Shopping for Healthy Foods at the Grocery Store
Healthy meals start at the grocery store, but shopping can also spell diet disasters. A busy store with an endless array of options can lead to unhealthy impulse buys, frustration finding what you need, and forgetting essential ingredients.
Planning and preparation are vital to sticking with a healthy eating plan. These tips can make it easier for you to buy healthier foods and save a little money.
Make a Plan
Before you head to the store, think about the meals you want to prepare for the next few days and make a list of the ingredients you need for each dish. To save money, check your grocery store's website for this week's sales and plan meals around discounted produce and meat.
Some people find using a meal planning app with a built-in shopping list feature can help keep them organized. Popular apps include Mealime and ChefTap.
A 2018 study in the journal Nutrients found that using an app for grocery shopping lead to people making healthier choices for both what they purchased and foods consumed.
Check Your Pantry
A well-stocked pantry can save meal planning in a pinch. Check to see what items you already have on hand and what you need to replenish. Be sure to take a quick inventory of spices you plan to use.
Organize Your List
Think about the layout of your grocery store. Most start with produce and have meat and dairy on the perimeter. Making an aisle-by-aisle list of what you need can help you get through the store more efficiently and with fewer impulse buys.
Pick a Quiet Time
Grocery shopping during peak hours can be stressful, not to mention time-consuming. Shopping early in the morning, late in the day, or in the middle of the day on a weekday means the aisles will be easier to navigate your cart through and it will take less time.
Don't Shop Hungry
The biggest mistake people make when grocery shopping is going on an empty stomach. Always eat something before you head to the store.
When you're hungry, there's a good chance your choices will be dictated by your stomach and not your brain. You will be more likely to be tempted by candy and snack foods and to spend more money than you planned.
Know the Floor Plan
The perimeter of the store is typically where the most nutritious foods—fresh produce, seafood, meats, and dairy products—can be found. Heavily processed foods that are higher in fats, sugar, and sodium are usually in the middle aisles.
Start in the produce section of the store. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are firm, ripe, and unblemished. Watch out for mold, especially on berries and produce that's packed tightly together.
Don't Overdo It
Buy only the amount of fresh produce you need for a few days, so your fruits and vegetables don't spoil in your refrigerator. Pick up frozen fruits and veggies if you need to store them longer.
Check Freshness
Look for high-quality meat, seafood, and poultry. The color is not the best indicator of freshness, so follow your nose. Meats and seafood should smell fresh and clean. The flesh should firm and not sticky or slimy.
Take a few clear plastic bags from the produce department to the meat department. Raw meat should already be wrapped securely, but leakage can occur. Put each selection into a separate bag to be sure there will be no cross-contamination of raw meat juices onto the rest of your grocery items.
Shop Frozen
Frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as good for you like fresh produce, and will stay good longer. Plus, these items are often flash-frozen at peak freshness.
Frozen meat, poultry, and fish can also be handy for meal prep. Look for individually packaged serving sizes.
With frozen foods, you don’t have to scramble to use them before they go bad as you do with fresh food.
Beware of Bulk Items
Buying in bulk can be a great way to save money and stock up on healthy staples. However, bulk purchases can also have downsides.
Never load up on items you have never tried before just because it is on sale. And avoid over-buying trigger foods.
Look for healthy shelf-stable staples and things you can freeze, and get creative with eating them so that you don't get bored.
Don't Forget Calcium
Low- or non-fat dairy products will provide your family with calcium. If you don't want milk, then look for other calcium-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables or dairy alternatives.
Choose Healthier Grains
Bread, rice, and cereals are a staple in most people's diets. Choose whole grains whenever possible, at least half your grains should be whole grains. That means things like 100-percent whole-wheat bread and pasta, tortillas, oatmeal, popcorn, whole-grain cereal, and brown rice.
Read Labels
Food packaging can be deceptive. It may say “natural” on the front, but the ingredients list shows it's loaded with added sugar and fat. It can help to compare Nutrition Facts labels and ingredients lists on different brands before making a selection
Reading labels is especially important if you're following a special diet or watching your weight. All packaged foods are required to have this information, usually on the side or the back of the package.
Avoid the Snack Aisle
The snack aisle can be the pitfall of many dieters. Stay out of the aisles that sell chips, cookies, candy, and cakes.
Shop Sales With Caution
Don’t stray from your list just because you see a great deal. Buying items you do not need just because they are on sale doesn’t really save money. Stick to your plan and don’t fall prey to impulse buys.
Buy Online
Many grocery stores now offer shoppers the ability to order online and have groceries delivered or picked up curbside. Research published in the journal Public Health Nutrition in 2018 suggests that carefully planned online grocery shopping can help to prevent impulse buys and promote healthier selections. However, stores typically add a fee for this service.
