Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping
Eating right starts with a successful trip to the grocery store. If you do not have the right ingredients for a healthy meal, or buy too much junk food, eating healthy can be tough. With a few easy strategies, however, you can change your grocery shopping for the better.
Plan Meals and a Shopping List
Before you even set foot in the grocery store, plan out the meals you want to make for the week and base your shopping list on this meal plan. Search for coupons and sale items that match up with your list to save some money.
When planning your meals and shopping list, ensure your meals are balanced with carbohydrates, healthy fat and lean or vegan protein. In general, focus on buying mainly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and fish, nuts, seeds and beans/legumes. Make sure you mix up the groceries you buy every week to give yourself some variety. An easy way to do this is to try one new fruit or vegetable every week or include a new recipe each week in your meal plan.
Make the Right Choices in Each Section of the Grocery Store
Once you get to the grocery store, it’s important to know how to navigate each section of the store to make the healthiest choices. While in the produce section, select a variety of fruits and vegetables in every color of the rainbow. When shopping for grains, look for the least processed selections that are made using whole grains.
If you are shopping in the meat/fish section, look for either organic, pasture raised or grass fed. Opt for non-dairy milks, yogurts and cheese made from coconuts, nuts or oats. Some good choices in the frozen foods section are frozen fruits and vegetables.
Simple Rules for Quick and Easy Shopping
To accomplish healthy grocery shopping in the quickest way, follow these easy rules:
- Stay on the perimeter of the store where the freshest food is kept, and stay away from the center of the store where the junk food is located.
- Try not to buy foods with more than 5 ingredients listed.
Eating healthier is a tough habit to form, but by making the right choices at the grocery store, both before and during shopping, can make it a little bit easier.
