Most Popular Grocery Items in Boise
If you've got disinfecting wipes, toilet paper, and oat milk at the house, you're in on some popular buys. And what's with all the beans?
Toilet paper isn't the only thing that's been flying off the shelves lately. Apparently, we are just as comforted by beans.
TIME magazine posted the top buys in America for the week ending March 14th, and dried beans are right up there with aerosol disinfectants, household cleaners, and TP. It's the shelf-stable stuff that we've been stocking up on lately, and it's true that beans will last for eons. So will toilet paper, unless you eat too many beans.
When compared to 2019, sales of aerosol disinfectants are up 519%. I bought some Lysol and then found two more cans at home that I had under the kitchen sink. Oops. Some of us might have accidentally inflated that spike.
Thermometer sales are up 498%. Yup. Attention family -- no more taking a drink out of my ice water cup as you walk through the kitchen, no more food double-dipping, and no sharing thermometers, even if they are sterilized in between. Everyone gets their own. Oh, and when it comes to body temperature we know a mom can get within a half-degree by putting the back of her hand on her child's forehead, but we might as well be exact.
Other top buys:
-- Oat milk (it has a longer shelf life than cow's milk)
-- Fresh meat alternatives (frozen, I assume?)
-- Canned meat
-- Rice
-- Chickpeas
-- Black beans
-- Tuna
-- Soup
-- Fully cooked meat
-- Eggs
-- Popcorn
-- Pretzels
-- Cheese
TIME lists apples as the top fruit, then bananas, papayas, and celery. I've been buying more oranges, grapefruits, and kiwis too that are loaded with immune-boosting Vitamin C because, well, it can't hurt.
Some news headlines call the grocery spike panic-buying, but I think it's just stress-eating. We need more chips and cheese right now. All of a sudden Spam and Vienna Sausages are making Idaho feel better, and it's okay to chase those with an entire bag of popcorn while binge-watching Tiger King. When all of this is over, I bet we'll still have the beans.
Thank you grocery stores, for keeping us stocked. We appreciate you.