Tips to help you shop, eat healthier

Question: I want to start eating healthier but when I get to the grocery store I don’t know where to start. It all seems so overwhelming!

Answer: I get it – whether you’re just starting a healthier lifestyle or you’ve been doing it for years, grocery shopping is a daunting task. Here are a few of my best tips to keep it simple.

Start by saying goodbye to overly processed and refined items in your pantry and fridge.

This doesn’t mean you can’t detour every now and then, but as a generality – we want you to focus on fresh, whole foods. 

You don’t have to go toss everything and start from scratch in one day. 

Give it time, and take it easy on yourself. Try replacing one food item at a time. As you continually add in healthier options, your taste buds will change, and you will naturally want cleaner, whole foods as the more processed foods will soon seem less appealing.

Plan Ahead. 

Plan your weekly meals and snacks before going to the grocery store. Once at the store, avoid wandering aimlessly, don’t shop the end-of-aisle displays, and stick to your list. You’ll save time, money, and shop healthier. Even better, online shop. Fill your online cart with healthy choices and the temptation disappears.

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. Not only will this keep you on track, it will save you money, too, by avoiding the unnecessary splurges. 

Less IS more.

When it comes to ingredient counts, fewer is better. Fewer ingredients means less processed foods and when it comes to your nutrition, that’s a good thing! Try to purchase items with five or six ingredients at the most. Try to avoid things with added sugars and if there are, make sure sugar is one of the last ingredients on the list!  

Don’t shop on an empty stomach. 

When you’re hungry, your blood sugar dips and hormonal changes increase cravings for fat, sugar, and salt, making shopping for healthy foods more challenging. Eat a healthy and balanced snack, such as carrots and hummus, nut butter with apple slices, Greek yogurt with a handful of seeds, or hardboiled eggs before heading to the grocery store. 

Hopefully following these simple tips will make it less overwhelming to step foot in the store! 

About the author: Jayme Smid is the club manager at Anytime Fitness in Brandon. To submit a question for future articles, please contact the author at jayme.smid@anytimefitness.com.