Wren's bargain guide, week beginning January 15th:

For our newer members:  welcome aboard!  I'm Wren, and each week I go through the grocery supermarket flyers, pick out and type up what look like good deals on healthy and low processed items, and put them in my weekly handout and this blog along with possibly interesting information and my own sometimes snarky commentary.  Disclaimer:  not an official Weight Watchers publication.  Not remotely.  Extremely not.

A number of interesting pieces at Fooducate this week, including the questionable naturality of Crystal Light, possible thyroid issues from consuming too much kale (can such things be?  yes, if you consume your kale in liquid form), and “Olives:  Tasty Condiment, or Salt Delivery Platform?”  To which the answer is “yes”.

Darya Rose on Home Court Habits for weight control:  hers include shopping the farmer's market, keeping hydrated, limiting “sugary or bready meals”, and those crucial 10,000 steps a day.  A new study reveals (surprise!) that people tend to overestimate how much they exercise.  Marion Nestle compares what people actually eat with what they're recommended to eat.  And for the first time since such things have been measured, Americans are eating more chicken per capita than beef!

Recipes!  Chow.com has slow-cooker recipes, whole-grain salads, orecchiete with broccoli rabe, and the evolution of hummus.  Also things to do with the veggie pulp from your juicer.  At thekitchn.com, tasty healthy workplace lunches that don't have to be heated!  Summer Tomato has a red-lentil soup with kale and farro, Simply Recipes has cabbage soup, Smitten Kitchen has chicken pho.  And Snack Girl brings us portion-controlled french-fry bites and her analysis of WW's “Simply Filling”, both pro (“I think this list is very helpful if you are looking for foods that are low in calories and packed with fiber....  These foods will fill your stomach and stop it from sending those powerful 'I'm Hungry NOW' signals to your brain”) and con (“There is no way I am eating fat-free cheese”).

Tomorrow is International Hot & Spicy Foods Day, so if you're into hot-and-spicy (I am not) enjoy something flavorful.  The day after is National Hot Buttered Rum Day.  I assure you that in this context you WILL believe I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is not butter.  And the printout was wrong:  Soup Swap Day is the 25th!


January 15th:  National Strawberry Ice-Cream Day, National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day
January 16th:  National Fig Newton Day, International Hot and Spicy Foods Day
January 17th:  National Hot Buttered Rum Day
January 18th:  National Peking Duck day
January 19th:  National Popcorn Day
January 20th:  National Buttercrunch Day, National Cheese Lovers' Day, National Coffee Break Day
January 21st:  National Granola Bar Day, New England Clam chowder Day
January 22nd:  National Blonde Brownie Day


Albertson's:

    Beef roasts or family pack steaks, chuck, crossrib, eye/bottom round, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, $7.99/lb
    Beef tri-tip or top sirloin steaks, $4.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.49/lb
    Pork loin chops, boneless, buy 1 get 2 free
    Assorted pork chops, bone in, $1.88/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, jumbo pack, $1.29/lb
    Jennie-O 93/7 ground turkey, 20 oz pkg, $2.99
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon, wild caught, 5 oz portions, $3.99
    Cod, wild caught, 5 oz portions, $1.99
    Whole Dungeness crabs, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.87
    Essential Everyday butter, 2/$5
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 2 lb shreds, $6.99
    Kraft cheeses, 8 oz chunk or shreds, 2/$5
    Deli:    Charlie's Pride Italian beef/corned beef/beef pastrami, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
        Signature slow roasted turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Stella Swiss/Provolone/Muenster cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Kellott's Nutri-grain bars, 7-10 oz boxes, $1.99
    Nature's Own “100% Whole Grain” bread, 20 oz loaves, $2.29
    Essential Everyday veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 59¢
    Essential Everyday tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$1
    Essential Everyday variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 4/$3
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomato sauce, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Del Monte veggies or tomatoes, 11-15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Prego pasta sauces, 14-15 oz jars, $1.99
    Carapelli olive oil, 25 oz bottles, $5.99
    Bertolli olive oil, 17 oz bottles, $5.99
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, $1.19
    Del Monte fruit cups incl. No-sugar-added, 4 pk, 2/$4
    No Yolks noodles, 8 oz bag, 10/$10
    Green Giant boil-in-bag veggies, 9-10 oz boxes, 10/$10
    PictSweet “Steamables” veggies, 10 oz bags, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Navel oranges, $1/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
    Organic Gala apples, $2.29/lb
    Organic Anjou pears, $2.29/lb
    Slicing tomatoes, $1.49/lb
    Organic grape tomatoes, 10 oz box, $2.99
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, $1/lb
    Eggplant, $1 ea
    Mini carrots, 1 lb bag, $1 ea
    Organic beets, $1.99/bunch
    Red bell peppers, 10/$10
    Fresh Express bag “Garden Salad”, $1 ea


