If you’ve spent any time on the main floor of the Students’ Union Building, chances are that you’re familiar with SUBmart. Your campus general store has convenience items, snacks, groceries, UASU swag, study supplies, and other goodies. Starting this month, SUBmart also has bulk foods!

Bulk foods are available for purchase in large quantities that you can scoop from a bulk container into your own bag or container (think Bulk Barn). In SUBmart’s bulk food section, you’ll find chocolate covered almonds, flour, chickpeas, quick oats, banana chips, brown rice, and more.

Getting your bulk foods from SUBmart is convenient, but it also has other benefits:

Fewer grocery trips
When you get busy with your studies, your student group, or life in general, you might not have a lot of time for regular grocery shopping. Buying foods in bulk can help you delay your next grocery run until you have more time.

Saves you money
If you’re someone who shops with their stomach and not their grocery list, fewer trips to the grocery store can mean more cash in your pocket. Bulk foods can make that extra cash stretch further in your food budget, as the reduced packaging tends to mean lower prices for you. Having simple bulk foods on hand all the time can also encourage you to cook instead of getting take-out.

More sustainable
When you can bring your bulk foods home in a bag or your own container, that means less (or no) packaging for you to throw away later. You might also find that you experience less food waste with bulk foods, as they tend to be staple items that you eat regularly. Fewer trips to the store can also mean you drive less, which equals less air pollution and gas consumption.

Easier meal planning
Staple pantry items like flour, quick oats, and rice can be used in many ways, and having them on hand can take some of the guesswork out of deciding what you’re making tonight. Since you can purchase bulk foods in any quantity, you can also make sure you’re only paying for and using exactly what you need.

Bulk foods can simplify your life, leave more money in your pocket, and do some good for the environment. Stop by SUBmart for all of your grocery needs.

Research:
4 Benefits of Bulk Foods
Wikipedia