Healthy eating almost always begins with healthy habits at the grocery store, and paves the way for your food choices for the week. Take a look into your cart the next time you make a trip to the grocery store, is it full of fruits and veggies or processed foods and sugary items? Like anything, out of sight out of mind is always the key especially when you are trying to stay on a healthy food plan. To ensure those unhealthy items do not make it into your cart in the first place, see the list of tips below.
Do Not Shop Hungry
One of the worst (unintentional) mistakes you can make is simply shopping at the grocery store on an empty stomach. You are more prone to make impulsive decisions toward unhealthy foods rather than healthy foods. This not only can wreak havoc on your waistline, but it also can wreak havoc on your wallet as well.
Make A List
Before you even step foot in the grocery store, make a list of the foods you will need and strictly purchase those items only. It is even better to make your list at home, so that you can take a look around your pantry and fridge for items you already have so you don’t spend unwanted money by doubling up. When you have meal plans listed out for the week, it makes grocery shopping and cooking much more appealing rather than cooking on the fly with no direction.
Shop the Perimeter
By making a conscious effort to shop entirely around the perimeter of the grocery store for food related items, you will be opting for fresh food versus processed food. Because many of the foods around the perimeter of the store are fresh, there are no confusing labels to read (because they don’t exist!). This takes away confusion that could lead to an uninformed purchase possibly setting you off track with your nutritional goals.
Stay in Season
Choosing foods that are in season will not only make your meals taste better, but they will also be less expensive due to their availability. Fresh foods are packed with the maximum level of nutrition, which will only do you good in the end. If you can, buy local produce as this has been proven to be the healthiest and nutritious route you can take!
Whenever you take your next trip to the grocery store, keep these four tips in mind and shop your way to better health! Your wallet and your waistline will thank you all week long! This will not only create better habits in your grocery shopping route, but it will also give you a peace of mind throughout the week knowing you have thought about 4-5 healthy meals to make with no fuss. If you simply do not like going to the grocery store you can always shop for groceries online, which is also a nice way to ensure nothing tempts you that is unhealthy!