Bargain guide, week beginning January 23rd:

Apology for the apology -- the previous (now deleted) posting was in error.  I'm going to Nevada tomorrow, not today, and so am preparing this posting and the handout and will be at tonight's meeting.

Fooducate has an interesting piece on “America's protein addiction”:  introductions of foods and beverages claimed to be “high-protein” are three times higher in the US than anywhere else in the world.  And Americans hardly need to increase our protein intake.  Unless you're an endurance athlete, you need about 800 milligrams – 0.8 of a gram – of protein for every kilo of your body weight per day. Most people get more than that, many substantially more.  The point being that unless you're training for the Phoenix Marathon, you probably don't need to significantly supplement your protein intake.

News:  the Federal Trade Commission has just ruled that POM Wonderful has been making deceptive claims for the benefits of its pomegranate-juice products and must stop.  Specifically, POM Wonderful may no longer claim that “consumption of certain doses of Challenged POM Products treats, prevents or reduces the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, or erectile dysfunction”.

A new study reports that watching The Biggest Loser actually discourages people from taking part in exercise.  It's not hard to figure out why:  on the show exercise is routinely depicted as an exquisitely unpleasant, physically painful ordeal.  Or as Yoni Freedhoff puts it, “By my count during the first week of this season's The Biggest Loser, three contestants lost consciousness, two threw up, one suffered a stress fracture in their knee and a thirteen year old boy fractured his foot.  Watching that - who wouldn't want to hit the gym?”

Recipes!  Chow.com has a set of “Salad Recipes that Make the Meal”, one of inspired dishes to make using “boring winter produce”, and a winter-fruit salad dressed with lime and ginger.  That and a blood-orange margarita should tide you over until fresh-produce season.  Smitten Kitchen has a lentil-sausage soup that looks delicious.  And Snack Girl has tips for homemade-cookie-baking portion control (mix up the cookie dough and freeze it in an ice-cube tray), how to exercise without noticing, and homemade cheese crackers.

Today's National Pie Day.  Do not confuse with National Pi Day which is in March.  Friday is Burns Night:  sadly haggis is difficult to obtain in the US, so you may have to settle for uisge beatha.

January 23rd:  National Pie Day
January 24th:  National Peanut Butter Day;  Beer Can Appreciation Day (1935, canned beer first introduced in Richmond, Virginia;  1959, Coors launches the seamless and recyclable aluminum beer can)
January 25th:  Burns Night (Robert Burns born, 1759), National Irish Coffee Day
January 26th:  National Pistachio Day, National Peanut Brittle Day
January 27th:  Chocolate Cake Day
January 28th:  National Blueberry Pancake Day
January 29th:  National Corn Chip Day;  1924, Carl R. Taylor of Cleveland patents the first ice-cream-cone-rolling machine
January 30th:  National Croissant Day


Albertson's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef top sirloin steaks OR tri tip roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef New York strip steak, bone in, family pack, $6.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $1.99/lb (3 lbs or more)
    85/15 ground beef, $2.49/lb (3 lbs or more)
    Pork loin chops, bone in, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Sanderson Farms whole chickens OR leg quarters, bone in, 77¢/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken breast, bone in, jumbo pack, $1.49/lb
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Whole Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb (half, $5.99/lb)
    Rockfish fillets, $5.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.67
    Albertson's eggs, AA large, 18 ct, $1.99
    Essential Everyday butter, 2/$5
    Essential Everyday cream cheese, 8 oz brick, $1
    Deli:    Signature chicken breast or honey ham, $5.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride roast beef/corned beef/Italian beef/beef pastrami, $5.99/lb
        Stella swiss cheese, $6.99/lb
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, $1
    Essential Everyday fruit, 15 oz cans, $1
    Essential Everyday tomatoes, 28 oz cans, $1
    Ro*tel tomatoes, $1
    Flav-R-Pac stir-fry veggies, 1 lb frozen bag, $1
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” veggies, 10-12 oz pkg, $1
    Whole jumbo cantaloupes, $1 ea
    Green or red seedless grapes, from Chile, $2.99/lb
    Meridol papayas, $1/lb
    Fuji or Braeburn apples, $1/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR spinach, $1/bunch
    Eggplants, $1 ea
    Cactus pears, $1 ea
    Fresh Express bag salads, 2/$5
    English cucumbers, $1 ea
    Daikon radishes, $1/lb


