Healthy eating begins with the ingredients that you choose. It’s much easier to make a healthy and nutritious meal if your refrigerator and pantry are already well-stocked with lean proteins, seasonal produce, and healthy whole grains. The problem, though, is when most people go grocery shopping, it’s easy to become distracted by the convenience of prepackaged and frozen meals. If you are looking for ways to beat the temptations, it’s important to learn grocery shopping tips to help you shop like a nutritionist.
The truth is, healthy eating holds a different definition depending on who you’re speaking to. It’s all about perspective and doesn’t have to mean depriving yourself of the desserts and snacks you love. However, if you are looking to make better food choices, you will want to ensure that you have some healthy shopping habits up your sleeve.
Grocery Shopping Tips to Help You Make Healthier Choices
Always Start with a Grocery List
This can’t be stressed enough. Taking a trip to the grocery store without a list is counterproductive. Not only will you spend more time perusing the aisles, but you also risk spending more money and choosing less healthy food options.
Always go grocery shopping with a list and stick only to the aisles that have the items listed. This will not only save you money, but it will also ensure you make healthier choices.
Shop the Perimeter When Possible to Find Healthy Food Staples
Chances are, you already know which aisles contain the sweet and salty, unhealthy snacks you have come to love.
If you’re trying to make healthier choices, it’s important to avoid these sections at all costs. In fact, shopping only the perimeter of the store, where the freshest foods are usually displayed, is a great way to stick to healthy options.
Staying in Season is the Key to a Healthy Grocery Shopping Haul
When it comes to purchasing fresh produce for your healthy grocery haul, stick with the stuff that’s in season. This will ensure that you get the freshest, most delicious fruits and vegetables to serve as your meals or snacks. Not only that, but in-season produce is often more inexpensive.
Try to Buy Healthy Pantry Staples in Bulk
Raw seeds and nuts make for great snacks and delicious additions to any meal. Buying these healthy pantry items in bulk is a good way to ensure you always have a stockpile of them in your kitchen.
Not only are you then able to use them to top yogurt and make snack mixes, but they can also be used to replace salty snacks when you need that crunch.
Be Vigilant When Choosing Your Healthy Pantry Snacks
Smart snacking begins when you know how to choose the right healthy pantry snacks. And how can you know whether you’ve made the right choices? Easy. Read the food ingredients list of each snack you purchase. It may be a bit time-consuming, but it will give you the assurance that you know exactly what you’re buying.
This way, you can be sure that what you’re buying is as “healthy” as it claims to be. Additionally, it will also give you an idea of how you can store the snack properly.
These shopping tips will help you create healthier meals and snacks. Just remember to start with a list, shop the store perimeter, choose fresh seasonal produce, and purchase your raw items in bulk. In no time, your shopping habits will have changed for the better.