5 Tips For Healthier Grocery Shopping
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Making healthy food choices at home starts with the choices you make at the supermarket. With over 7,000 food items to choose from, grocery shopping can be quite the challenge. Although it may seem easier to dine out, many restaurants are quite costly. The average price to dine out is $12 per person per meal. In contrast, it costs about $5 per person per meal to dine at home. Eating at home instead of dining out for 1 meal every week, saves you $364 per person per year! In addition, most restaurant food doesn’t compare to the nutritional benefits of having fresh, whole foods from home. The same problem applies to fast food joints, vending machines and street vendors. Although convenient, those foods are usually processed, high in sugar and low in nutrients. By learning several grocery shopping tips, you’ll find it easy to maximize your health and save money.
Supermarket Success
1) MAKE A LIST
Save time making multiple trips to the store by creating a grocery list of the items you need. Having a plan makes it easier to eat well, prevents you from stocking the cart with junk food and helps keep you within budget!
2) INCLUDE HELPERS
Teaching your family to eat more nutritious foods starts with involving them when shopping. Encourage them to read labels, add food to the cart, and find ingredients on your list. Being included in the process can help your family develop more awareness for nutrition and gets them excited to eat healthier.
3) READ LABELS
Focus on the ingredients listed. Less is best! Look for: minimal ingredients, whole foods & low sugar content (less than 4 grams per serving). Avoid: low-fat, non-fat, low-calorie, and words ending in “-ose.”
4) SHOP THE PERIMETER
Shop the perimeter of the store to fill your cart with nutrient-packed, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, yogurt, cheese, and chicken. Easy to pack foods, such as walnuts, almonds, apples, bananas, carrots, and cherry tomatoes will make it easier for you to enjoy more nutrients with little effort.
5) BUY IN BULK
Stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables so you always have something healthy at home. You can also buy dried ingredients in bulk. Not only is it cheaper, but it can help you stick to the perimeter during the rest of your shopping trips.
Contact Cate today to learn more tips to improve your nutrition!
Thanks for the great post! My favorite is shop the perimeter. For a much healthier lifestyle this is truly some very good info. Don’t tempt yourself with those processed foods that simply are in no way beneficial. Enjoy the Real Food. Thanks again. Well done!
[...] those foods are usually processed, high in sugar and low in nutrients. By learning several grocery shopping tips, you’ll find it easy to maximize your health and save [...]