Shopping for healthy food at the grocery store could be an easy process if you follow a few guidelines which are outlined below.
Fruits and Vegetables
Healthy food options start in the produce section and the majority of your shopping should be done here. Produce provides the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and energy your body requires to get you through the day so stock up on fruits and vegetables. Search ones that are free of blemishes, spots, or limp looking.
Carrots, potatoes, and onions will last longer than other vegetables and should be basics in your kitchen. Fruit such as berries and grapes will need to be eaten within a couple of days. But apple, oranges and other hard fruit will last longer. You can also buy frozen vegetables and fruit if fresh is not available but make sure to read the tag for any extra sugar in the product. Fill your cart with fruits and vegetables; this is the first step to good health.
Grains
When shopping for bread and grains you'll need to pick bread that is whole wheat and avoid breads that say enriched. White bread contains little nutrition compared to whole grain and darker breads. You can even get whole wheat hot dog and hamburger buns as well as sandwich rolls. You can try whole wheat pita wraps and tortillas too. Search for brown rice instead of white rice. Brown rice does take some time to get used to in terms of texture and flavor, but it carries more nutrition then white. Any grains you buy should be the whole grain variety. You can even find whole wheat flour for baking. When searching cereal, buy varieties that are high in fiber and low in sugar. Oatmeal is a good alternative for cereal due to its high fiber content. Make sure to look at the sugar content on any cereal and avoid high sugar brands.
Meat and Seafood
Your meat choices should include meat that has little fat content so search for lean cuts of beef and pork. You can find extra lean hamburger which is better for you than regular hamburger due to less fat content. Chicken should have the skin removed or you can do this at home yourself. Chicken breasts are a good choice and packaged chicken breasts often go on sale. Avoid the meat that is processed like chicken nuggets, strips, deli meats, and battered fish. You should increase your consumption of fish so if you could afford it, consider adding more fish to your diet and less meat.
Dairy
Look for lower fat dairy farm products such as cheese and milk. Yogurt is a good alternative if it is plain, you can always add your own fruit to it for more flavor. Some companies have sugar free yogurt that you can try if you don't like plain. Eggs are a cheap and make a good breakfast solution.
Packaged Goods
Almost all packaged goods are processed so you need to keep off these foods as much as possible. Chips and sugar drinks such as soda should be avoided. If you like cakes and cookies, bake these at home. The homemade versions while still not 100% healthy are far better for you then the over processed kinds you find in the store. Packaged goods that you can purchase include pasta, olive oils, plain beans without sauce, vegetables and canned seafood. If you buy canned vegetables or beans, wash them first to remove the salt. Packaged or canned soup should not be bought as it is full of salt. You could find reduced salt versions that may be fine but make sure to read the tags on any packaged goods you might buy. Low salt and low sugar versions are the best alternative. Avoid the processed meals and pizzas you find in the frozen section as well as any juice except orange juice.
Nuts, Seeds, and Oils
Consumptions of plain nuts and seeds should be increased. Look for varieties that are plain without any salt or flavorings. These can be found in the bulk section and should be labeled no salt. Avoid any packaged varieties unless you're certain there is no salt. Look for extra virgin olive oils and avoid the vegetable oils.
To eat healthy you need to avoid the processed packaged foods as much as possible. These items have most of the nutritional value stripped from them. Increase the whole foods you consume like fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds and whole grains.
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