How to Grocery Shop for Healthy Foods

Shopping for healthy foods can be easy if you know what kind of foods to buy.  It is important to know what you will be preparing for the week before you go shopping.  One should stick to the perimeter of the grocery store as much as possible, as this is where most of the healthy food is.

Prepare

• Make a list of meals for the week and write down a list of things you will need to make them.


• Eat a snack before you go so you are not tempted to buy foods that are not on the list.

What To Buy

• Fill your shopping kart with a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, red peppers and baby spinach for a wide range of nutrients.


• Buy lowfat dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt.


• Aim to buy a few servings of fish, such as salmon, skinless chicken and lean meats.


• Look for the words round, sirloin and tenderloin on the label.


• Try to buy most of your items around the outside perimeter of the grocery store.


• Purchase a variety of frozen fruits or vegetables to have on hand.


• Purchase whole wheat breads, pastas and cereal.


• Choose healthy cereal with little sugar and at least 4 grams of fiber.


• Purchase broth based soups, olive oil, vinegar and tuna.


• Purchase different nut butters.

Avoid

• Avoid foods with refined white sugar.


• Avoid foods that contain a lot of sodium.


• Avoid foods that have high fructose corn syrup listed as one of the top ingredients.


• Avoid foods with white flour, or that say enriched on them.