Experts urge people to avoid grocery stores at the beginning of the month. Here’s why.
If you can wait to go grocery shopping until April 4, experts say that you should.
Going to a grocery store with barren shelves during the coronavirus pandemic can be frustrating, but for some, the limited choices mean they might not get the healthy foods they need.
The Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, or WIC, provides healthy food for pregnant women, new mothers and young children. The benefits of the program renew on the first of each month, so many participants might be hitting the stores for much-needed groceries this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
“I think theoretically, if we don’t shop those first days of the month, that allows them first pick of the WIC-designated foods and therefore to get those nutritious items they need to last the month,” Dr. Teresa Wagner, a licensed dietitian, said.
Participants also can get certain healthy grocery items free of charges. Those items are usually marked with a pink sticker. Wagner suggested that people try not to buy those items if possible.
In Tarrant County, about 35,000 people rely on the WIC program.
Many people who use WIC might not have reliable transportation, and they might not be able to go back to the grocery store more than once a month. If they cannot find vegetables, fruit, milk, meat or other items during their trip, they might just have to go without for a month, said Wagner, who is an assistant professor in the School of Health Professions at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
Healthy eating is especially important now since COVID-19 might prevent people from getting the exercise they normally do, Wagner said. Families might also be struggling more with food supply since kids are not getting a meal at school and are home throughout the day.
Wagner also encouraged people not to stockpile items.
“If you’re stockpiling more than you need in a week, you’re taking away the ability for other people to buy the foods they need to stay healthy,” Wagner said. “Think about your neighbors, think about the little old lady that lives down the street.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 2:29 PM.
