When it comes to buying nutritious food, shop the perimeter of the grocery store. The lay-out of most grocery stores will have produce, meat, dairy and whole-grain bakery products along the outside edges.
The main thing that separates these products from others within the store is that they are nutrient-dense foods. In other words, for the amount of calories in these foods, they are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates. For example, a cup of skim milk has only 90 calories and is full of protein, calcium, vitamins D and A, and riboflavin.
Learn to read labels and use them to your benefit. Nutrient packed foods will have 20 percent or more of nutrients like vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber.
The list of ingredients can also provide some big hints as to the health value of a product.
Try to buy foods that don’t list more than five ingredients because anything after the first five normally isn’t necessary.
Avoid foods with hard-to-pronounce ingredients. As always, stay away from foods high in sugar, salt or fat.
Make a list and stick to it. Include low or non-fat dairy products such as yogurt, cheese or cottage cheese, eggs or egg substitute and whole grain breads and rice in your grocery cart.
Avoid shopping for groceries when you are hungry. Research shows you tend to purchase more foods when you are hungry.
Also stay in tune with marketing ploys, especially with products marketed towards kids. Just because a food tastes good, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. It often means it’s full of artificial flavorings and lots of sugar.
