The short version
3 classic tips don't hold up for clients on a budget: "shop the perimeter," "skip the sales," and "never shop hungry." The main study behind the hunger tip was retracted.
Using a grocery list is linked to better diet quality in a large sample of low-income shoppers. The list works best when the client builds it.
The current Dietary Guidelines say frozen, dried, or canned vegetables and fruits with little or no added sugar can be good options.
Often the barrier isn't knowledge. It's money, transportation, and store access. Knowing how SNAP, WIC, and food banks work is part of the job.
Old advice, checked again
"Don't shop hungry." The study usually cited for this tip, Tal and Wansink (2013), was retracted in 2018 along with 5 other Wansink papers, after Cornell University said it could not assure the results were valid (Bauchner, 2018). The support that remains is indirect. Across 5 lab and field studies, Xu et al. (2015) found that hungry people acquired more nonfood items, like binder clips, even when they had to pay for them. Eating first may help some clients, but it isn't an evidence-based rule, and for a client who is running out of food before payday, "eat before you shop" may not be possible.
"Stick to the perimeter." The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 say frozen, dried, or canned vegetables and fruits with no or very limited added sugars can be good options (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2026). Those foods live in the center aisles. The perimeter also holds the bakery case and processed meats. Store layout tells you little about a food.
"Avoid sales." For clients on a budget, this is backward. Sales, store brands, and unit prices (the price per ounce or per item on the shelf tag) are some of the most useful tools they have. A larger bag of frozen vegetables or dried beans often costs less per serving, if the client has the cash that week and room to store it.
"Skip ingredients you can't pronounce." A long name doesn't tell you much. Pyridoxine hydrochloride is vitamin B6. The label tools with clearer value are on the Nutrition Facts panel. The FDA lists saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars as "nutrients to get less of," and gives a quick rule of thumb: 5% Daily Value or less per serving is low, and 20% or more is high (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025). The FDA also notes that serving size is not a recommendation of how much to eat.
What the evidence supports
Dubowitz et al. (2015) interviewed 1,372 household food shoppers in 2 low-income, primarily African American neighborhoods in Pittsburgh with limited access to healthy food. Consistently using a grocery list was linked to higher diet quality, after accounting for other factors. The study was cross-sectional, so it shows a link, not cause. Still, it's one of the few studies of shopping habits done with the shoppers coaches most need to reach.
The bigger story: access
Planning tips assume a client has a car, a full-service store nearby, a working fridge, and time. Many don't. These programs can help, and you can describe them accurately:
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) gives monthly benefits on an EBT card to buy groceries at authorized stores. Eligibility depends on household income, resources, and other rules. People apply through their state SNAP agency, and a decision generally comes within 30 days. USDA notes that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 changed some eligibility rules, including work requirements and eligibility for some non-citizens, so check the current rules rather than relying on memory (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, 2026a).
WIC serves people who are pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding, and children under 5. It provides foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and beans at no cost on an eWIC card, along with nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, 2026b).
Nutrition incentive projects funded through USDA's Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program aim to increase fruit and vegetable purchases by SNAP participants. The program also funds produce prescription projects (USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 2026).
Food banks. Feeding America's locator finds food banks in its network, which includes more than 200 member food banks, by ZIP code (Feeding America, n.d.).
Using it with clients
Shopping is where a client's intentions meet their budget, store access, and routines. Use action planning, and let the client do the building.
Start by exploring the real situation: how they get to the store, how often, what they can spend, what they can store and cook, and who they shop for. Then co-create a list from foods they already buy and like. You're not writing a meal plan; you're helping them organize their own choices.
"Walk me through a typical shopping trip. Where do things get hard?"
"What do you already buy that feels like a good deal and that your family actually eats?"
"Some people find frozen and canned vegetables stretch further between trips. Would it help to hear what the Dietary Guidelines say about them?"
"Would it be useful if I shared a few programs that help with grocery costs? You can decide whether any of them fit."
Ask before sharing resources, and don't assume anyone's eligibility. Some clients feel shame about using assistance; a matter-of-fact tone helps. An if-then plan can make the list stick: "If I'm making my list Sunday night, then I'll check the store's app for sales first."
Where coaching stops
Coaches don't make meal plans or give nutrition consultation. A client who needs a therapeutic diet, help with a medical condition, or detailed food guidance should see a registered dietitian. Questions about whether they qualify for SNAP or WIC go to their state SNAP agency or local WIC office. If a client is going without food, or has housing or safety concerns, connect them with a social worker, case manager, or community health worker who can help with wider needs.
Go deeper
The Coaching in Under-Resourced Communities package is in development, including the unit Coaching When Money and Food Access Are Tight.
References
Bauchner, H. (2018). Notice of retraction: Wansink B, Cheney MM. Super bowls: Serving bowl size and food consumption. JAMA. 2005;293(14):1727–1728. JAMA, 320(16), 1648. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.14249
Dubowitz, T., Cohen, D. A., Huang, C. Y., Beckman, R. A., & Collins, R. L. (2015). Using a grocery list is associated with a healthier diet and lower BMI among very high-risk adults. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 47(3), 259–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2015.01.005
Feeding America. (n.d.). Find your local food bank. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2026). Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025, March 18). How to understand and use the Nutrition Facts label. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/how-understand-and-use-nutrition-facts-label
USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. (2026a, October 1). SNAP eligibility. https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/recipient/eligibility
USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. (2026b, May 21). WIC: USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. https://www.fna.usda.gov/wic
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. (2026, July 15). Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/hunger-food-security-programs/gus-schumacher-nutrition-incentive-program
Xu, A. J., Schwarz, N., & Wyer, R. S., Jr. (2015). Hunger promotes acquisition of nonfood objects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(9), 2688–2692. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1417712112
