When it comes to grocery shopping on the small cays (low-level sandy islands) in The Abacos, you can’t be too picky. There is usually a very modest selection of food, and items like fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, and meat are hard to find crisp, fresh, and not expired. We’ve learned to choose items like fruits and vegetables that are available, and changing our meal plan often based on what’s fresh and in stock. For instance, we’ve been to stores on two small islands looking for somewhat green bananas, but all we’ve found are brown ones, only suitable for banana bread and the like. So, we chose a few apples and an orange instead since those were what were available, and a bag of frozen vegetables made up for the lack of fresh broccoli and cauliflower. We were happy with that!
We’ve discovered that supply ships often come to these small islands once a week from the mainland Grand Bahama Island. The locals are more than happy to tell us the day and the best times to arrive for the fresh stock. We went shopping at Curry’s Sunset Grocery and Sid’s market, both in the town of New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay, but most things were picked over. So, I looked for what I could and was still able to get a few things on my list. I needed eggs and was happy to find a dozen fresh local brown eggs for $6.00. That is a good deal for The Bahamas, especially for fresh eggs. I also found a loaf of freshly baked coconut bread for $5.00 and some other produce, all totaling $19.50. These items would likely have been half the price in the States, so I’ve learned to have one egg for breakfast instead of two, and pair that with an apple or sliced avocado. This makes our stock last longer and cuts down on the grocery bill over time.
