Going to the grocery store is normally such a boring experience that rich people employ really poor people to buy their groceries.
The shelter in place means most of the activities that are exciting have disappeared. Grocery store shopping is now an exciting activity.
You are limited in where you go but you can go to the grocery store any day, every day.
Since you might not have shopped for groceries in awhile, we have some tips.
- You might remember a time where if you didn't see an item on the shelf, you would ask someone who worked there if they had the item in the back. Those days are gone. If you don't see it, they don't have it. Someone grabbed it at 9 a.m. or 3 days ago. Trust me, if that had the food, you would see the food on the shelf.
- You used to go to the grocery store on Saturdays to get a snack with plenty of food sampling. That is gone too. Trader Joe's, the store that guarantees some kind of snack, has shut down food sampling. Not safe in the current environment.
- Your favorite white bread, spaghetti sauce, or peanut butter is likely gone. How long? Don't ask. Really. They are working as best as they can. Don't complain to the grocery store workers.
- You have to follow new rules such as taking a cart instead of a basket or waiting in line outside the store to enter the store. We've learned to stand behind the yellow line at checkout. Annoying but where we are right now. Don't like the rules. You won't like them a week from now.
- The hours have shrunk. All the old people are there early in the morning. Be thankful you still have a grocery store.
Those hours have shrunk so workers can catch a break and shelves can be restocked. Grocery store workers have been declared essential, even though they don't make too much money.
Embrace grocery store workers. Not literally. No touching: stand 2 meters/6 feet away. They would rather be ordinary people in ordinary times. They aren't and we're not.
Embracing your stress eating during the COVID-19 coronavirus
Alternative foods if your grocery store has been raided due to COVID-19 coronavirus
Will COVID-19 play a role with farmers markets?
The future of the traditional role in farmers markets has been on hold and will continue to be in limbo. You should find the Web site of your local farmers market to see what other options you have, including delivery. Here is the example from the Green City Market in Chicago.
There is a window where outdoor summer markets could be in force this summer with limited capacity. This assumes the flattening of curves in North America and the Northern Hemisphere.
Anecdotally, I buy 10 pounds of blueberries every summer from a local farmer. I don't do so in case of a pandemic. I will tell you: the blueberries means one fewer food category to worry about in this current COVID-19 coronavirus dynamic.
photo credit: me
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