Supermarket shopping is a joy for some persons, yet others find it tedious and will try to get in and out of a supermarket as quickly as possible.

One woman recounts that when she goes into the supermarket, she quickly scouts the perimeter shelves to find produce and meats, barely taking time to pick up convenience foods in the inner part of the store.

Supermarkets have applied new strategies to make the stores friendlier, offering tea rooms, banking facilities, household non-food items and bill-payment facilities. Some even play music and install air conditioning so shoppers can enjoy a more leisurely experience.

However, before going to the supermarket, there are some essential things you should do for smarter shopping.

Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in Kingston. Send comments to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.

Cook in advance and freeze so that on the days when you are feeling a little lazy, you can reheat and serve. You can make batches of food the family loves and freeze them in small containers to be used at other times.

Buy enough food to last until your next shopping trip. This will ensure that you will not you eat outside of your planned menu, which could mean unhealthy foods.

Use coupons and sales circulars to get discounts in your supermarket. If items are sold out, ask for a rain check so you can pick up the items the next time you go to shop.

Use specials to plan weekly menu.

When trying new products, try smaller sizes at first to see how much you like the product.

Make creative use of leftovers, choosing foods that can be used in several different ways.

Select fruits and vegetables with colour. The deeper the colour, the more nutrients the produce contain. For example, iceberg lettuce has fewer nutrients compared to the green, leafy lettuce.

Make a list and use it

Saves you time and money in the store as you stay focused while browsing the aisles.

Helps you plan more creative and economical meals for a week.

Makes you efficient. Check your cupboards and refrigerator to see what you need and how you will use what is available.

Promotes healthier eating based on a planned menu instead of buying on impulse.

Prevents you from running back to the supermarket to purchase forgotten items.

Allows you to be organised: Place items in categories for easy reference - produce, meats, canned foods, dry groceries, spices. This also demonstrates that you are thinking like a chef.

Best times to shop

Do not shop when you are hungry. You will be tempted to buy foods for a quick tasty treat and these foods are not on your list. It is best to eat a healthy snack before going to the store.

Shop in off-peak times when the store is less crowded. After-work hours or early morning on a Saturday are not good times.

The best time to shop is very early in the morning or weekend evenings.

Choice of supermarket

Your supermarket experience should be pleasant, so be sure to choose supermarkets with easy access, ample parking and facilities for the convenience of paying bills, and those not too far from home.

Stick to a supermarket you like as you will get in and out faster once you are familiar with location of the aisles and staff.

Read your labels

Selecting healthy foods is one of the objectives of supermarket shopping. Food labels are designed to provide nutrition facts to highlight fat, calories, protein, minerals and vitamins and other ingredients to allow you to make comparisons with other products.

As a smart shopper, you should be cautious of claims made on labels. The Food and Drug Administration in the United States decides when manufacturers can call their foods 'healthy' or 'low fat'. Here are some common terms:

Healthy: food low in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Free: Devoid of substances like sugar, fat, cholesterol or calories per serving.

Low sodium: one serving has 140 milligrams of sodium or less.

Low cholesterol: one serving with 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol and two grams or less of saturated fat.

Low fat: one serving contains three grams of fat or less.

Reduced: one serving or less with 25 per cent fat, saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugar or calories per serving compared to the whole food.

Light (lite): one serving has 50 per cent or less or one-third fewer calories than the regular version of the food.

For health's sake

Fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants which help to reduce the risk of chronic disease. Be sure to select fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure you get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day as recommended by the Caribbean Guide for Healthy Eating.

Buy fruits for eating to get fibre over purchasing fruit juice. On reaching home, wash and bag fruits and vegetables and cut up where necessary to facilitate faster cooking. Place them in the front of the refrigerator where they will be seen and not forgotten.

Select fruits and vegetables with colour. The deeper the colour, the more nutrients the produce contain. For example, iceberg lettuce has fewer nutrients compared to the green, leafy lettuce.

Shop seasonally. Prices should be lower than in off-season periods.

Meats, like produce, should be deep in colour, indicating good iron content.

Fish should be eaten at least once per week to obtain healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Purchase unprocessed foods as much as possible. The more processed the food, the more expensive it is likely to be with less health benefits.