Planning and preparation are vital to sticking with a healthy eating plan. These tips can make it easier for you to buy healthier foods and save a little money.
Make a Plan
Before you head to the store, think about the meals you want to prepare for the next few days and make a list of the ingredients you need for each dish. To save money, check your grocery store's website for this week's sales and plan meals around discounted produce and meat.
Some people find using a meal planning app with a built-in shopping list feature can help keep them organized. Popular apps include Mealime and ChefTap.
A 2018 study in the journal Nutrients found that using an app for grocery shopping lead to people making healthier choices for both what they purchased and foods consumed.
Check Your Pantry
A well-stocked pantry can save meal planning in a pinch. Check to see what items you already have on hand and what you need to replenish. Be sure to take a quick inventory of spices you plan to use.
Organize Your List
Think about the layout of your grocery store. Most start with produce and have meat and dairy on the perimeter. Making an aisle-by-aisle list of what you need can help you get through the store more efficiently and with fewer impulse buys.
Pick a Quiet Time
Grocery shopping during peak hours can be stressful, not to mention time-consuming. Shopping early in the morning, late in the day, or in the middle of the day on a weekday means the aisles will be easier to navigate your cart through and it will take less time.
Don't Shop Hungry
The biggest mistake people make when grocery shopping is going on an empty stomach. Always eat something before you head to the store.
When you're hungry, there's a good chance your choices will be dictated by your stomach and not your brain. You will be more likely to be tempted by candy and snack foods and to spend more money than you planned.
Know the Floor Plan
The perimeter of the store is typically where the most nutritious foods—fresh produce, seafood, meats, and dairy products—can be found. Heavily processed foods that are higher in fats, sugar, and sodium are usually in the middle aisles.
Start in the produce section of the store. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are firm, ripe, and unblemished. Watch out for mold, especially on berries and produce that's packed tightly together.
Don't Overdo It
Buy only the amount of fresh produce you need for a few days, so your fruits and vegetables don't spoil in your refrigerator. Pick up frozen fruits and veggies if you need to store them longer.
Check Freshness
Look for high-quality meat, seafood, and poultry. The color is not the best indicator of freshness, so follow your nose. Meats and seafood should smell fresh and clean. The flesh should firm and not sticky or slimy.
Take a few clear plastic bags from the produce department to the meat department. Raw meat should already be wrapped securely, but leakage can occur. Put each selection into a separate bag to be sure there will be no cross-contamination of raw meat juices onto the rest of your grocery items.
Shop Frozen
Frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as good for you like fresh produce, and will stay good longer. Plus, these items are often flash-frozen at peak freshness.
Frozen meat, poultry, and fish can also be handy for meal prep. Look for individually packaged serving sizes.
With frozen foods, you don’t have to scramble to use them before they go bad as you do with fresh food.
Beware of Bulk Items
Buying in bulk can be a great way to save money and stock up on healthy staples. However, bulk purchases can also have downsides.
Never load up on items you have never tried before just because it is on sale. And avoid over-buying trigger foods.
Look for healthy shelf-stable staples and things you can freeze, and get creative with eating them so that you don't get bored.
Don't Forget Calcium
Low- or non-fat dairy products will provide your family with calcium. If you don't want milk, then look for other calcium-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables or dairy alternatives.
Choose Healthier Grains
Bread, rice, and cereals are a staple in most people's diets. Choose whole grains whenever possible, at least half your grains should be whole grains. That means things like 100-percent whole-wheat bread and pasta, tortillas, oatmeal, popcorn, whole-grain cereal, and brown rice.
Read Labels
Food packaging can be deceptive. It may say “natural” on the front, but the ingredients list shows it's loaded with added sugar and fat. It can help to compare Nutrition Facts labels and ingredients lists on different brands before making a selection
Reading labels is especially important if you're following a special diet or watching your weight. All packaged foods are required to have this information, usually on the side or the back of the package.
Avoid the Snack Aisle
The snack aisle can be the pitfall of many dieters. Stay out of the aisles that sell chips, cookies, candy, and cakes.
Shop Sales With Caution
Don’t stray from your list just because you see a great deal. Buying items you do not need just because they are on sale doesn’t really save money. Stick to your plan and don’t fall prey to impulse buys.
Buy Online
Many grocery stores now offer shoppers the ability to order online and have groceries delivered or picked up curbside. Research published in the journal Public Health Nutrition in 2018 suggests that carefully planned online grocery shopping can help to prevent impulse buys and promote healthier selections. However, stores typically add a fee for this service.