Grocery Shopping Made Simple

Grocery shopping can be a frustrating experience for some. There is a lot of emotion that goes into our eating habits, and the process of choosing and purchasing food is no different. I gathered some tips that I thought might make this necessary activity a little less stressful. I usually do my shopping once a week, and I spend around $50-$60 each trip.

- Plan ahead!
I'll admit that I generally skip this step, but I am only shopping for myself. If you are shopping for a family it is much easier to have a list formed before you head into the store. This can also help you avoid buying items that you don't need. One great way to make your list is by finding a couple of recipes that you plan to make, shopping according to what you need, and then supplementing in some snacks.

- Shop the perimeter
The outer edges of the store are where you find the fresh things; produce, fresh meat, dairy. This is where you should find yourself spending the most time when you are in the store. I try to get 4 or 5 different vegetables and 2-3 fruits each time I shop, and I mix it up every trip. So one week I will get brussels sprouts, a green pepper, carrots, an avocado, bananas, and strawberries, and the next week I will get kale, corn, broccoli, cucumber, a sweet potato, apples, and oranges. Try to get a good variety over the course of a month whether by varying your recipes, or just incorporating vegetables into every meal or snack. I also get 3-4 different servings of a lean meat. Wild caught and free range meats can sometimes be a little more expensive, but it is worth the cost to avoid the additives (coloring, etc) that can be found in farm raised fish or overcrowded livestock and poultry.

- Get snacks
Shopping for your snacks ahead of time can help you prevent snacking on whatever is available when you get hungry throughout the day. It is easier (still not always easy, I know) to resist the break-room donuts if you know that you brought a healthier mid-day snack. Some of my go-to snacks include mixed nuts, KIND bars, apples and peanut butter, carrots and hummus, and hard broiled eggs.

- Check the label
The nutrition label listed on foods can tell you a lot more than just the calorie or fat content, and the calorie content of foods is not everything you need to pay attention to. Refined sugars and preservatives can cause inflammation, headaches, and other negative health side affects. Choose foods that have a shorter list of ingredients because the longer the list, the more likely the food contains a high amount of manufactured additives. Whole grains/brown rice are much better choices than anything bleached/white because they contain more of the nutrients from the original grain. Just because something says 'low fat', 'sugar free', or any other seemingly healthy message, does NOT mean that it is better for you. In fact, sometimes whatever was used to replace the taste of the missing ingredient can be even more harmful to your body.

Photo credit: Flickr user TheeErin