Have you ever had the experience of leaving the supermarket with shopping bags full of foods that were not even on the list? For sure it's up to us choosing the products to buy, but... grocery stores have come up with how to make us "stretch" our list.
So, here are some pills of "healthy shopping science".
- Eat before you go shopping; if you shop when you're hungry, you may be tempted to buy more than you need. Once at the store, be sure to keep your shopping list handy.
- Choose fruit and vegetables that are in-season. Locally grown foods are usually more fresh than imported ones. Frozen vegetables and fruit are also a valid alternative: they won't rot and are pre-chopped for easy meals.
- Choose whole grain products: brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, whole wheat no sugary cereals... Look for plain items with no added salt or fat.
- Buy low fat or fat free dairy products; choose the ones that expire in a long time: the cultures of yogurt, for example, are more active and you'll have more benefits for your health.
- Choose fatty fish and pulses as sources of proteins: they're rich in antioxidants! Prefer chicken and turkey to red meat.
- Grocery store planners make you find essential foods like dairy along the back wall. This means you have to pass by many tempting products to get what you need (i.e. the milk). Know also that the most expensive brands are kept at your eye level, so don't buy groceries only from the middle shelf: scan the highest and the lowest shelves where you can find good deals.
- Shop along the outer ares and buy more whole foods. Always read labels and choose items that contain at least 15% Daily Value for fibre, vitamins and minerals. Check the amount of salt, sugar, fat, preservatives that is in the products.
- Skip the snack and soda pop aisle: these are unhealthy foods/beverages you DON'T NEED. When in line to pay at the cash, don't let the candies catch your attention and make you "fall into temptation": focus on something else (i.e. how to cook the foods you're buying).
Remind that refined foods are unhealthy: "about eighty percent of the food on shelves of supermarkets today didn't exist 100 years ago.” - Larry McCleary, brain surgeon.