Bashas':

    Beef crossrib/bottom round/chuck/sirloin tip roasts, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, value pack, $6.99/lb
    Beef New York steaks, bone in, value pack, $6.99/lb
    Beef tenderloin steak, boneless, $7.99/lb
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.37/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, $1.89/lb
    Pork country style ribs, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole frying chickens, 99¢/lb
    Bashas' chicken leg quarters, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.88/lb
    Mountain trout, $7.99/lb
    Mahi mahi fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Bashas' eggs, AA large, 18 ct, $1.88
    Food Club butter, 2/$5
    Food Club cheeses, 10-16 oz chunk/shreds/string snacks, $3.99
    Bashas' sour cream, 24 oz tub, $1.99
    Bashas' cottage cheese, 24 oz tub, $2.39
    Yoplait Greek yogurts, 10/$10
    Nature's Own “WhiteWheat” bread, 20 oz long loaves, $2.29
    Del Monte pasta sauces, 26 oz cans, 99¢
    Nature's Bounty OR Sundown vitamins, 50% off
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$11
    Fuji apples, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Roma or slicing tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Winter squashes (acorn, butternut, spaghetti), 88¢/lb
    Green bell peppers, 2/$1


Fry's:

    Beef roasts:  top/bottom/eye round, sirloin tip, chuck, shoulder, 50% off
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef t-bone steaks, $8.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.99/lb (2 lb chub)
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut, bone in, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Foster Farms whole chickens, buy 1 get 1 free
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Fry's milk, gallons, $1.79
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, $1.99
    Barilla pasta sauce, 24 oz jars, $2.29
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, $1.88
    Blackberries OR blueberries, 6 oz boxes, 4/$5
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
    Bananas, 57¢/lb
    Zucchini OR yellow squash, 99¢/lb
    Dole or Fresh Selection bag salads, 3/$5


Safeway:

    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef bottom round roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef round tip roast, boneless, $4.49/lb
    Beef ribeye steak, bone in, value pack, $7.99/lb
    Beef chuck steak, thin cut boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, value pack, $1.49/lb
    Pork loin chops, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Pork shoulder blade roast, bone in, whole in bag, $1.87/lb
    Safeway chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $3.99/lb
    Jennie-O Turkey Store turkey burgers, 3 lb frozen bag, $6.99
    Swai fillets, farm raised, $2.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Dressed rainbow trout, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Progresso Light soups (with the WW logo), 3/$4
    StarKist chunk light tuna, 10/$10
    Bear Creek soup mixes, 9-12 oz pouches, buy 1 get 1 free
    Star olive oil, 25 oz bottles, buy 1 get 1 free
    Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 99¢
    Hunt's pasta sauce, 24 oz cans, 99¢
    Eating Right whole-grain pasta, 13 oz boxes, 99¢
    Nature Valley protein bars, 7 oz boxes, 2/$6
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.99
    Pantry Essentials frozen veg, 12 oz bags, 99¢
    Fuji apples, $1.49/lb
    D'Anjou or Bosc pears, $1.49/lb
    Mangos, 10/$10
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $2.99/lb
    “Texas Ruby Red” grape fruit, 78¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 69¢/lb
    Blueberries, 6 oz box, 2/$3
    Vine tomatoes, $2.49/lb
    O Organics box salads, 2/$6
    Organic winter squashes, $1.49/lb


Sprouts:
   
    Beef chuck roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef New York steak, boneless, $9.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef sirloin, $4.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Haddock fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Sea of Cortez halibut, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$3
    Blackberries, 5 oz box, 2/$3
    Braeburn or Fuji apples, 88¢/lb (organic, 4 lbs/$5)
    Bartlett or Bosc pears, 88¢/lb
    Whole cantaloupes OR honeydew melons, 2/$5
    Navel oranges, 3 lbs/$1
    Organic Red Delicious apples, 99¢/lb
    Minneola tangelos, 88¢/lb
    Tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Eggplant, 88¢ ea
    Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$3
    Green or red bell peppers, 3/$1
    Yellow or orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea