Healthy Shopping Habits

The supermarket is where the magic happens. If you can master your shopping, you can master your health

Plan your Supermarket Visit:

Shop on a full stomach
Always shop with a list – if it’s not on the list, don’t buy it. That saves you time, money, and having to throw out impulse purchases
Know your trigger foods – leave them off the list
Know your supermarket geography – most supermarkets have the same layout with healthy food around the edges, so avoid the inner aisles
Plan your attack and movements – stick to the perimeter where you will find the lean protein, fruit, and veggies. Be cautious around the checkout area and the bakery which is the first thing you smell when you walk in – for good reason!

John Berardi from Precision Nutrition First Law states:

“If a food is in your house or possession, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate, will eventually eat it.⁣”

The upshot of Berardi’s First Law is: If a healthy food is in your house or possession, the above also applies.

Check out this video below which makes reading food labels easy.

Tips for successful healthy food shopping:

Keep it simple – if you think it’s not nutritious, it probably isn’t
Ask yourself – is it a minimally-processed whole food?
Fruit & vegetables – buy in-season when possible
Frozen food is fine too – no waste from bulky leaves, stems or rind
Good fats – fresh, minimally-processed fats from nuts, seeds and cold-pressed oils
Legumes– bulk dry legumes are the most effective and nutritious food available. Canned is also a good option but watch out for additives
Whole grains – look for minimally processed whole grains – quinoa, brown and wild rice. Go for some very nutritious bread if you are buying it
Read the food labels – don’t be fooled by the front of the package. Dig deeper and check the list of ingredients, etc.
Be a smart shopper – ‘cheap’ food such as sugary drinks and chocolate aren’t really cheap. It’s cheapened through things like big subsidies and mass production. You pay for this – with your health. Cheap food is an illusion. The real cost is paid somewhere. You get what you pay for!