By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Most Sunday mornings you’ll find me shopping for groceries for the coming week. One of my favorite parts of the store is the bulk foods aisle. Actually, the store where I usually shop has several aisles with bins of dried beans, nuts, spices, teas, grains, and more, giving me lots of opportunities for joy.

One of the best parts of shopping in the bulk foods section is the opportunity to get as much or as little as I need. That means no packages of quinoa flakes where I only needed a couple of spoonfuls but had to buy the 2-pound package. And, if I want to try a new spice or other product, I can get a small amount to test without ending up with a large package of something that I didn’t care for.

Of course, bulk foods shopping isn’t for everyone. If you are preparing food for someone with a food allergy, the bulk food aisle is filled with opportunities for cross-contamination and is probably a section that you should avoid.

Bulk food shopping allows me to cut down on packaging. I try to bring empty jars and clean bags to the store and to reuse them a number of times. Note that some stores don’t let you bring your own containers so check before your visit. When I get to the store, I ask the cashier to weigh my jars so that I don’t have to pay for the weight of the jar. It makes it simpler if I either bring a permanent marker or have masking tape on the jar to write the jar’s weight on. If jars or plastic bags have a bar code on them, either remove the code or cover it with masking tape or marker. Cashiers have told me that their scanners will pick up bar codes and that it’s easier for them if customers remove them or cover them up before getting to the register. Tape or a marker also allows me to write the PLU code on the package and to indicate what the product is that I’m buying. It’s amazing how alike two spices can look and how challenging it can be to tell which is which when you get them home if you forget to label them.

Bulk food etiquette is focused on food safety. Use a separate scoop for each product. The store provides scoops and should have a place for used scoops. Don’t use your hands to reach into bins. If you can’t retrieve a product with a scoop, use disposable gloves or a clean plastic bag over your hands to pick up product. If you inadvertently get too much, let an employee know. Once you’ve put food in your jar or bag, don’t put it back in the bin. For the cashiers’ sake, write clearly. If you spill something, let an employee know so they can clean it up.

Bulk food aisles can be found in many co-ops and natural foods stores as well as in traditional groceries. I hope that you’ll enjoy exploring these aisles as much as I do.