Grocery Shopping!

It may seem absurd to dedicate an entire post to grocery shopping. However, this has probably been one of the most stressful things for me since we have been here.  It's something that can't be ignored and I had to figure out how to be successful at it pretty quickly. This was one of my "jobs" in South Carolina. I had a system and a plan for meals, snacks, etc. during the week. It was a pretty well oiled machine. For probably the first three weeks here, every trip to the store resulted in tears, frustration, and the same five or ten ingredients (milk, bread, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, cheese, eggs, and tomato soup). That doesn't make for very nutritious meals or much variety.

We ate a lot of randomness during that time. I should not complain at all because we did have food to eat. We were not hungry during any of that time. But it was certainly not what we are used to. So why was it so stressful? Well, if you have ever been to the store with children, you know that trips to the store already have the potential to be stressful without adding anything else. Add in completely different products, a completely different language, no carts, and a huge double stroller and you have a recipe for stress! Oh, and I haven't even commented on the fact that you have to bring your own bags or pay for some at the store (while people are staring at you wondering where your bags are), and you have to bag your own groceries...STRESS! Thankfully, I have found that almost everyone here speaks English (at least a little) and no one has refused to help me when I have needed it.  Side note: I have only met one person who did not know any English and would not help me.

Anyway, let me comment on some things that are different about grocery stores and food products here. 

Milk: Most people buy milk that has been ultra, ultra pasteurized and sits out in the middle of the store...meaning, not in the refrigerated section. I know most people do drink that milk here, but it FREAKS ME OUT!! So far, I have not been able to jump on that train. Thankfully, they do have the option to buy milk in the refrigerated section, so that's what I do! The milk comes in small containers (1 liter), so we usually buy 4 of those a week.

Eggs: Also sit in the middle of the store...not refrigerated. Again, obviously it is fine, but again, it freaks me out. Also, sometimes the egg shells have feathers or remnants of poo on them. 

Bread: Bread is very different here. It doesn't seem to me that people buy regular loaves of bread from a store. They have a small selection of bread like you would see in America, but I don't ever see the locals buying that bread. More often, I see people buying bread in the local bakeries, or bakery like bread in groceries stores that they then cut up on their own. Not a bad thing, just different. I do a combination of both.  

Peanut Butter: Pretty much non-exsistent! If you can find it, it comes in these tiny little jars that last our family maybe a week! If you know me well, you know that I like to eat peanut butter by the spoonful, so we have gone through many jars since we have been here.

Trash bags: Trash, for the most part, is a government controlled thing. They have specific bags for specific trash items and the government controls how much the bags are. No matter where you go, they are the same price. In many stores, you can't just pick them up on a shelf in the store. You have to go to the service counter to request and pay for the bags. Again, not bad, just strange! 

Cheese: There is not much cheese here that I used to eat on a regular basis. I have learned to like gouda, which is readily available almost everywhere, but I am still searching for a go-to cheese like cheddar to keep in the fridge. 

Fruit and vegetables: Fruit and vegetables here are awesome! They taste so good, and since I'm so close to the store, I go several times a week to get them meaning they are always very fresh! While I do get some produce at the grocery store, I do more of my produce shopping at the local fruit and vegetable stands or markets. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much more fresh fruits and veggies we have been consuming since being here. Good and good for you! :)

Meat: Well, I now know what the words for chicken (kip) and beef (rundvlees) are in dutch. It has taken a while, but I can find my way around a meat section. 100% ground beef is hard to find...they like to mix beef and pork together, but I recently found a butcher close to our house where I can confidently purchase the exact meat I am looking for! I'm sure we've accidentally eaten some weird meat since we've been here (not muskrat or otters, just meat that we don't normally eat...not super adventurous with meat in our home). 

After the third week or so, things started to calm down as we were feeling more settled in the loft, so I was able to be more meticulous about shopping...making meal and shopping lists, having a route, spending a bit more time at the store, etc. By that time, I was also learning what I could and could not realistically expect to get at the store. I had to come to terms with the fact that I am not going to find all my beloved mexican food ingredients in the store no matter how hard I look! :) So I was able to start making healthy and nutritious meal plans with the knowledge that I would actually be able to follow through with them! As a side note, there are at least two grocery stores within walking distance (three minutes) of our loft. Neither of them really have carts and they are pretty small. This is a problem with my two little ones. What I now do is walk to the store with the double stroller, then when we get to the store, I push the stroller, and Cameron walks behind me pulling a little shopping basket. Sometimes he's a little rambunctious, but for the most part, he is very helpful. He pulls the groceries and then puts them on the conveyer belt while I bag the scanned groceries. We then stack them on the stroller and walk back to the loft. It's a good little partnership!        

So over the past two months, I have refined my grocery shopping and now visit the grocery store, bakery, butcher, and fruit and vegetable markets several times a week. I know it seems strange coming from America where we like to knock everything out in one trip, but I have found this to be the best way to get the best ingredients. I am thankful for all the options and for the ability to walk to all these places. 

One other nice surprise I discovered was the existence of a store called The American Food Store in Antwerp. Antwerp is about 40 minutes north east of Gent, so it's not too far! We decided to make a trip there not too long ago to see what was there. It's a little hole in the wall store, but we were very excited to be there. I know we haven't been gone that long, but it was soooo nice to walk in and know what everything in the store was!! It is mostly packaged, processed junk food, but it's nice to know that if we need a taste of home, we can get it there. The only downside to the store is that the prices are outrageous. (I think we paid $8.00 for a box of Oreos...don't judge us, we really needed some Oreos! :) We also got quite a few cans of black beans (a staple for me back home), chips and salsa, enchilada sauce, and some crackers. We ate almost a whole bag of chips and salsa on the 40 minute drive home!

So here is a rundown of my favorite (so far) places to shop around Gent:

Grocery store: There are several where I shop, but Delhaize is my favorite. I walk to this city Delhaize weekly, but there is another larger branch that I occasionally drive to when I need something more specific. 

Bakery: There are MANY bakeries that I visit, but the locals told me that Himschoot Bakery is the best. It definitely did not disappoint! This is one of the oldest bakeries in Gent and you can definitely tell they know what they are doing. It's always busy and yummy. It's not the closest bakery to our apartment, but it's worth the walk!

Butcher: I first visited Slagerij Aula on the recommendation of a neighbor. I haven't really investigated butchers other than this one, but I am very happy with it so far. There is a ton of variety and, in addition, there is a nice selection of cheeses, produce, bread, pastas, snacks, etc. There is also a nice little restaurant in the middle. 

                                                   Market: Again, I haven't investigated too many other markets because I found this little organic market that I walk to every Friday. I get all kinds of fresh, wonderful fruits and vegetables there. I also usually stop at another fruit and vegetable stand to fill in what I can't find at the organic market.

I am starting to feel more confident going out and about and just exploring to see what is out there to enjoy. I am very thankful that this area is starting to come together. My trips are not always smooth, but they are getting better each time. I hope to continue adding places to find yummy food!