, National Marzipan Day

Best deals this month are on beef, pork chops, Chilean cherries, and (it being January) any processed “diet” foods. And, oddly, albacore tuna.



Albertson’s:

Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, family pack, $4.99/lb
Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, family pack, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
Beef chuck or bottom round roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
Beef London broil, boneless, $2.69/lb
85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb
Pork loin chops, bone in, “assorted”, 97¢/lb  Best price
Pork tenderloin, boneless, teriyaki or peppercorn, 18.4 oz, $9.99, buy 1 get 1 free
All Sanderson Farms chicken in tray packs, buy 1 get 1 free (same item)
Boneless skinless chicken breast, “bulk pack”, $2.49/lb
Tilapia fillets, 1 lb bag, frozen, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
Pollack/cod/thresher shark fillets, wild caught, $3.99/lb
Albertson’s milk, half gallons only, $1
Albertson’s eggs, AA large, dozens, $1
Shamrock Farms cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tub, $2.99
Deli: Jennie O hickory smoked turkey breast, $2.99/lb
Kretschmar honey or baked ham off the bone, $5.99/lb
Margherita hard or Genoa salami or pepperoni, $5.99/lb
Flav-R-Pack “Steam of the Crop” frozen veggies, 4/$5
Chicken of the Sea solid or chunk white tuna OR pink salmon, $1
Hunt’s diced tomatoes, 14 oz can, $1
Hunt’s pasta sauces, 26 oz can, $1
Del Monte canned veggies, 99¢
Del Monte fruit cups, 4 pk, 2/$5
Jonagold apples, $1/lb
Minneola tangelos, $1/lb
Organic bananas, 69¢/lb
Fresh Express bag salad, “Iceberg Garden”, $1
Bell peppers, red/yellow/orange, $1
Roma tomatoes, $1/lb
Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, $1/lb
Sweet onions, $1/lb
Collard/mustard/turnip greens, $1/bunch
Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, $1
Celery, $1



Bashas’:

Beef round steak, boneless, value pack, $1.67/lb (regular pack $2.17/lb)
Beef ground round, no fat percentage listed, $3.99/lb
Beef sirloin tip OR bottom round roasts, boneless, $3.99/lb
Sanderson Farms whole chickens, 67¢/lb
Bashas’ boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
Bashas’ milk, $1.67
Bashas’ sour cream or cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tub, $1.88
Yoplait yogurts, 10/$4 (must buy 10)
Food Club cheeses incl. Light, 12-16 oz chunk/shreds/string, 3/$10
Lean Cuisine frozen entrées, $1.67
Skinny Cow ice-cream novelties, $3.99
Quaker oats, instant oatmeal, Nutri-Grain, Fiber Plus, or Clif bars, $1.99
Bumble Bee solid or chunk white tuna, 99¢
Bertolli pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$4
Barilla pasta sauces, 24 oz jars, 2/$4
Nabisco 100-calorie packs, $2.19
Slim Fast 100-calorie snacks, 6 pk, $2.99
Slim Fast 200-calorie snacks, 5 pk, $3.99
Bing cherries, $2.49
Minneola tangelos, AZ grown, 99¢/lb
Navel oranges, AZ grown, 99¢/lb
Dole bananas, 48¢/lb
Blueberries, 6 oz box, 2/$5 (11 oz pkg, $3.99)
Fuji or Braeburn apples, 99¢/lb
Dole bag salad “Classic Iceberg”, 77¢/lb
Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $2.69/lb
Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, AZ grown, 99¢



Food City:

Beef crossrib steak or roast, boneless, $2.49/lb
Sirloin cut pork chops, bone in, 99¢/lb
Pork shoulder steak, bone in, $1.99/lb
Boneless skinless chicken thighs, 99¢/lb
Pagasa pasta, 7 oz pkg, 6/$1
Gala apples, 3 lbs/99¢
Tangelos, 2 lbs/98¢
Bosc pears, 69¢/lb
Mexican papayas, 2 lbs/98¢
Iceberg, 3/99¢



Fry’s:

