subject: Shopping Healthfully At The Grocery Store [print this page] If you are interested in preparing healthy meals for yourself and for your family, it is important to learn how to shop healthfully at the grocery store as well. If you train your family to eat healthfully now, your family will be able to better survive on food storage if an emergency presents itself.
Here are two important tips before your shopping trip. Always eat before you go, and always take a grocery list with you to the store.
If you shop on an empty stomach, you are more prone to make impulse purchases that may not be healthy. Having a list when you shop is also good because it keeps you focused on the healthy foods you need.
When you make your list, plan the meals you want to prepare for the next few days, look around your kitchen to see what you have on hand, and write down all the healthy foods and ingredients you need.
If you go to the store without a list, you are much more likely to overspend, as well.
The healthiest foods such as fresh produce, unprocessed meats, and dairy products tend to be placed around the perimeter of the store. The unhealthy processed, junk, and sugary foods are usually in the middle aisles.
Choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are firm, ripe, and unblemished. Look out for mold, especially on berries and on produce packed tightly together in small boxes.
Avoid potatoes that have a green tint to their skins. Buy only the amount of produce you need for a few days so your fruits and vegetables do not spoil in your refrigerator.
If you can't find the fresh produce you need, or you need to store your fruits and vegetables for a longer time, your second choice should be from the frozen fruits and vegetables rather than canned foods. Frozen foods may hold their nutritional value better, and canned foods usually are high in sodium.
When you shop for meat, poultry, fish and protein sources, choose wisely. Seafood and fish contain the healthy oils we need called omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish should have a fresh smell and firm flesh. Read the labels of packaged red meats, some may be "enhanced" with injected water, flavorings, and preservatives that you do not need or want.
Poultry is often a good choice, but remember that grocery store birds usually have a lot of fat. Choose skinless chicken and lean turkey.
Legumes, nuts and seeds are also great ways to get protein into a healthy diet. Meat color is not the best indicator of its freshness.
Pay attention to the aroma and the feel of the meat. Meat should smell fresh and it should not be sticky or slimy.
Check the freshness date on the label as well. You may wish to check out the local butcher shops.
Look for shops that carry organic meats, or at least meat from animals that were raised on grass or free-range, for the best quality meats. Another tip for buying raw meat-before you go to the fresh meat department, take a few clear plastic bags from the produce department.
Even though fresh meat should be wrapped securely, why take a chance on leakage? Put each selection of meat into its own bag to be sure there will be no cross-contamination of raw meat juices onto the rest of your grocery items.
If your grocery store has a bakery, chose one hundred percent whole grain breads, not white breads made with refined flours. Leave the high fat, high calorie pastries alone.
Avoid high fat and high sugar snacks. Choose whole grain crackers or baked snacks.
Drink more diet soda, or better yet juice, water, or milk and less sugary soft drinks. Make sure to work your food storage ingredients into your meals, so you can get accustomed to eating and cooking with them.
Use more recipes with wheat, rice, beans, etc. to help your body adjust to their taste and texture. You can learn to cook with these items in a simple way, so that if disaster were to strike, your body will not be shocked by new foods, and you will be able to create simple, ready-to-eat meals for your family.
Shopping healthfully requires some amount of skill, and preparation. Adopt these tips into your weekly shopping schedule, and you may find your dinner menus will improve along with your health.
