Older Jamie Oliver - © britannica.com

Jamie Oliver: 4 Cardinal Rules Of Supermarket Shopping

I was genuinely surprised so many Millennials (and even younger-generationals) knew who Jamie Oliver was! I recently posted about his latest cook book, and his impending 50th birthday. Now, I’ve found some of Oliver’s fave food shopping tips…

Jamie Oliver - Book - © 2025 Steve Russell - Toronto STAR

Oliver was in Toronto, flogging his 28th (!) cook book the beginning of this week. And sharing his collected wisdom on the State of the Art of home cooking in the 21st Century…

Time for a renaissance

He says the time is ripe for a renaissance in home cooking – with food prices so high, and restaurant menu prices rising even faster.

But he says the rules have changed since he first came to media prominence as an advocate of quick simple, nutritious cooking 25 years ago.

First and foremost, he says, younger generations are showing a renewed curiosity in home cooking. Provided the recipes are quick, easy and affordable. And fresh.

Up-to-date grocery shopping tips…

Oliver says he relys on 4 basic rules to guide his grocery shopping decisions…

1. Whenever you can, swap out half the meat the recipe calls for and replace with the same quantity of beans or peas.

2. Always shop what’s in season.

3. Find the best value by comparing food prices by weight (i.e.- ‘per 100 g’ / ‘per lb.’)

4. Pick recipes that create versatile leftovers. And plan for using those leftovers later in the week.

May I also suggest…

1. Steer clear of pre-cut/prepped foods (especially produce). They’re be significantly higher priced because they paid someone to wash and cut them.

2. Don’t buy foods that generate a lot of waste. If you buy a big, fluffy head of lettuce or cabbage, and have to throw out the outside leaves, you’re cheating yourself and the environment.

3. Beware of foods with hidden package weight boosters. One egregious example is skin-on chicken. The price by weight unit may be lower than skinless. But then you get home, and find that there’s a whole pile of attached skin from surrounding cuts tucked under those ‘bargain’ chicken thighs… You may end up paying for up to half a tray (by weight) of hidden, useless skin. It’s an out and out cheat. But, somehow, apparently not illegal. And all the supermarkets and meat packers do it.

My take

Those are just a few of Jamie’s (and my) biggest DOs and DON’Ts when making in-store food choices. There are more, but most are minor in comparison.

Once you get used to using these ‘rules of thumb’ when shopping, you’ll find your grocery bills are consistently lower…

~ Maggie J.

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