How to Shop for Groceries in a Healthy Way
/It can be very daunting trying to find healthy food at some of the major supermarkets today. As healthy food shopping is at the top of my list, my weekly trip to the farmer's market or the local farm stand is something I am so grateful for; but, there are many times I just want to go to my local supermarket and pick up some organic vegetables and some crispy crackers. Do you ever walk by the organic produce section of your local supermarket? Do you wonder why the veggies look wilted and old when the regular produce looks healthy and is usually being sprayed with water? Yep.. this can be a problem when you're looking to make things easier by shopping locally AND staying healthy. Also, when you walk down the crackers/chips aisle, do you find yourself stumped as to which box or bag to pick up? Here are my top 4 tips for keeping it simple and healthy:
- If you just can't pick up the wilted spinach, chard or kale, buy yourself some non-organic ones that look fresh. After all, it's better to eat greens than to forfeit them altogether because they're not organic. Many supermarkets sell the boxed or bagged veggies that ARE organic. Sometimes you will find bagged organic carrots and celery.
- When traveling down the crackers/chips aisle, READ INGREDIENTS! Never purchase anything that contains partially hydrogenated oils. This is a trans fat and should never enter your body! Also, try to swap out the white flour and canola oil for something that contains olive oil, coconut oil, quinoa or brown rice. My 2 favorites are Mary's Gone Crackers Super Seed crackers and Garden of Eatin' Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips. As with any chips or crackers, keep them at a minimum.
- Shop the periphery of the supermarket. This is where you will find mostly "whole" foods.
- Keep it Simple and Keep it Whole: Look for no more than 5 ingredients in your crackers and chips and no more than 1 ingredient in your fruits and vegetables.
Happy Healthy Shopping!