With all of the money that goes into advertising junk food today, it might feel impossible to be able to walk into your local grocery store and purchase healthy foods. However, stores are ripe with healthy choices if you know where to look and how to shop for them.
With so many choices when it comes to food, shoppers can sometimes feel discouraged when it comes to making healthy choices. Customers shouldn’t feel daunted when trying to find healthy food, however.
To begin with, make a shopping list. You don’t want to get home and find that you don’t have all the necessary ingredients in creating your healthy meal.
As you’re making out your list and planning your menu, remember the food pyramid. Making sure that you have the correct amounts of vegetables, whole grains, dairy, fruits, lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and beans is important to your overall health.
Try to incorporate lots of fresh fruit and produce into your diet. This means fewer canned fruits and vegetables. They don’t have to be organic, either. Try your local farmer’s market to get locally grown fruits and vegetables.
If you eat a lot of pasta and rice, try buying whole grained. It might take time to get used to the taste, but overall it has more fiber and that’s better for you.
For your meat choices, the best options are lean cuts. You also want to try to stay away from poultry with skins. For fish, salmon is generally a good bet because aside from being inexpensive, it does not usually have that “fishy” taste that can turn people off.
With meat, less is usually more. The USDA recommends that you fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, 1/4 of your plate with whole grains, and the other 1/4 with protein. Protein can also come in the form of eggs, tofu, nuts, and beans. Think of your meals in these terms and you won’t have to worry about blowing your entire grocery budget on meat.
The healthiest food options are usually located around the edges of the store. This is where you will find your breads, produce, and meats. The junk food aisles tend to be in the center of the store.
If buying canned food, try to look for food that has minimum salt. Fruits stored in fruit juice are a good option as well. If worried about salt, you can always rinse off the items before you use them.
Think about the season when you buy fruits and vegetables. Items that are in season generally taste better and are less expensive. However, some fruits, and especially berries, can be easily frozen. If you stock up on them when they are in season, you will have a tasty treat later down the road.
Don’t think that you have to cut snacks out of your menu all together. Actually, eating regular snacks is healthy, as long as you do it in moderation. Make sure that you balance out unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks, however. If you find yourself craving a cookie or chocolate throughout the day, also make sure that you have apples and oranges to snack on as well.
The last thing to remember is that although pre-packaged food is quick and easy to fix, it is almost always filled with saturated fat and sodium. If you buy the ingredients and prepare the meal yourself, it might take a little bit more time, but you’ll come out ahead in the long run knowing that you’ve made the healthy choice.
