Update!

I am currently on day 3 of my convenience store diet, but because I’ve been so busy with school, I couldn’t post until today.

                So far it hasn’t been as difficult as I expected. The convenience store that I shop at has surprisingly competitive prices! Although my theoretical goal should technically be to drive home the emphasis of how shopping at convenience stores are evil and expensive, I would be lying if I said this particular convenience store costs any more than the average grocery store.

                Some things to note: This is definitely NOT a scientific study, and just because my particular convenience store has affordable prices, does not mean that this is the norm.

In terms of access to healthy foods there are definitely both positive and negatives.

First the positives:

There is a pretty extensive dairy section! Not only was there skim, 1% and 2% milk but also lactose-free and soy alternatives as well as a few varieties of cheese. They were also all sold at a price which is pretty comparable to what you would see in the grocery store

There were eggs! A delicious, versatile and affordable way to get complete proteins.

They also offered whole wheat bread, cereal made with whole grains, oats and a few varieties of granola bars

(mmm....bread)

-          The canned goods section had some good options such as lentils, beans and healthy soups

Some negatives:

Although there is a small cooler up front with a few apples and oranges, that is pretty much the extent of the fruit selection. This is obviously a huge obstacle when it comes to meeting your fruit and vegetable consumption.

There were exactly 2 bags of frozen vegetables for sale.

In terms of meat, beyond the eggs and a few packages of bacon it looks like I am out of luck

At the end of the week, I’m going to enter in a 3-day food record so I can get a fairly accurate idea of my usual food intake. This will allow me to get a better idea of any severe nutrient gaps (or over-consumption of certain nutrients....)

So, just a little update on what’s available to me in my “food desert diet”

Thanks for reading,

Karoline