In this economy people are constantly trying to save money even while grocery shopping. We are looking for nutritious foods at low prices, but are we really getting quality food for our money?

           
Although we do have many grocery stores in South Gate, not all of them tend to have quality products, compared to other grocery stores. Some stores sell organic products and imported produce such as dairy and meats that are not normally found at our local grocery stores. Markets such as Best Way, Northgate, El Super, Superior, Albertson’s, Food4Less, and Rancho Market do not have the same variety of healthy and organic foods that other grocery stores offer and that many of us may be looking for.

When you walk into a store such as Whole Foods, you can see the difference in the way they take care of their produce and the way they maintain their market.

           
Some people do not have the time and money to shop at healthier and organic grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Fresh and Easy, Trader Joe’s, and Farmers Market’s. Most of these stores are located more then 30 minutes away from home.

For example Reyna Martinez, an ISLC student, only goes to grocery stores around where she lives such as Superior, Plaza Mexico, and Rancho Market, which are only about seven minutes away from where she lives. Reyna usually buys vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy products and spends around $100-$120 on groceries.

“Veggies and dairy products are better at Superior and meat is better at Plaza Mexico,” explains Reyna.

She compares the quality of foods within her own community and knows which foods best benefit both her health and budget.

“I think I do eat healthy because my mom and my aunt and sometimes Jeisen make me eat my veggies.”

Reyna claims to be a healthy eater and wants her produce to be delicious and at a low price. Although she does not consider eating healthy part of her daily routine, she expects to get quality ingredients to make healthy dishes at home when she buys produce from her local grocery stores.

My mom on the other hand does her grocery shopping at different places, and is always comparing quality and price. When she shops at Food4Less she can spend about $80 on groceries, but when she goes to places like Whole Foods she can spend up to $200 on groceries. She says that the quality of produce is worth the price because it is healthier and more nutritious.

Another person who notices the quality of her food is Isabel Juarez. Her parents usually get their groceries at Superior, Smart & Final, or Sam’s Club, which are about ten minutes from where she lives. She claims she prefers Smart & Final.

“I usually go to Smart & Final a lot and I like it because just by looking at it, it looks fresh,” explained Isabel.

She claims that Smart & Final is one of the few stores that actually puts out fresh produce everyday because they are constantly restocking thier stands. She voices that many stores put out produce only when the food racks start to look empty, which I have actually seen before.

“Bad food is cheap,” claims Isabel.

She has seen that many stores, such as the small, local, corner markets around our neighborhood, put their products on sale because the expiration date is one or two days away. Although other big branch grocery stores do the same thing, as well.

My mom has bought food at Superior but stopped buying their dairy products because two times she bought milk there and when we got home she noticed that the expiration date for the milk had passed. 

The truth is that it is all about the numbers; it has to do with income and time. If Fresh and Easy were to open up a location in South Gate they would not make much profit because they would be competing with Superior and Smart & Final. Grocery stores such as Superior and Smart & Final offer lower prices for greater amounts of food, which is what we can afford. Other grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s and Fresh and Easy cannot afford to do this because of the higher quality of their food.

We do not really take into consideration the fact that price of our food has to do with the quality of it. Sometimes there is even expired food on the shelves of our local markets. So next time you and your parents go grocery shopping ask yourself, “Am I getting quality for my
money?”

The thing is that there is no real solution because it all goes back, down a long movement of getting the produce to us. In order for our community to get higher quality produce everyone has to want it. Quality food cost money and people in the community have to be willing to spend that money in order to have quality food at a reach.