Healthy eating starts with wise grocery shopping choices. Creating a meal plan ahead of time and sticking to that plan will help you develop healthy and sustainable habits. By following a few quick and simple rules, you can ensure that the foods you place into your shopping cart support a nutritious and balanced diet that helps you meet all of your health and fitness goals.
Prepare a Shopping List
Use a shopping list to help plan your healthy meals for the week as well as stick to that plan. Planning ahead allows you to eat smarter and save money; when you understand what dishes you wish to make, you can create and maintain a weekly shopping budget. Additionally, you are able to search out and use any relevant coupons or sales. A shopping list also allows you to avoid compulsive shopping as it forces you to buy only what you need, not what you may want to buy or crave on a whim. By preventing compulsive purchases, a shopping list reduces the amount of unhealthy junk foods you place into your cart, thus helping you to eat smart. Keep your kitchen well-stocked with staples like whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, healthy oils and reduced fat dairy products.
Shop After Eating
Shopping while hungry increases the chance that you may make purchases based on cravings rather than necessity. Shopping after you enjoy a healthy meal takes your mind off of your hunger, and allows you to better stick to your shopping list and thus stick to healthier choices. Furthermore, because you will be less inclined to put unnecessary foods into your cart, you will also save money.
Shopping the Perimeter
Focus most of your attention to the perimeter of the grocery store as this is where you are most likely to find fresh foods. Only enter the center aisles for necessary staples. Most ready-to-eat, processed foods lie in the middle aisles and should be purchased in moderation. No aisle should be completely off of your radar, but buying fresh foods gives you more control over what you are putting into your body, as packaged foods are often made with artificial ingredients.
Try Store Brand or Generic Products
If you are interested in saving money, steer clear of brand names whenever possible. Brand name products and store brands often contain similar ingredients, meaning that it is unlikely that you will notice a difference. When purchasing brand name products, you often pay more for the product's advertising than the product itself. Clipping coupons and checking newspaper deals are other helpful ways to cut down the cost of your weekly groceries.
References
- American Heart Association; Heart-Check Mark; December 2010
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Tipsheet - Healthy Eating Starts With Healthy Food Shopping
- American Cancer Society; Shopping List - Basic Ingredients for a Healthy Kitchen; October 2009
- Mayo Clinic; Grocery Store Secret: Shop the Perimeter; July 2009
- ZenHabits.net; 50 Tips for Grocery Shopping
Member Comments