Buying food in bulk in Finland/working out

Ninja · Post by **Ninja** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:58 pm

I'll be moving to Finland from the US..as you might have heard we sell everything in large or even huge quantities by European standards and what I've noticed in your grocery stores is everything seems small or more individual sized.

For example you can purchase frozen chicken breast here that you can buy in a plastic bag, it comes with about ten 8oz chicken breasts, and I will eat that during the course of a few weeks depending on how in the mood I am for eating.

It's part of the diet for myself to stay eating lean meat as I'm trying to stay in shape and build muscle and I hope to join a gym there as well (lean muscle not Arnold Schwarzenegger or anything like that) . I also eat beef steaks that come in a box, they're 8oz as well and about again, 10 come in the package...It's very cost effective and the meat is good. So that's what I'm kind of looking for, the closest thing to it.

Now In Finland, everything seems very expensive compared to here which is to be expected, and your chicken comes in these little plastic boxes with a thin sheet over it, there's not much in there, It's about as much as I could buy a bag of frozen chicken here and take up about 1/4 of the space than if I bought ten of those boxes, and unfortunately another thing is it's covered in these sauces that I'm not quite used to, that yellowish honey mustard something or other.

Unfortunately I haven't been a big fan of Finnish cuisine and I'd rather buy things plain (If possible) and cook it myself at home, it doesn't need to be "Americanized" I am actually considered a very plain eater to people here but even Finland got me on a level of plainness and "flavors" I am not used to.

I also like Asparagus, it's one of the few vegetables I do enjoy but I didn't see It while there...It's here in large quantities and again very inexpensive, yet I'm sure If they do have it there it will be quite different.

Is there any way to cost effectively buy in larger quantities or am I just stuck in the US mentality here with that thinking?

I'm just surprised how much food you'd need to buy for a big family or you'd have to go to the store often If you couldn't buy in somewhat larger quantities, is there no frozen chicken in bags in Finland that I can ration out over a period of time?

Anyone by chance who lift weighs/gym and eats a high protein diet have trouble or solutions with this? Is it just a very expensive and unnecessary thing in the Finnish culture for the most part? I know you have boxers, MMA, other sports where that is important, so in that arena those guys have to eat well and anyone who tries to lift weights and build muscle.

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Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:58 pm

For example you can purchase frozen chicken breast here that you can buy in a plastic bag, it comes with about ten 8oz chicken breasts, and I will eat that during the course of a few weeks depending on how in the mood I am for eating.

Yeah, the groceries need to fit into the fridge, so if you buy ten, where are you going to stuff it? Or do you chase them around the flat after a week?

I also eat beef steaks that come in a box, they're 8oz as well and about again, 10 come in the package...It's very cost effective and the meat is good. So that's what I'm kind of looking for, the closest thing to it.

Its nice to know you are rich.

I also like Asparagus

And that your wee smells funny.

am I just stuck in the US mentality here with that thinking?

Naah, thats a preposterous thought.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:09 am

What's cost-effective in the US may not be cost-effective in Finland.

I guess there's less growth hormone in the meat here, so your muscles may suffer...

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:44 am

Did you notice that the frozen meat sector in many supermarkets is almost non existent?
It's an indication that it not custom for the majority of Fins to eat from the fridge.
And the same goes for canned meat and veggies.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:45 pm

The missus made some horsemeat suasages this week. At 15 euros for 3 Kilos horsemeat could well be a solution - very tasty too:

http://blog.enogastronomist.com/2012/10 ... ds-at.html

catfish78 · Post by **catfish78** » Mon Oct 22, 2012 6:10 am

Get out of the American mentality concerning prices quickly. It will drive you nuts. When I first moved here I did the same and it wasn't healthy. Every time I went to pump I converted liters to gallons and Euros to dollars and shook my head in disbelief that I was paying $8.30 a gallon for gas. No good will come in comparing prices. As far as buying in bulk, I have noticed that at my local K-City Market they have a freezer section with bulk size boxes but there is no discount really in buying in bulk. When it comes to produce, think seasonally. Out of season produce is available but will be double the price of in season produce.

Hpslm · Post by **Hpslm** » Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:56 pm

Like others have said, we don't buy meat in huge bulks nor at frozen state. The people who have half an animal in their freezers are usually local hunting club members. Urban living doesn't even lend to buying extra freezers as there's no room for them.

The chicken does come without marinade too. And it is much wiser to buy it that way as then you're only paying for the meat. And the marinades are awful.

If the price is an issue, learn to cook different, not as highly regarded parts of animals. Liver is really cheap, as an example. Broaden your diet too. You can get protein from a lot of different sources, e.g. Eat quark, raejuusto.

Asparagus as catfish said is a seasonal food, so there's no point in eating it out of season.

You're coming into a market of 5 million people, which is essentially an island when it comes to importing food here. It is a very different market to USA in that sense.

Sleepstream · Post by **Sleepstream** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:43 pm

As someone who tries to gain as much as muscle as possible, I don't have much to say. I have trouble gaining weight here. Lots of oats and potatoes, and still nothing.

You can hope to find good prices on meat that is near the best by date at the local stores. I try to find such offers as often as possible. Sometimes I feel a little strange when I buy a lot of beef, chicken, or pork with -50% stickers, but that's my own insecurity.

There are occasionally good sales for meats at the major stores, and you could try shopping at Lidl, too.

I have nothing else to add because the others have covered everything.

I suppose you could order protein powders from abroad or from stores such as FitnessTukku.

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