Strategic shopping can help consumers lower their supermarket bills despite soaring prices, but how exactly do save money while still providing our families with nutritious food?

Soaring grocery costs are squeezing Americans’ household budgets.  But according to the Associated Press, it’s possible to save without sacrificing quality.

“Overall, you can control what you spend even in an environment where food prices are escalating fast,” said Goutam Challagalla, associate dean and associate professor of marketing at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Experts recommend that consumers make a list of food items the family needs before they go shopping and stick to it. It’s also a bad idea to go shopping when you’re hungry, since consumers tend to be more impulsive, and pick up unnecessary items when they’re shopping on an empty stomach, AP said.

Additional tips to keep your food budget in check:

Buy store brands. The quality of store brands has improved dramatically in recent years, and many now compete with major national labels, according to Tod Marks, senior editor at Consumer Reports magazine. Some consumers will stick with name brand detergents or soaps, but buying store brands for a products such as fruit cups, cereals and pasta can save you anywhere from 20 percent to 50 percent, Marks said.

Evaluate unit prices. Buying in bulk is traditionally more economically, but that’s not always the case, AP said. Experts recommend shoppers look at the item’s cost per unit, which is found on the shelf sticker next to the item. Marks added that when items go on sale, shoppers should always compare the cost per unit on both the big and small packages to see which is a better deal, but shoppers should keep in mind how much their families are going to actually use.

Compare prices of the same product in different areas of the store. Where things are placed in a store can make a big difference, AP said. For example, cheese is often cheaper in the dairy aisle than the deli because shoppers have to pay extra for it to be sliced.

Clip coupons. Shoppers should look through circulars for special deals, but Marks warns them not to assume that all items in a supermarket’s weekly flyer are on sale. He noted that manufacturers could have paid to have the item featured.

Obtain a store card. These loyalty cards allow shoppers to get extra discounts on items without having to clip coupons.

Consider frozen foods. Frozen peas, fish and other items are cheaper than fresh because they have a longer shelf life. Shoppers will have to pay higher prices for anything that is perishable.

Ignore precut fruit or vegetables or other prepped items. While it’s nice to have that fruits or veggies cut up in chunks and prepackaged, that extra convenience costs money, AP said.

Avoid items displayed at the checkout counter. Stores feature single serving pies, cans of soda and other items at the checkout that are often more expensive, but can be tempting to shoppers, particularly hungry ones, AP said.