Off the Shelf
Join Jason Shoultz as he roams grocery store aisles selecting a wide array of fresh products to learn how they’re made and offered to consumers.
Special Video Segments
Pickles
More than half of the cucumbers grown in the US actually end up as pickles. The average Amercian consumes about 9 pounds of pickles every year.
Endive
Dried Plums
Don’t call them prunes anymore. We call them dried plums now. 99% of the U.S. supply of dried plums are grown in California. Plums contain more antioxidants than any other fruit.
Cheese
Yeast
Yeast is used in the fermentation process, and is found in many of the products you pull right off the shelf in your grocery store. Learn more about yeast and some culinary science.
Sweet Potatoes
Vinegar
The French hit the nail on the head when they named vinegar (“sour wine”). But is vinegar just good cabernet gone bad? Learn more about the many ways vinegar is produced and used.
Sour Cream
Bagged Salad
15 years ago bagged salad did not even exist; today, bagged salad accounts for 70% of lettuce sales. No wonder, since these garden greens are already chopped, washed, dried and mixed.
Shelf Oats
Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and according to mounds and mounds of research, people should be eating them too. Jason Shoultz shows us the importance of products at your supermarket that use oats and oat bran for some heart healthy foods.
Lettuce
Pasta
If you had to pick one of America’s favorite comfort foods, pasta would certainly be on the list. Some two billion pounds of pasta are produced in the U.S. each year. Good old American wheat is the essential ingredient in pasta but not just any kind of wheat.
Orange Juice
If you had to choose America’s favorite fruit, what do you think would be on the list? Bananas come in number one, apples rank second and oranges rank third. But orange juice tops the list of favorite juices for American consumers.
Cheese
Rice
Looking for something different for dinner, consumers find that rice is nice.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup makes for a tasty topping on pancakes and other baked items and it’s about as natural as it gets when it comes to food choices.
Tortillas
More than a thousand companies make tortillas across the U.S. with annual sales in the billions of dollars.
Peppers
Want to turn up the heat? Learn about the variety of peppers out there and which ones are right for your adventurous taste buds.
Carrots
Ever wonder how baby carrots get that small? Jason Shoultz takes the bite sized treats off the shelf and shares the secret of these miniature orange delights.
Oats
Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and according to mounds and mounds of research, people should be eating them too. Jason Shoultz shows us the importance of products at your supermarket that use oats and oat bran for some heart healthy foods.
Yogurt
Have you noticed an increase in your yogurt consumption? Well, you’re not alone. Americans are consuming more yogurt today than ever before. And new varieties in both taste and texture give consumers choices in fruit flavors. This dairy trend follows yogurt consumption that’s long been a part of daily diets in Europe.
Wheat Products
Most of us consume a number of products each day that contain wheat. It’s one of the most popular grains in the world and can be found in bakery products, beverages, cereals, and baby food. More and more of us are turning to whole wheat to make sure we get enough vitamins and fiber in our diet. That’s why a trip to your grocery store will provide you more products that have whole grain in them instead of the processed white wheat flour we may have seen a generation ago.
Cuts of Meat
Ever wonder what a “rump roast” was? How about where that round steak comes from? Jason Shoultz heads for the supermarket to discover the details on very different cuts of meat, and what you should look for.
Soy Products
Many folks never make the connection between soybeans and the food or other products in their homes. Jason Shoultz heads to the supermarket to find out just how soybeans enhance your food choices and make it easier to wax your car!
Rice
A lot of us are eating more rice these days. Jason Shoultz heads for the supermarket to give you the facts on consumer choices, and why rice is one of the most important grains on Earth. And if you only think of rice as something to put on a plate, Jason outlines rice’s surprising other roles in beverages and sauces as well as main dish meals.
Orange Juice
Do you start your day with orange juice on the breakfast table? Orange juice is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Consumers today have a large selection of OJ options when it comes to getting extra pulp, calcium or vitamins in their glass. Jason Shoultz runs down the choices and gives you the inside information on OJ as it goes from tree to table.
Chicken
Ever wonder why some parts of the chicken are dark and some white? Legs, thighs and wings are dark and the breast meat is white. It’s all because of the composition of the muscle. It all comes down to one thing: myoglobin. That’s a protein found in muscles of animals, and dark meat muscles in chicken have more of it.
Nutritionally, dark meat has about twice as much fat as chicken breast. Both light and dark have a similar vitamin and nutrient profile. And both have lots of protein! Many nutritionists recommend skinless chicken for added health benefits.
Bok Choy
Bok Choy is a popular vegetable in Asian cuisines. The leafy, cabbage-like vegetable is distinctive for its slight pepper taste and its versatility when used in soups, stews, and stir frys.
Fresh, Frozen, or Canned?
With many folks trying to eat healthier these days, how about adding more vegetables to your diet? But with so many choices at the supermarket, which is best: fresh, frozen, or canned products. It all depends on the vegetable and how fast you are going to consume them. In some cases, canned and frozen allow you to have summer vegetables long after the growing season is over. But fresh is the choice for others who want only produce that’s close to the way it’s grown. Jason Shoultz takes a look at the choices.
Beans
Thanks to changing tastes and demographics in the United States, beans are playing a larger role in the diets of many people. Jason Shoultz takes a look at the variety of choices when it comes to these legumes on your supermarket shelves.
Wine
There’s no doubt that wine’s popularity is on the rise across the U.S. You’ll find it in more and more grocery stores with growing varieties available. For the new wine drinker it can be a little overwhelming so here’s some help whether you need to pick out a red or a white.