Bashas':

    Beef London broil, value pack, $2.77/lb
    Beef top round roast, $2.99/lb (value pack steaks, 28¢/lb higher)
    Beef crossrib roast, $3.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, boneless, $3.49/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $3.49/lb
    “Pork loin country style”, bone in, value pack, $1.79/lb
    Bone in chicken breast or leg quarters, 97¢/lb
    Swordfish (bone in) OR Atlantic salmon, 5 oz portions, $3
    Petrale sole fillets, $7.99/lb
    Mahi mahi, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Food Club cheeses, 10-16 oz chunk/shreds/string, $3.99
    Bashas' “Homestyle” bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.49
    Hunt's tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 99¢
    S&W variety (non-baked) beans, 99¢
    Star olive oil, 25 oz bottles, $6.99
    Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna, 4/$5
    Bumble Bee chunk white tuna, 4/$5
    Green Giant frozen veggies, 7-10 oz boxes, 10/$10
    Flav-R-Pack frozen veggies, 11-16 oz bags, 3/$5
    Weight Watchers ice-cream novelties, 40% off
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $1.88
    Whole pineapples, 99¢ ea
    Fuji OR Red Delicious apples, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett/Anjou/Bosc pears, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges OR Minneola tangelos, 99¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, AZ grown, 99¢ ea
    Dole bag salads or spinach, buy 1 get 1 free
    OrganicGirl box salads, $4.99


Fry's:

    Beef chuck or crossrib roasts, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef t-bone steaks, 50% off
    85/15 ground beef, $3.19/lb
    Pork country style ribs, bone in, family pack, $1.99
    Spiral sliced hams, bone in, $1.27/lb
    Jennie-O 93/7 ground turkey, 20 oz pkg, $4.99
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Swordfish OR mahi mahi steaks, bone in, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $3.29
    Del Monte OR Kroger fruit, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Bush's baked or variety beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Green Giant frozen veg, 7-10 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine “Simple Favorites”, 6/$10
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $1.69
    Seedless mandarins, 3 lb bag, $4.99
    Organic navel oranges, AZ grown, 99¢/lb
    Organic Gala or Fuji apples, $1.89/lb
    Pears, D'Anjou/red/Bosc, 99¢/lb
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, AZ grown, 89¢/lb
    Nature Sweet cherry or grape tomatoes, 10 oz boxes, 2/$5
    Organic kale, AZ grown, 99¢/bunch
    Zucchini or yellow squash, 99¢/lb
Safeway:

    Beef London broil, boneless, $2.59/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, value pack, $5.99/lb (boneless $2/lb higher)
    Beef chuck “cross rib or pot roast”, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Open Nature “grass fed” beef chuck roast, boneless, $5.99/lb “in select stores”
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Whole pork shoulder, bone in, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Safeway smoked whole or shank half ham, 69¢/lb (butt half, 10¢/lb higher)
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.99/lb (thighs 50¢/lb lower)
    Open Nature ground turkey, 1 lb pkg, $5
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.99
    Open Nature cheeses, 24 oz chunk or shreds, $6.99
    Nature's Own breads, 20 oz loaves, 2/$5
    Oroweat variety bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.99
    Prego pasta sauces, 14-24 oz jars, 3/$5
    Safeway Kitchens veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 79¢/lb
    Progresso “Light” (with the WW logo) or “Heart Healthy” soups, 3/$4
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Blueberries, 6 oz box, 2/$3
    Honeycrisp OR Envy apples, $2.99
    Bananas, 59¢/lb
    Organic navel oranges, AZ grown, $1.99
    Mangos, 10/$10
    Organic red grapefruit, AZ grown, 99¢ ea
    Kale, AZ grown, $1.49/bunch
    “Baby cut” carrots, AZ grown, 1 lb bag, 2/$3


Sprouts:

    Beef rump roast OR marinated carne asada, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, boneless, $9.99/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Leg of lamb OR lamburger, $5.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Blackberries, 5 oz boxes, 98¢
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Fuji/Granny Smith/Braeburn apples, 98¢/lb
    Pears:  Bartlett, D'Anjou, Bosc, red, Comice, Forelle, Seckel, 88¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 98¢/lb
    Grape or cherry tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$3
    Winter squashes:  butternut, acorn, spaghetti, 48¢/lb