9 Grocery Shopping Tips To Easily Eat Healthier

Everyone wants to eat healthier. But the battle doesn't start with what we put in our body; it starts with what we put in our grocery cart. Many mistakes concerning diet and nutrition are made at the grocery store. Fortunately making a few changes to how you shop can ensure healthier eating.

Make A List

Rather than going to the grocery store with no direction, make sure that you go with a list. Wandering aimlessly in the store increases your chances of throwing unhealthy foods in your cart. A list will also make it easy to get what you need to prepare healthy meals for the week.

Avoid Rush Hour

When the grocery store is busy and the lines are long you are more likely to pick up candy, chips and soda. These very unhealthy items are always close to the lines and present a strong temptation. Go at a time when lines are short and you can check out quickly and breeze by the unhealthy snacks.

Buy Lean Proteins

Lean meats such as chicken and fish are what you should be purchasing in the grocery store. Best part is, you can freeze them and they will stay fresh for weeks. They are low in fat and very high in protein.

Buy Healthy Foods In Bulk

Of course you cannot buy fruit in bulk because it will likely go bad before you use it, but foods such as quinoa, beans, nuts and yogurt will hold up for a long time. It is always a good idea to have foods like this on hand. They add variety to your pantry and are really nutritious ingredients to use in your meals.

Read The Ingredients

Yes, the nutrition labels are important but the ingredients are even more important. You have to know what you are putting into your body. For the most part, the less ingredients the better, and if you can’t pronounce something you should probably avoid it.

Shop In Categories

In addition to writing a grocery list, categorize your list so that you can shop in a more organized manner. Not only will you get your shopping done faster but you will be less likely to venture into aisles with less nutritious foods.

Spend Most Of Your Time In The Fresh Produce Section

The best foods to buy are fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet and should be a big part of your what you buy since they are full of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If you aren’t spending most of your shopping trip in the produce section, then rethink your strategy.

Get A Small Cart Or Basket

Instead of grabbing a large grocery cart, start off with a small one or with a basket. The smaller space will force you to rethink if you really need to be getting that back of Doritos.

Buy Local

It’s alway best to look for produce that was grown locally. If you can’t find it on your own, then ask a worker to direct you. Not only will these foods be healther for you, but you’ll also notice a huge improvement in taste as well!