Two food shopping trips a week?

[Coffee234]

Hi. I know this isn't a big issue.
Just wanted to see what people thought and what you will be doing.
I usually do one big click and collect shop and then a small (fruit and milk) shop a few days later. No chance of getting a click and collect slot and I'm thinking it should go to the more needy anyway.

So do you think one big shop and one little shop is ok with the current lockdown.
How are you going to plan you essential food shop now?
?

I dont think there are limited supplies for soup. The local fruit and veg shops have plenty and most near us are doing deliveries. Obv it could be completely different elsewhere of course

@Changeofname79 "Obv it could be completely different elsewhere of course"

And therein lies the salient point...

I looked in the greengrocers on Saturday. They had plenty of fruit and veg, sure, but it's a tiny shop and it was packed. People had to shuffle past each other to move around. No way was I getting involved in that.

Perhaps I could have gone in and got some things to make soup and then maybe I could stay at home two more days longer before needing to go out. But on balance, I'd rather go out two days sooner to the less busy if less well stocked supermarket than dive into a crowd at the moment.

@Lockheart absolutely, hence why I said it. There may be some more online veg people now, I think quite a few are setting up online

Personally I think you did the right thing as I wouldnt have put myself at risk either but there are many people on here just not willing to make any changes at all. There will always be times people need to go out more but if everyone did that just because they refuse to adapt it will be chaos the whole time.

I have an autistic son and making changes is truly hard for him, also he has limited number of things he will eat as it is. We are doing our best to make it work but it may mean us having to go out more than once but all the time we can manage we wont.

If everyone tried their best then it'll work. I feel like the OP isn't really trying.

I think some people do not have enough storage space for a week's shopping particularly fridge space.

Fridge space maybe, but other stuff? You can keep it under your bed, on your wardrobe, in your wardrobe, in a box in the corner of the room, in a drawer, on a shelf, in a bag hanging on a hook, etc etc

Theres not that much that really needs to be kept in the fridge, esp if only shopping for a week.

I think some people do not have enough storage space for a week's shopping particularly fridge space.

Fridge space, maybe, but you don't need to store food in cupboards. Packaged food can be stored anywhere you have room for it - we only have two food cupboards so we currently have food on the shelves in the living room!

Of course you should go twice a week if you need to. The shelf life of the milk, bread, fruit and veg we buy is never as long as a week so we HAVE to go twice a week or on days 5, 6 and 7 we have nothing healthy to eat. It's much healthier to go out, taking all necessary precautions, and get the minimum in the second shop.

The shelf life of the milk, bread, fruit and veg we buy is never as long as a week so we HAVE to go twice a week or on days 5, 6 and 7

Again, where are people shopping where everything is practically off as soon as it hits your basket?

You do realise you don’t have to get rid of bread, milk, fruit and veg (never mind eggs, cheese and yoghurt, to name a few staples) just because it’s reached its official shelf life, right?

ShirleyPhallus a clear example of deliberately misreading the post. If you buy something on the 1st and it has a use by date of 5th then it's not fit to eat on 6th and 7th. The milk we get in Sainsbury's has around 4/5 days on it. Salad is usually 3/4 days. Veg usually 4/5 days. Fruit anywhere between 2 and 5 days. So we get a range of everything e.g. unripe mango or plums to eat later but eating like kings on days 1-4 and like paupers on 5-7 seems bizarre. We need a top up shop.

Ninkanink you need to get rid of it when it's stale, mouldy, brown or sour. Which usually takes 4-5 days. We have a south facing kitchen so it's always warm in there.

The shelf life of the milk, bread, fruit and veg we buy is never as long as a week so we HAVE to go twice a week or on days 5, 6 and 7

Well, no, you don't have to. You can buy long-life milk, freeze bread and buy frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables.

@Fespital I didn’t misread your post, but I am surprised that you’re buying things with such short shelf life. You realise also that best before dates are a guide and if something says it goes off on the 5th, it’s usually completely safe to eat on the 6th or 7th and beyond.

I’m afraid I just don’t believe that your veg lasts 4-5 days and fruit 2-5. Potatoes, onions, apples, pears etc all last weeks stored correctly. Unless you’re buying things which are already almost mouldy anyway.

You don’t need to get rid of bread when it’s just stale - it’s still perfectly fine to toast, or to make French toast with. Or to make bread pudding, or croutons. When it’s dry it can be blitzed to make breadcrumbs and used straightaway, or frozen.

Milk can be used for a good few days past its best as long as it’s not actually sour. And when it’s on the turn it can still safely be used to cook/bake with. Vegetables can be used even when they are very wilted/tired/past their best as long as they’re not actually slimy or mouldy.

Anyway I’m not going to argue about this...clearly people are going to have to approach this the way they feel best protects them, their children and other vulnerable people in the vicinity, whilst also following guidelines as closely as possible.

(Just so you know, you can keep your eggs for at least a few weeks past the date. Might be useful knowledge.)

Most of our veg lasts a good two weeks in fridge. Lettuces and herbs obviously less so, but we cook with our lettuce when it’s starting to wilt (soups, broths, stews) and I freeze all opened herbs when they start to look tired. Potatoes and onions aren’t kept in the kitchen.

Just go a few days without fruit problem solved.

Times like this require some stoicism and an intrepid attitude. It’s not a hardship to have a few lean days at the end of a one or two weeks cycle, when the alternative means putting yourself, your household and other vulnerable people at risk of a really serious, frightening illness or potentially death. You can still eat well, with good, tasty, healthy foods and meals. No one needs a fresh supply of a wide range of exotic fruits every 4 or 5 days. It is not essential.

Don't have a car or a freezer. I managed a week this time but now I have to shop for mum as well it's going to be problematic shall do my best.

IME there is no choice of shelf life - all the eggs, milk, whatever are the same age, even in normal times. Veg and fruit similarly often less than a week - butternut squash, sweet potato keep better but who knows whether any are around. Love Lidl but the choices are limited.

If you buy something on the 1st and it has a use by date of 5th then it's not fit to eat on 6th and 7th I would probably eat meat on 6th, no later. Anything else is fine on 7th and probably beyond. The food manufacturers leave themselves oodles of time, they don't want to be sued. I sometimes drink milk that is a week old. Yes it goes off much faster once it's open, so I might have to waste 1/3 of it, but better than wasting the entire carton if I've planned badly.

Anyway, I wish you all well during this testing time. We will get through it. I just wish people understood a bit better what a crucial difference it can make to really strictly limit how often one gets into contact with great numbers of people.

I work in a supermarket so I'm quickly shopping after my shifts. No extra journeys and no need to go out on my days off.

Not read the full thread but it's a bit difficult to manage on one shopping trip a week when there's nothing on the shelves because selfish gits have panic-bought it all.

No butter in the shops my dad checked during his journey home from work. So how are people going to buy soup.

It's much healthier to go out, taking all necessary precautions, and get the minimum in the second shop.

No, it isn’t.