Tuesday, August 28, 2007



The Shopping Cart Content Conundrum




A funny thing happened to me at the grocery store...


...is how the joke goes.


Yesterday I was nearly out of bananas, so I went to a couple of stores to pick up some bananas and other produce.


First I stopped into Whole Foods, and I was buying about 20 ripe bananas. The checker was happy to see someone buying so many bananas, then asked if I was planning on making banana bread. Before I paid my bill, the checker learned how to make the most delicious banana ice cream ever.


The next place I went to was Sam's Club. I purchased three 3 lb. bags of ripe bananas, and this time the checker didn't seem to be as thrilled to see me buying so many bananas. She warned me that if I didn't eat all those bananas I would have to make banana bread.

Sometimes I will glance at someone's shopping cart and notice all the "stuff" they are purchasing. At Sam's Club I saw some ladies buying several packages of white hot dog buns. I didn't bother to ask them anything about their purchase. I didn't think to ask them why they were buying all those buns, or if they eat them all, what will they do when they'll be all stopped up for days to weeks.

Sometimes I notice lots of meat items in people's carts. I don't think to ask them if they have a flock of vultures or a den of lions that they are going home to feed. However, I've had friends have checkers ask if they have rabbits or horses, when they buy lots of carrots.

It makes me think how far society is removed from a natural food diet, when it is okay for someone to comment or question a customer with lots of fresh produce, but not okay to comment or question a customer with lots of processed and packaged and animal products.

Sometimes I wonder if I bump into someone I know, and they see some items I'm buying for my family who isn't 100% raw, what they might think. Do they realize that I'm buying this 'stuff' for my family and not for myself. Do I need to explain this to them?

I read an article about why people look at other people's grocery carts. The answer was that people are generally nosey and bored when they are in line at the check out stand.

I guess what it boils down to, is that we will all probably be looking at each other's carts, and sometimes what we see will make us shake our heads. It is up to each of us to use a little common sense and courtesy when bringing up the subject of another's shopping cart contents, and also not to be too quick to judge that the person pushing the cart isn't always the person that is going to eat everything inside of it.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sharon, I am always asked about the amount of produce that I eat. "What are you going to do with all of those bananas" or whatever I am buying????? I usually just smile and say, "Eat them."

I agree with you that we are so far removed from healthy eating in our society.

I have also noticed that they don't say anything to the people that have their carts loaded full of other foods.

Thanks for the reminder to me gracious at all times.

Anonymous said...

I just had this banana thing happen to me today! LOL!

Buccaneer said...

great objservation madame ! These days I am at so much peace while shopping...as I know exactly what I want and I also know that this is the 'real good stuff'. And when I look at carts of the 'normal' people, I cant help but smile at their choices and their perception of diet and life ! But yes, I do pray at the end of the day, that they get closer to the truth, something that I am so grateful about...

Love
Prakash

bonnie said...

I've stopped going to Whole Foods and really try not to shop anywhere but my favorite organic market that sells only organic produce and I don't have to be sad looking at someone else's cart like I have done in the past at conventional food stores and see nothing but boxes of prepared foods and starchy stuff.
Funny thing today that my husband is becoming more conscious of his diet and is concerned about extra fats. He said that he needed to stop eating avocados and nuts (we have avocado in salad every nite and I put a handful of nuts in his lunch)! Granted, those foods are high in fat, but he said nothing of the steak and cheese sandwich he consumed yesterday or the McDonald's meal he had the other day!!! Argh! Yes, I agree that our society is very removed from understanding what healthy eating really is!!