Shopping for Healthy Groceries Made Simple
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.
Grocery stores offer a lot of choices when it comes to food and that can be overwhelming. It doesn't necessarily have to be, 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.
Take a trip to your local farmer's market in order to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Do your best to steer clear of canned food. You don't necessarily have to eat organic; as it's just as important that you eat produce of the fresh variety.
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.
You don't have to fill your entire plate with protein, either, which is good for your budget. The USDA only recommends that of your plate be protein, with the rest being fruits and vegetables and whole grains. That doesn't even have to be meat-it can also be beans, tofu, eggs, or nuts.
When you're in the store, remember that most of the healthy foods, such as the produce, meat, and bread, are located around the edges. The junk food aisles tend to be in the center of the store.
If buying canned food, watch for items that do not contain a lot of salt. Canned fruit that is packaged in fruit juice is also a healthy choice.
When you're buying fruits and vegetables, try to purchase items that are in season. These are generally cheaper and have a better taste. When buying some fruits, you can always freeze them and use them later when they are out of season again.
Snacking might have a bad reputation, but it can actually be good for you, as long as you don't overdo it. When you pick out your snack foods, make sure you that you include both healthy and unhealthy snacks. Along with your ice cream and cookies, be sure to include nuts, apples, and bananas 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. - 17268
Grocery stores offer a lot of choices when it comes to food and that can be overwhelming. It doesn't necessarily have to be, 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.
Take a trip to your local farmer's market in order to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Do your best to steer clear of canned food. You don't necessarily have to eat organic; as it's just as important that you eat produce of the fresh variety.
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.
You don't have to fill your entire plate with protein, either, which is good for your budget. The USDA only recommends that of your plate be protein, with the rest being fruits and vegetables and whole grains. That doesn't even have to be meat-it can also be beans, tofu, eggs, or nuts.
When you're in the store, remember that most of the healthy foods, such as the produce, meat, and bread, are located around the edges. The junk food aisles tend to be in the center of the store.
If buying canned food, watch for items that do not contain a lot of salt. Canned fruit that is packaged in fruit juice is also a healthy choice.
When you're buying fruits and vegetables, try to purchase items that are in season. These are generally cheaper and have a better taste. When buying some fruits, you can always freeze them and use them later when they are out of season again.
Snacking might have a bad reputation, but it can actually be good for you, as long as you don't overdo it. When you pick out your snack foods, make sure you that you include both healthy and unhealthy snacks. Along with your ice cream and cookies, be sure to include nuts, apples, and bananas 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. - 17268
About the Author:
For even more advice on how to make up an effective healthy grocery list, go to 4GrocerySavings.com to learn how to shop successfully for healthy groceries.
posted by X - Men at
5:18 AM
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