Beef roasts: chuck/top or bottom round/sirloin tip/eyeround/crossrib, buy 1 get 1
93/7 ground beef, $2.19/lb (2 lb chub)
Pork loin chops, bone in, “assorted”, family pack, $2.69/lb
Pork loin chops, boneless, family pack, $3.49/b
Atlantic salmon fillets, $6.99/lb
Yoplait yogurts, 44¢ ea
Kroger cottage cheese or sour cream incl. Light, 24 oz tub, $1.99
Oroweat sandwich thins, $1.99
Kellogg’s cereals, Nutri-Grain or Fiber Plus bars, $1.99
Kashi cereals or granola bars, $3.49 ($2.49 when you buy 4)
Quaker instant oatmeal, $1.99
Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz box, 10/$10
Hunt’s pasta sauce, 26 oz cans, 10/$10
Kroger frozen veggies, 10/12 oz pkg, 97¢
Apples: Jazz/Piñata/Pink Lady/Fuji/Braeburn/Cameo/Jonagold, $1.29/lb
Minneola tangelos, AZ grown, $1/lb
Grapefruit, AZ grown, 2/$1
Bananas, 59¢/lb
Blackberries or blueberries, 6 oz box, 2/$5
Bing cherries (from Chile), $4.99/lb
Del Monte pineapples, $2.99 ea
Dole bag salads, $1
Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb



Rancho Grande:

“Assorted beef”, $1.59
Pork stew meat, boneless, $1.69/lb
Chicken breast, bone in, family pack, 88¢/lb
Papaya, 69¢/lb
Fuji apples, 3 lbs/99¢
Mandarins, 4 lbs/99¢
Pagasa pasta, 7 oz pkg, 5/$1
Roma tomatoes, 3 lbs/99¢
Cuucumbers, 5 lbs/99¢



Safeway:

Beef 7-bone chuck roast, $1.67/lb
Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, $4.99/lb
Beef chuck crossrib roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
Beef bottom round roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
80/20 ground beef, value pack, $2.49/lb
Pork loin chops, bone in, “assorted”, value pack, $1.29/lb
Pork loin chops, bone in, center cut, $1.99/lb
Safeway chicken thighs/drumsticks, 88¢/lb (leg quarters, 79¢/lb)
Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.99/lb
Alaskan cod fillets, $5.99/lb
Yoplait yogurts, 10/$5
Lucerne “Natural Slices” cheeses, 8 oz, $1.99
Nature Valley granola bars, 3/$6
Healthy Choice “Fresh Mixers” shelf-stable entrées, 2/$6
Nabisco 100 calorie packs OR SnackWells’ cookies, 2/$4
Bumble Bee solid white tuna, 10/$10
Lean Cuisine frozen entrées, $1.79/lb
Lean Pockets, $1.69
Healthy Choice “Café Steamers”, 3/$6
Amy’s frozen veggie meals, 2/$6
Skinny Cow ice-cream novelties, $3.69
Bing cherries, from Chile, $2.68/lb
Clementines, 3 lb bag, $4.99
Red grapefruit, 79¢/lb
Blueberries, 6 oz box, 2/$6
Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
Lemons, 2/$1
Limes, 4/$1
Kiwifruit, 3/$1
Fresh Express bag salads, buy 1 get 1 free
Safeway leaf lettuce “Singles”, green/red/Romaine, 6 oz pkg, 2/$5



Smart & Final:

Jennie-O lean ground turkey, 1.25 lb pkg, 2/$5
Kellogg’s Special K cereal, 37-38 oz twin pack, $6.99
Kellogg’s Special K bars, 25 ct, $8.99
Skinny Cow ice-cream sandwiches, 20 ct, $9.99
Healthy Choice fudge bars, 18 ct, $8.99
Gala apples, 3 lb bag, $1.99
Blueberries, 18 oz box, $3.99
Roma tomatoes, 69¢/lb
Dole bag salads, “Classic Romaine” or “Greener Selection”, 99¢



Sprouts:

Beef sirloin tip roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
Beef NewYork steak, boneless, $6.99/lb
“Super lean” ground sirloin, no fat percentage listed, $3.99/lb
Pork tenderloin, boneless, $2.99/lb
Tasty Bite shelf stable entrées, 2/$4
Kashi GoLean cereals, 2/$7
Muir Glen canned soups, 2/$4
Gala/Golden Delicious/Pinova apples, 99¢/lb
Navel oranges, 49¢/lb
Grapefruit, 49¢/lb
Iceberg, 88¢
Broccoli crowns, 99¢/lb
Cauliflower, 99¢ ea
Eggplant, 88¢ ea
Italian squash OR Mexican grey squash, 88¢/lb
Yellow onions, 49¢/lb