Wren's bargain guide, week beginning June 18th:

This is interesting!  A new study out of Cornell University looks at whether, and why, exercise is related to weight loss.  One group of overweight people were told to take 30 minutes' walking as exercise, with a strong “YOU MUST” subtext, and to monitor their effort;  another group were told to have an enjoyable half-hour walk, listening to music.  They expended the same number of calories – but the first group, the people for whom exercise had been framed as something of an ordeal to be endured, not only came away “more fatigued and grumpy” than the second group, they consumed more soda and dessert at lunch than the group for whom the walk had been presented as something to enjoy. 

At Alternet, a set of tricks – I prefer the word “practices” – for conquering emotional eating.  Summer Tomato has seven reasons keeping a food journal – or as we call it here, tracking – is more useful than “counting calories”.  James Clear has an interesting piece on changing habits by changing who you are.  And Grist decries the “all natural” label on foods as being “pretty much meaningless” when you can buy all-natural Cheetos, all-natural “butter flavor granules”, and, God help us, “Ac'cent Flavor Enhancer ALL NATURAL FOOD SERVICE PRODUCT”.

Food and recipes:  If you're grilling tender meats, Lifehacker says, the best marinade is a salt-based one such as soy sauce or teriyaki, rather than an acidic one.  Chow.com has seventeen ways with grilled chicken, chai milkshakes, and seven summer smoothies.  I don't do smoothies but if you do there they are.  Simply Recipes has, appropriately, a wonderfully simple tuna-tomato pasta with olives.  Simple Nourished Living – I'd shorten that to SNL but that abbreviation is already taken – has a 5-PointsPlus-per-serving sweet-and-sour kielbasa from the slow cooker.  And Snack Girl has the annual question of whether it's possible to do a healthy July Fourth (she gives a series of tips that can tilt things towards Yes), plus eeny little crunchy ONE-POINTSPLUS ice-cream sandwiches. 


June 18th:  National Cherry Tart Day, National Sushi Day, International Picnic Day
June 19th:  National Dry Martini Day
June 20th:  National Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 21st:  National Peaches and Cream Day
June 22nd:  National Onion Rings Day, National Chocolate Eclair Day
June 23rd:  National Pecan Sandy Day
June 24th:  National Creamy Pralines Day
June 25th:  National Catfish Day, National Strawberry Parfait Day


Albertson's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, $10.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, family pack, $7.99/lb
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or family pack steaks, boneless, $4.79/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Assorted pork chops, bone in, family pack, $1.59/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut bone-in or boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Cook's ham steaks, bone in, $3.49/lb
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, jumbo pack, $1.28/lb
    Tilapia fillets, 1 lb IQF bag, $9.99, buy 1 get 3 free
    Keta salmon fillets, wild caught, $3.99
    Cod, wild caught, 5 oz portions, $1.99
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.87
    Essential Everyday butter, 2/$5
    Knudsen cottage cheese OR sour cream, 16 oz tubs, $1.99
    Daisy sour cream, 8 oz tubs, 10/$10
    Yoplait yogurts, 20/$10
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.98
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson turkey & ham varieties, $8.99/lb
        Unbranded (store) picante-Provolone and lacy-Swiss cheeses, $7.99/lb
        Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 10/$10
    Wild Harvest organic variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomato sauce, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Libby's veggies, 15 oz cans, 88¢
    Colavita olive oil, 17 oz bottles, $9.99/lb
    Red cherries, $2.47/lb
    Peaches, $2.99/lb
    Black plums, $2.49/lb
    White peaches or nectarines, $3.49/lb
    “Midnight Beauty” black seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Blueberries, 11 oz boxes, $3.99
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Hass avocados, 5 ct bag, $2.98
    Sweet corn, 4 pk, 2/$5
    Red bell peppers, 4/$5


Bashas':

    Beef London broil, $2.99/lb
    Beef top round roast, $3.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, $2.99/lb
    Assorted pork chops, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Chicken breast OR leg quarters, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    True cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, $2.88
    Challenge butter, $2.99
    Silk beverages, 64 oz cartons, $2.99
    Bertolli pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Bumble Bee chunk white tuna, 5 oz cans, 2/$3
    Flav-R-Pac frozen veg, 11-16 oz bags, 3/$5
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.88
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$3
    Blueberries, dry pint, 2/$3
    Yellow peaches/nectarines OR apricots OR red/black plums, $1.99/lb
    Large mangos, 77¢ ea
    Vine tomatoes, 2/$3
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb
    Baby heirloom tomatoes, 8 oz bag, 2/$4
Fry's:

    Beef chuck roast or steaks, boneless, family pack, $2.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.69 (3 lb chub)
    Pork shoulder butt steak, bone in, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork shoulder butt roast, bone in, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Pork sirloin roasts, boneless, whole in bag, $1.79/lb (single roasts, 70¢/lb higher)
    Foster Farms whole chickens, 99¢/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Orange roughy, $7.99/lb
    Fry's eggs, AA large, dozens, $1.27
    Yoplait or Dannon conventional yogurts incl. Light, 2/88¢
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
    Kroger tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 59¢
    Kroger variety beans, 15 oz cans, 59¢
    Herdez salsa, 16 oz jars, $1.89
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 10/$10
    Birds Eye frozen veggies, 8-16 oz bags, 10/$10
    Kroger frozen veggies, 10-12 oz bags, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.77
    Red cherries, $1.77/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, 99¢/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.99/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 77¢/lb
    Jalapeño peppers, 77¢/lb
    Sweet corn, AZ grown, 2/99¢
    Simple Truth organic mini carrots, 1 lb bag, 2/$3
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea


Safeway:

    Beef chuck crossrib roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak, boneless, $7.99/lb
    Open Nature “grass fed” beef NY strip steak, boneless, $13.99/lb
    Pork loin back ribs, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder for pozole, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Safeway Farms chicken leg quarters, bone in, $1.29/lb
    Alaskan salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.99
    S&W variety beans, 15 oz cans, 4/$4
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.99
    Safeway Kitchen frozen fruit, 3 lb bags, $11.99
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, $1.99/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Whole seedless watermelons, $5.99
    Mangos, $1 ea
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Organic vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.99/lb
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 2/$3
    Sweet corn, 6/$2


Sprouts:

    Beef sirloin tip roast or steaks, $3.99/lb
    “Grass-fed organic” ground beef, fat content not listed, $4.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, value pack, $1.49/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Sea of Cortez halibut fillets, wild caught, $10.99/lb
    Sprouts butter, $2.99
    Sprouts cheeses, 8 oz shreds or shingle, 2/$6
    Sprouts olive oil, 1 litre bottles, 25% off
    Sprouts variety beans, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Sprouts frozen fruit, 10 oz bags, $2.99
    Apricots, 48¢/lb
    Red cherries, $1.98/lb
    Honey mangos, 48¢ ea
    Apples, Fuji/Red Delicious/Granny Smith, 98¢/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines OR black plums, $1.48/lb
    Whole cantaloupes OR honeydew melons, 2/$5
    Organic Bartlett pears, 2/$3
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.48/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 2 lbs/$3
    Sweet mini peppers, 1 lb bag, 2/$5
    Sprouts box salads, 5 oz, 2/$5
    Italian or yellow squash, 98¢/lb