Shadowing Practice: Why More Americans Are Grabbing Dinner at the Grocery Deli - Learn English Speaking with Video

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What are you doing?
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I got three kitchens going.
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If cooking isn't your thing, you're in luck.
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You can get 10 meals for under $7 a meal.
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With more demand for quick and easy meals, grocery chains are offering more ready-to-eat food deals.
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$30 for all this food is such a steal.
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This is a really good deal, you guys, so definitely take advantage.
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For instance, the family meal deal at Whole Foods costing around $35 box.
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Four pieces of salmon and two veggie sides.
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It looks like sweet potatoes and green beans for $31.49.
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Sprouts farmers markets offering an even better deal advertising a large meal with two proteins and two sides for $30.
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And at Walmart, it's just $10 for a rotisserie chicken and two sides.
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The same cost as buying the ingredients.
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That is a good deal.
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Shoppers bought prepared foods 9% more often than they did just a year ago.
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President of the Food Indus grocery stores are stores are upgrading their delis to lure in more customers.
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They're expanding significantly the amount of prepared foods they have.
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And they're also giving lots of choices.
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Is this something that's here to stay?
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I think it is here to stay.
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And what we see also is that the younger generations are very interested in having the grocers help them in meal preparation.
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Data shows Gen Z and millennials cook less often at home than older generations.
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Is affordability or convenience more important to you when it comes to your meals?
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Probably convenience, honestly.
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To find the most value, experts recommend maximizing the meal deals by picking foods with premium ingredients like beef and hearty salads.
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And if you're buying by weight, skip items heavy on sauces or liquids.
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What do you make of these meals?
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I mean, these are great.
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I myself might even go to the store and pick up a tray like this if I'm in a bind.
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Even professionals like private chef Lizzie Cooper say the convenience is hard to resist.
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When it comes to saving money, cooking it yourself is always the better deal.
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With basically all of the same ingredients, we're going to make three different dishes, chicken teriyaki plate, a Mediterranean bowl, and chicken tacos.
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It's super easy, and it's a lot cheaper than buying meal prep at a store.
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Lizzy says she roasted four pounds of chicken thighs, six sweet potatoes, a tray of broccoli, and one pot of rice.
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seasoned with basic pantry staples like olive oil, salt and pepper.
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Add in store-bought sides and voila, three flavorful meals.
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You've taken me to Latin America, the Mediterranean, and now we're going Asian.
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Yeah, and you can have a variety every night of the week.
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She says each dish takes just a few minutes to reheat and plate, and the cost, about $3.50 a plate compared to $7 for this meal,
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showing when it comes to value, nothing beats a home-cooked meal.
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And we did put links to those recipes.
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They are simple, easy to make.
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Don't take a lot of time.
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They're all on today.com for you.
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By the way, Albertsons and Kroger also say they are really expanding their ready-to-eat meals.
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And my final pro tip for y'all is if you are going to buy ready to eat, get something like a brisket or a pot roast.
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You get more bang for your buck.
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And those take longer to cook at home, so that cuts down the hassle time.
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Okay.
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All right.
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Make the easy foods at home for yourself.
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Are you a big prepared food gal?
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Not really.
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I like to cook.
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I really do.
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I love cooking.
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It's fun.
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It's like productive.
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That's my hobby.
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People are like, what's your hobby?
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I'm like, cooking, because then there's a thing at the end that everybody can eat.
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Yes.
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Yeah.
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Yes.
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Some people find cooking relaxing.
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I find it anxiety-using.
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I'm a DoorDash girl.
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I like baking is like hard, but cooking, I love it.
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Are you wearing pink for, for ketchup?
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Pinkies up.
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Of course you are.
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Touch, touch, touch.
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Oh!
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Here we go.
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go just follow the today podcast on apple podcast spotify or wherever you listen

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Why More Americans Are Grabbing Dinner at the Grocery Deli" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.