How to Grocery Shop for a Healthy Diet
As a registered dietitian nutritionist, one of the things I encounter the most frequently with my clients is a lack of knowledge what to shop for when they are purchasing their weekly groceries. The foundation is usually there, they will know, “this is good for me” or “I probably shouldn’t eat too much of this” but they’re not quite sure why or how to distinguish how to find the foods that will help them find balance in their daily intake and overall improve their health and wellbeing.
These are some of the things which I think about on a near-daily basis so I am presenting this information to you in the hopes to help establish healthy diet shopping practices. First thing’s first: by healthy diet, I mean healthy way of eating for good- not a seven day weight loss diet. Helping my clients to establish long-term skills and lifestyle changes is what I do as a registered dietitian nutritionist. Whether you’re looking for weight loss or just improving your overall health, these are some skills anyone can apply to their grocery shopping! Now let’s get into it!
Whether you’re ordering your groceries online or you physically pay visits to your local brick-and-mortar store, the principles of grocery shopping for a healthy diet are the same, we want to: reduce added sugar, added sodium, and saturated fat where we can.
Some shopping tips before we really delve in:
Make a shopping list- this will help you to be quick and specific with your purchases, and will help you to stick to your budget if you have one. Use grocery store circulars or apps to help you guide your decisions; one of my favorite things to do to save money on my weekly shopping trip is to meal plan around what is on sale!
Check what you have in your fridge/pantry first- this will help prevent over-buying which can waste money
Check nutrition facts labels- as mentioned above you want to reduce your intake of added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat so be an informed consumer and always check the labels (especially if you’ve never checked them out before)
Now let’s dive in:
Protein foods
When selecting your proteins, you’ll want to select the lean meats. Some key words to look for include “loin” or “round”.
When purchasing poultry, purchase skinless cuts or remove the skin yourself before cooking; the skin is a source of saturated fat.
When purchasing fish, aim for the fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, or mackerel; these fish are sources of heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial in a healthy diet as they aid in the generation of hormones which regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation.
Try to incorporate plant-based proteins if you like them; these include nuts and seeds, nut butters, almond butter, beans, peas, and lentils. When purchasing these items, be sure to check the labels for added sodium or added sugars! Often times there are versions of these products which have no salt or no sugar added.
Fruits and vegetables
Frozen, canned, jarred, and dried options are healthy too! Just be sure to check the labels again for added sugars or added sodium.
When purchasing fruits and vegetables, you’ll want to look for produce in a variety of colors as the more colors you consume the more varied the nutrients you are getting in. If you’re looking to save time in your food preparation, purchase pre-cut and pre-washed items.
If you are purchasing juices, look for 100% juice varieties as they do not contain any extra sugars.
Grain-based foods
When purchasing grain-based foods, look for mostly whole grain options of breads, rice, pasta, and cereal. Examples include 100% whole-wheat bread, whole grain spaghetti, brown rice, oatmeal, and shredded wheat. Other sources of whole grain include: quinoa, amaranth, and millet.
Dairy
When selecting dairy products, aim for low-fat and fat-free versions of milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you choose not to drink cow’s milk, look for calcium-fortified products such as soy milk.
Oils
When selecting oil products for cooking or baking, choose a liquid vegetable oil like olive, canola, corn, cottonseed safflower, soybean, or sunflower oil. These oils contain less saturated fat than their solid fat counterparts like butter and lard.
When purchasing spreadable oil products, look for soft tub, liquid, or spray margarines for less saturated fat than butter or stick margarine; look for products with no trans fats on the nutrition facts label.
For more personalized recommendations for your grocery shopping, schedule an appointment with me to get started!
