5 Sneaky Ways You're Sabotaging Your Healthy Grocery Shopping
We’ve all been there! You’re starving and you hit the grocery store and end up coming home with WAY more food than you intended. But those crunchy seaweed snacks look so healthy and good, right? What about those 100% Veggie Chips?
Read on to find out if you have been committing these grocery shopping faux-pas and derailing your healthy nutrition goals.
Top Tips for your Beginners Healthy Grocery List
Don’t while hungry
When you’re hungry, EVERYTHING looks delicious! Especially those easy-to-grab donuts or pre-packaged snacks you know you can nosh on in the car. A simple rule is to time your grocery shopping right after a meal. If that isn’t possible, then grab a quick healthy and filling snack that you can chomp on to avoid shopping-induced munchies.
2. Avoid the center Aisles
The center aisles are where you find a plethora of pre-packaged and processed food. Unfortunately, you will often need to visit the center isles for ingredients for cooking, so choose wisely. Look for foods that have an ingredient list of 5 or less, and/or have ingredients that you can pronounce and that you know what they are. Look for foods that don’t have any added sugars (you can find this out by looking at the Carbohydrate section of the nutrition label, if there are added sugars, it will say so there). And, beware of health halos!
3. Don’t Fall for Healthy Halos
Avoid Health Halos
Don’t buy food just because it looks healthy. Companies spend beaucoup bucks on marketing to get you to buy their food.
Don’t buy food just because the packaging looks healthy. Remember, companies spend thousands if not millions on advertising and marketing to make their products appealing enough for you to buy them without question. Even famous brands, such as Annie’s, which is known for being organic and “wholesome” can be filled with preservatives and chemicals - albeit organic ones. So take your time and read the ingredient list to make sure you recognize everything in there (see #2).
4. Plan your Healthy Grocery List for the week in Advance
Before you even get in the car, plan out what you want to eat for the week and buy a week of groceries at once. Pick out your breakfasts, lunches, snacks, Post-Workout Nutrition, and dinners. By planning ahead, you won’t get caught up in the “oh, this looks yummy!” game at the store, which means you won’t be as likely to buy that tempting frozen pizza. If you do see something that looks really good AND healthy, it is ok to make some substitutions (For example, they are out of fresh chicken but you see some good looking fresh fish, go ahead), but you don’t want to deviate too much from your planned meals. Which brings us to….
5. Shop for ONLY What is on Your Grocery List - (This one helps keep your healthy grocery list on a budget, too!)
Don’t Shop Hungry!
Grab a quick healthy and filling snack that you can chomp on to avoid shopping-induced munchies.
This one is crucial. Make a game plan and stick to it. Not only does planning your meals set you up for greater weight-loss success, but it also is easier on your wallet because you aren’t impulse buying. Try to be as specific as possible on your list. Don’t just write, “Snacks,” but instead write specifically what those snacks will be. For example, “Apples, Raw Almonds, shelled edamame.” If you see something tempting while shopping, it’s ok to write it on the list for the next time you're in the store, but don’t buy on impulse!
BONUS: Don’t clip your coupons (digital or paper) until after you write your list! - I know, I know...but what if you miss out on that amazing deal? It’s ok! Coupons come along ALL the time! And chances are that you will see a coupon for the same item again in the future when you actually need the item. By only clipping coupons for the items that are on your list, you prevent yourself from impulse buying or adding unnecessary items to your list just because it’s on sale. This is not only better for your waistline, but also better for your budget and wallet!