Is it possible to eat nourishing whole foods without letting grocery costs overwhelm your budget? Grocery industry insider and author Carol Ann Kates joins Dr. Gillian Lockitch to share practical ways to plan meals, shop sales, select produce, understand labels, and store food so less goes to waste. Their conversation offers useful ideas for smaller households as well as families. Rising prices and confusing product claims can make a healthy grocery trip feel expensive and complicated. A thoughtful plan can help you bring home only food you will enjoy and use. For people who want to stay healthy and independent as they age, a sustainable eating routine has to work in everyday life. Carol Ann explains how planning around weekly specials, checking what is already in the pantry, and shopping with a list can protect both your food budget and your time. Raised in her family's corner market, Carol Ann later helped run its supermarkets and wrote recipes for store advertisements. She is the author of "Grocery Shopping Secrets" and the award-winning cookbook "Secret Recipes from the Corner Market". She shares what that experience taught her about fresh ingredients and the real cost of convenience. Dr. Gillian and Carol Ann discuss frozen versus fresh vegetables, pre-cut produce, choosing avocados, prioritizing purchases when organic foods cost more, and interpreting food date labels. They also explore storage habits, batch cooking, and ways to make the same ingredients work across several meals. They recommend starting with one change before your next trip: plan the week's meals around what you already have in your kitchen and what you will actually eat.

Episode Timeline: 00:30 — Why healthy food and grocery costs belong in the same conversation
04:34 — Carol Ann's family markets and the path to her books
10:50 — Meal planning around store specials
11:48 — Lists, impulse buys, coupons, and loyalty offers
14:06 — Pantry organization, food waste, and date labels
18:47 — Shopping for whole foods, frozen produce, and convenience costs
22:12 — Organic produce and the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen discussion
26:07 — Grass-fed and free-range labels; where Carol Ann prioritizes spending
28:44 — Selecting avocados
29:59 — Produce storage and reducing spoilage
32:51 — Shopping and cooking for one or two
34:24 — One practical change before your next grocery trip

Connect with Carol Ann Kates https://www.facebook.com/p/Carol-Ann-Kates-Kitchen https://www.carolannkates.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-ann-kates https://www.instagram.com/carolannkates https://www.pinterest.com/CarolAnnKates/Pinterest https://x.com/CarolAnnKates

Connect with Your Host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch Explore physician-led resources designed to help midlife and older women remain healthy, active, independent, and engaged in life. Website and podcast episodes: https://www.askdrgill.com

Download the Growing Older Living Younger app For your personalized one-one-one lifestyle strategies conversation email me at askdrgill@gmail.com Join the Growing Older Living Younger Facebook Community