Shop Cheap

Shop Cheap is vowing to do healthier shopping (and cooking) in 2011. We aren't going to tell you that Twinkies are on sale this week and that Safeway has a delicious 3-layer chocolate cake for $5 on their Friday Only specials. No. We aren't going to do that. We are going to focus on fresh, lean and mean. We will slip in a cereal sale or BOGO Tostitos because we know that shoppers do not live on boneless, skinless chicken breasts alone.

Here's what we like this week, starting at Safeway with the boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.88lb. Next up, a sale on citrus with navel oranges for 49-cents a pound; lemons for 50-cents each and a 5-lb. bag of Ruby Red grapefruit for $3.99.

Fresh Express salads are BOGO and Eating Right baby carrots are $2 a bag. Yogurt is a good deal this week. Yoplait is 50-cents a carton and if you're into Greek yogurt, Chobani is $1 for a 6oz. cup. Oroweat breads are BOGO and Primo Taglio ham off the bone or mesquite turkey breast is $5.99 in the deli.

For breakfast, General Mills Honey Nut Cherrios (and Cinnamon Toast Crunch) is $1.79 a box and Quaker instant oatmeal is buy 2 get 3 free. Get clippin' with coupons for Del Monte fruit cups or Mott's apple sauce for $1.59 and Frigo string cheese for $2.99,

Aquafina water is buy 2 cases get one free. Bumble Bee solid white tuna is $1 a can. Sweet blackberries are $2.50 a carton and red delicious apples are 99-cents a pound. Need to slip in the Skinny Cow ice cream treats for $3.69.

Now for those $5 Friday only specials: Whole roasted chicken; Hormel pork tenderloin; Waterfront large cooked shrimp and the previously mentioned "Chocolate Chewie Bistro" cake.

Making the swing over to Raley's with our list of healthy items, includes tomatoes on the vine for $1.77lb; Fresh Express salads for 97-cents and Progresso "light" soups for 99-cents a can. At Raley's, the boneless, skinless chicken breasts are $1.97lb and a case of R Everyday water is $3.28.

A 32oz container of Sunnyside yogurt is $2.48; Yoplait is 10/$5 and Athenos Greek yogurt is $1. Sunnyside Farms cottage cheese is $1.99. Nature's Pride sliced bread is $1.99 a loaf.

In produce, Cara Cara pink oranges are 97-cents a pound; a 5lb. bag of Sierra Gold potatoes is $2.47 and assorted bell peppers are 97-cent each. Kiwi is $1.47lb and blueberries are $2.77 for a carton. Fresh spinach is 97-cents a bunch and a 3lb. bag of Raley's apples is $2.98.

Save Mart is making it easy to shop healthy with a 3-day sale on Iceberg lettuce (37-cents a head) and rotisserie chicken for $5.99.

Fresh strawberries are BOGO; oranges are 69-cents a pound; lemons are 33-cents each; tangerines are 97-cents a pound and berries are 2/$5. Green leaf lettuce is 79-cents; Roma tomatoes are 97-cents a pound and Jalapeno, Serrano or Caribe peppers are 97-cents a pound.

Bohemian Hearth bread is $1.88 a loaf; a case of Aquafina drinking water is $3.99 and Weight Watchers snacks are 2/$5. Quaker True Delights or Mini Quakes are 4/$5 and Post Cereals are $1.99.

If you want to do some clippin' Lean Pockets or Lean Cuisine frozen entrees 2/$3 and coffee is $4.99 for a 23-26oz. tin.

Come back on Thursday and we'll be lean and mean in the Shop Cheap Kitchen.