I totally ppl watch in the grocery line! It's amazing how horribly most ppl eat!
It's weird...I feel good about myself when I'm buying tons of veggies and other healthy food (usually this is the case - especially since I cook almost everything from scratch), but I'm totally embarrassed when I'm buying junkie food....hehe - but that's when I look normal.

I totally ppl watch in the grocery line! It's amazing how horribly most ppl eat!
It's weird...I feel good about myself when I'm buying tons of veggies and other healthy food (usually this is the case - especially since I cook almost everything from scratch), but I'm totally embarrassed when I'm buying junkie food....hehe - but that's when I look normal.

That's totally how I feel.  Usually I have tons of fruit, vegetables, and bulk items.  The only packaged/canned foods are usually soy/rice/almond milk, tofu/tempeh, canned tomatoes, the occassional soy yogurt, and probably a couple of others.  Whenever I get junky food I'm embarrassed, though most people probably don't notice.  Like the other day I was buying margarine, shortening, cocoa powder, lots of sugar and Newman's O's to make cupcakes for the bridal shower (see other thread) and I was completely embarrased--in my mind everyone was looking in my cart and judging me.  Although I have to say, I usually only get comments and stares when I have lots of vegetables in the cart.  People usually say things like "do you really eat all those vegetables?"  Its sad to say, but lots of vegetables is more unusual for people to see than lots of junk.

As for other people's cart, yes I enjoy looking and speculating.  I like when I see healthy families with lots of produce and vegan items in their cart--makes me realize I'm not alone.

Elizabeth

"Weird thing I discovered, and never figured out: At TJ's, people will buy salmon, beef, chicken, tofu, veggie burgers, and fake bacon all for themselves to eat. Huh??"  

Faunablues, I would guess those people might be buying the meat for thier partner/spouse.  ??   

I think lots of people are omnivorous but still enjoy vegetarian food.  My mother, for example.  She buys veggie burgers and tofu but also still enjoys meat (she uses the vegetarian food to cut down on Weight Watcher's points).  There are also people from other cultures who do not view tofu as a "vegetarian health food" item (though it has that reputation in the western world) and will mix tofu with meat/seafood in the very same dish.

Elizabeth

I do find myself watching people in the grocery store, but usually I shop at a small local market that focuses on local veggies/fruits and products for special diets, so most people are buying the same things as I am.  BUT, I teach elementary school, and the kids are fascinated with my food.  They are always asking questions about what I'm eating and why I eat it.  My favorite (also the saddest) question was :

10 yr old kid: "Are you on a diet?"
Me: "No"
10 yr old kid:  "then why are you eating fruit?"

It made me really scared to think of the things HER mom buys at the supermarket!!

I always wonder what others are putting into their carts.  I push my cart through the store with my head held high, knowing I am making yummy selections that are good for my family.  Usually, though, I'm too busy trying to keep my kids quiet to really study others' *poor* decisions.  My kids do get funny looks though when at the check out they point out all of the candy and say "Ew!" really loudly.  That makes me so proud.

I push my cart through the store with my head held high, knowing I am making yummy selections that are good for my family.

Me too!
Heehee I turn my organic labels OUT so people can see them! I've heard women having conversations about how "no one buys organic things anyway"
*ahem* i do!
DH and I also moan at each other when we see shopping carts full of junk (or packaged foods).
And if we see someone buy kashi anything they tend to have a healthier cart of things.... and no kids oddly...
Here everyone gets paid on the same days so we try not to shop on those days since that's when the "wonder breaders" come out... the people who fill (and i mean FILL) up their cart with wonderbread and mac and cheese and soda... it's a wonder the wonderbreaders can push their carts!
DH shopped the other day and bought literally all veggies, 3 cans of beans and one frozen MS chik'n strips bag and used our reusable bags from one bag at a time (which rule!) he said he got some weird looks but since everyone commented on how much they loved the bags he thinks the weird looks were from buying a cart full of veg.   ::)

I don't know how shameful it really is to buy alot of wine...you could be throwing a party, afterall.
lol...I like buying in bulk.  I can only imagine what ppl think when they see me (yes, I live alone!) buying a pack of 30 something rolls of toilet paper...

I can relate to a lot of you guys' grocery experiences, hehe. I only shop for myself, usually at the regular supermarket, and have had all kinds of stares and questions. I feel proud, though, because people seem to ask about the food often. Once a girl behind me in line call my basket of food "pretty" to her mom.. I had to agree. That day I had a few packs of organic strawberries, a big 5lb bag of organic carrots, some collard greens or chard, garlic, onions, and like 10 cans of garbanzo beans, with a nice colorful label.  Their stuff included those dreadful microwavable macaroni packets, sodas, dead fleshy bloody meat, etc. Gross. People behind in line see the difference between a vegan shopping cart and their own the most drastically, I think. 

Scary.  Very Scary.

yeah we could not afford fruit in my family growing up unless it was a special occasion, and sometimes we'd get apples or oranges if they were cheap....but we didn't buy junk food either...well, lots of processed foods, which I now realize ARE junk foods, but not like pastries or candies or cookies or that stuff....the nice part about growing up poor was that we could only afford to eat meat about 5 times a week. This delighted me as a child, because I have always HATED meat.

Sometimes Ill look at peoples selections and think things... depending on what they have think differant things. I have caught myself wrinkling my nose when I see people buying excessive amounts of candy for the already obese children they have shopping with them...I feel bad for going there in my mind, but...I do. And Ive had to catch myself from lecturing people on their pet food selection more than once...but I realized it was inappropriate and rude.One time a lady specifically asked me if I thought Iams brand food was safe (this was after the recalls started) and I told her that only that canned Iams had been recalled at that time but that I was sceptically about its safety in view of Iams poor treatment of animals in its laboratories. If they are willing to mutelate a beagle then they probally could care less about what happens to my dogs when they eat their food.The only part of it she caught was "the dry food was not in the recall..." and picked up a bag anyways saying how terrific Iams is...yes, I did judge her harshly...shame on me!

I always worry about people looking in my cart adn thinking either (depending on how Im feeling and shopping) "Damn girl....you know you can't live off of celery, ricecakes and and crystal lite...dont you?" or else..." Oh my Gawd! I cant believe that girl is getting red vines and cracker jacks...as IF thats going to help. Lemme' show you where the celery is, chub..." yeah, its basically enough to make me not buy something some times. Also, when Im buying a lot of vegan products, I try not to buy a lot of things that are obviously not healthy cause I feel like I am setting an exaple for others and dont want to send mixed messages.