Grocery Stores and Processed Sugar

Grocery Store Trips - One Backpack at a Time

I'm lucky that I live in an agricultural area and Farmers Markets are available on a daily basis if I just know where to go.   However, I'm not that organized.  I shop out of convenience.   I love the fact there is a grocery store within a mile from my home, so I walk there.  By walking it really limits my ability to buy whatever my sense is telling me to.

My sense...that's right, whatever my nose is telling me to.  I've noticed over the last several months that the grocery store smells odd.   It was a slow process, maybe even undetected for the first several months of my low carb diet back in September and October, but now, I almost become sick walking through the doors.  I have finally identified the smell.  It's processed sugar.

There are so many processed sugar products in the larger chain grocery stores.  Think of the rows of boxes of cereals and quick mixes, the snack isle.  There is so much choice in these items and pre-made mixes with all their processed sugar and other heavens only knows what preservatives are inside their cardboard boxes.   I've been off sugar long enough that that's all I smell.

Ironically, I don't have this feeling at places where the grocery section is in another store as well, like some Target's and Walmart's now have grocery areas inside. I don't know if there are just enough other products to absorb those extra sugary smells.  I also don't get the feeling at Trader Joe's, likely because there isn't all that choice there.

I would relate this smell to the first time you open a box of cereal - one with sugar in it.
If you want the full on effect, pick one you know has a lot of sugar content like Lucky Charms.  Upon the first pull of that sealed bag, that first rush of air that greets you; that's it...it's like that very same blast of air greets me in the grocery store.

Strategically, I make a beeline for the areas I need now.  Only enter on the produce side; check the meat specials, grab milk and paper plates. I wonder if you'd like to try an experiment with me, just to check that I'm not crazy. Would you give up sugar and processed sugar food for a six to eight weeks trial to see if you notice any difference?  

My kids usually beg for some ultra sugar cereal during spring break...no more letting in.  I'm slowly breaking them of sugar. I'm looking now into cooking with almond flour and stevia. Not a huge fan of stevia, tried growing it, like the first taste, but it has a bit of an after taste for me.

Changing the way I bake is a big deal for me. I grew up on a wheat farm, so many of my fond memories of food involve baking family recipes with lots of flour and sugar. The first thing I want to try to make will be a Blackberry tart on an almond flour crust.  I'll try that this weekend.  I'll let you know how that goes. If it's good, I'll share the recipe.  For now, I thought I'd share a picture of what my grocery store haul of products usually looks like these days.

Happy Carb Counting!