Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping Daily Needs 247
Good nutrition starts with smart choices in the grocery store. Cooking
up healthy meals is a challenge if you don't have the right ingredients in your
kitchen.
But who has time to read all the food
labels and figure out which items are the most nutritious and the best
buys? Grocery
shopping can be a daunting task, simply because
there are so many choices.
"Markets perform a great public
service, but keep in mind they are designed to get you to buy (and, therefore,
eat) more food, not less," says Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, professor
of nutrition at New York University and author of What
to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating.
But with a little guidance, healthy choices
are a cinch to find in any supermarket.
Plan Ahead for Success
The process starts even before you head to
the grocery store, experts say. Before you set out for the market, plan your
meals for the week, and create a list to shop from. It takes a few minutes, but
saves time in running back to the store for missing ingredients.
To save money, use coupons, check the
weekly grocery ads, and incorporate sale foods into your meal planning. And
don't shop hungry: An empty belly often results in impulse purchases that
may not be the healthiest.
"When planning your grocery list,
consult the guidelines of MyPyramid [the government nutrition
web site mypyramid.gov] to make sure you are including all the foods you need
for good health," advises Elizabeth Ward, RD, author of The Pocket
Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids.
To help meet the pyramid guidelines, you
should be filling your cart with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
dairy, lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts, she says.
Most of us tend to eat the same foods over
and over again. But variety really is the spice of life, says Ward.
"One of the tenets of the pyramid is
variety, so instead of white potatoes, choose sweet potatoes, which are much
richer in beta-carotene, or baby spinach instead of iceberg lettuce," she
advises.
Be adventurous; aim to try a new fruit or
vegetable each week, she advises.
Both Ward and Nestle say organic
foods are a great option, but note that they may
not be the most economical choice.
"You get the same nutritional benefits
with fewer pesticides [with organics], but eating plenty of produce is more
important than choosing organic
foods," says Ward.
Money Well Spent
Convenience is often worth the extra cost,
especially when you're packing lunches or are trying to control portions. Ward
relies on single-serve packages of precut apples and carrot sticks for food to
go for her three young daughters.
"Anything that will get you and your
family to eat more fruits
and vegetables is worth the extra expense, especially when
you consider there is no waste associated with washed and prepped
produce," says Ward.
Nestle also recommends splurging in the
produce aisle for the best fruits
and vegetables.
Supermarket Savvy
Ward offers this checklist for making
healthier food choices in every department of your supermarket:
7. Produce. Spend the most time in the produce
section, the first area you encounter in most grocery stores (and usually the
largest). Choose a rainbow of colorful fruits
and vegetables. The colors reflect the different vitamin,
mineral, and phytonutrient content of each fruit or vegetable.
8. Breads, Cereals, and Pasta. Choose the least
processed foods that are made from whole grains. For example, regular oatmeal
is preferable to instant oatmeal. But even instant oatmeal is a whole grain,
and a good choice.
When
choosing whole-grain cereals, aim for at least 4 grams of fiber per serving,
and the less sugar, the better. Keep in mind that 1 level teaspoon of sugar
equals 4 grams and let this guide your selections. Ward points out that cereals
-- even those with added sugar -- make great vehicles for milk, yogurt, and/or
fruit. Avoid granolas, even the low-fat variety; they tend to have more fat and
sugar than other cereals.
Bread,
pasta, rice, and grains offer more opportunities to work whole grains into your
diet. Choose whole-wheat bread and pastas, brown rice, grain mixes, quinoa,
bulgur, and barley. To help your family get used to whole grains, you can start
out with whole-wheat blends and slowly transition to 100% whole-wheat pasta and
breads.
9. Meat, Fish, and Poultry. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week.
Ward recommends salmon because people often like it, and it's widely available,
affordable, not too fishy, and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to
choose lean cuts of meat (like round, top sirloin, and tenderloin), opt for
skinless poultry, and watch your portion
sizes.
10.
Dairy. Dairy foods are an
excellent source of bone-building calcium and vitamin
D. There are plenty of low-fat and nonfat
options to help you get three servings a day, including drinkable and
single-serve tube yogurts, and pre-portioned cheeses. If you enjoy higher-fat
cheeses, no problem -- just keep your portions small.
11.
Frozen Foods. Frozen fruits and
vegetables (without sauce) are a convenient way to help fill in the produce
gap, especially in winter. Some of Ward's frozen favorites include whole-grain
waffles for snacks or meals, portion-controlled bagels, 100% juices for
marinades and beverages, and plain cheese pizza that she jazzes up with an
extra dose of skim mozzarella cheese and a variety of veggies.
12.
Canned and Dried Foods. Keep a
variety of canned vegetables, fruits, and beans on hand to toss into soups,
salads, pasta, or rice dishes. Whenever possible, choose vegetables without
added salt, and fruit packed in juice. Tuna packed in water, low-fat soups, nut
butters, olive and canola oils, and assorted vinegars should be in every healthy
pantry.
4 Simple Shopping Rules
Nestle offers these simple solutions to
savvy shopping without spending hours in the grocery store:
- Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where fresh
foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and fish are usually located.
Avoid the center aisles where junk foods lurk.
- Choose "real" foods, such as 100% fruit
juice or 100% whole-grain items with as little processing and as few
additives as possible.
If you want more salt or sugar, add it yourself.
- Stay clear of foods with cartoons on the label that
are targeted to children. If you don't want your kids eating junk foods,
don't have them in the house.
- Avoiding foods that contain more than five
ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.
