Which of the above grocery shopping carts resembles your shopping style, the left or the right?
If it’s the right, you are a savvy healthy shopper. If it’s the left, then you definitely need to keep reading.
What jumps out at you between the two shopping carts? Let’s see, the shopping cart on the left is full of boxed and canned items. That means that they are full of preservatives and probably GMO’s. It is also very evident that there is absence of any kind of fruits and vegetables except for a green and red pepper at the top. If this is what that individual eats we can very likely say that they are not receiving the necessary vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants necessary to protect their bodies from oxidative damage.
On the right shopping cart however, there is an abundance of fruits and vegetables such as kale, spinach, blueberries; all which are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Also, most of those are organic which means less pesticides and therefore less toxic burden on the liver.
So, do you want to learn how to be a healthy shopper and what you should be including on your grocery lists? Now say a big YES and read on.
First let’s cover a few shopping rules before we begin:
1. NEVER go to the grocery store hungry. You will inevitably end up with something you didn’t need and it’s probably not going to be the healthiest choice.
2. ALWAYS shop on the outer isles of the supermarket. All the fresh produce and “real” food is sold there.
3. ALWAYS read labels on anything you buy especially items that are boxed or canned. The best rule that we follow is, if you can’t pronounce it and your grandmother would have no idea what it is, don’t buy it.
4. STAY AWAY from GMO’s. Look for products labeled GMO free or Non-GMO project.
5. ALWAYS look at the expiry dates. It is shocking how many stores carry foods past their expiry dates.
Now that we went over a few ground rules, let’s talk about how you should write out your grocery list and what should be included in it.
1. A day before your grocery shopping trip, make sure you pre plan your meals and snacks for a week. This way you will not run out of food and forced to order in something that’s unhealthy. It doesn’t have to be extremely elaborate but you do want to be a little specific.
Example: Monday: Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with frozen berries, Snacks: nuts/fruit/yogurt Lunch: Grilled chicken salad Dinner: Spelt pasta with broccoli
It’s very easy to do and will make your grocery list planning a breeze. Now you know you need to buy, oats, fruits, berries, yogurt, chicken, broccoli and spelt pasta. These ingredients can be easily mixed in with other meals and don’t forget to make a little bit more at dinner so you have left over’s for those healthy lunches the next day.
2. Go over what you have in your cupboard. If you don’t you will most likely end up getting to the store and thinking whether you actually have it at home already or not. Don’t be lazy, it only takes a couple of minutes to take inventory of your cupboards. It’s also a great way to ensure that nothing is past the expiry date.
3. Clean out your fridge of any uneaten left over’s that have gone bad. Put out anything that is close to the expiry date at the front so you remember to cook it and eat it. This clears space for all your groceries and ensures everything is fresh. You don’t want to waste food so this is a great weekly routine.
4. Ensure that your grocery list consists of at least 50% fruits and veggies. Make sure you make it colourful. The more variety of colours the more variety of vitamins and minerals your body is receiving. So don’t be afraid to experiment with kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, bok choy, beets, artichokes, squash, sweet potatoes, etc.
5. Try to buy dairy and meat organic. Better eat it less but make it count with better quality and no hormones or antibiotics.
6. Stay away from anything that is processed and has too many ingredients on the box/bag. For example bread. Most breads in a bag have about 12-20 ingredients on the bag, most of which you can’t even pronounce. Ever wonder how it can stay on a counter for 2 weeks and not mold? You guessed it, a ton of preservatives. Try to buy fresh bread and freeze it to make it last longer. Better yet, invest in a bread maker and make it yourself. It is super easy and only requires 3-4 ingredients.
7. Stay away from refined grains such as white flour, sugar, pasta, etc. Buy foods that are unrefined and still have all the nutrients that it was meant to have.
Always remember that health is your number one wealth and even though this may seem daunting in the beginning, it will become an amazingly healthy habit that will keep you and your family healthy. To help with grocery lists, ingredients to avoid and much more, check out my program “30 Day To The New Healthier You”.
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