Grocery Shopping Tips to Help You Lose Weight

Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping 

The supermarket can be a dieter’s best friend or a garden of temptation. The way you shop and the foods you select make a big difference in how your shopping experience will turn out, making or breaking your health. But you can still definitely use grocery shopping for weight loss by following some of the tips below:

Grocery Shopping Techniques to Help You Lose Weight

*Healthy Grocery Shopping TipsGrocery Shopping Tips for Healthy Eating:

Change the Way You Shop for Groceries:

1. Eat first.

Everything looks good to eat (no matter how unhealthy) when you’re starving. Shopping on a full stomach makes it easier to resist tearing into a box of cookies or a bag of chips on the drive home.

2.  Wear fitted clothing.

If your will power needs some reinforcement, wear clothes that make you conscious of your body. All kinds of changes can sneak up on you if you spend your life in comfy sweat pants with an elastic and expandable waist.

3.  Plan weekly menus.

If healthy eating is still less than automatic for you, planning menus in advance can give you the structure you need. It will help suggest what you really need to buy and what you’re better off skipping.

4.  Make a list.

Having a list to refer to will help you remember to get the essentials only for keeping your kitchen stocked. As long as most of your purchases are sensible, you can add 1 special treat to your cart and still feel successful.

5.  Read the labels.

Hidden fats and sugar lurk in many products. Read the label to see if the ingredients live up to the claims on the front. Never go just by the claims on the front of the package. Even better, see #7 below and avoid packaged foods as much as possible.

6.  Try something new.

Variety will help you enjoy food more, even if you’re eating less. Experiment with exotic produce. Indulge in the tutti-frutti flavor of cherimoya. Roast a chayote squash or grate it over a salad.

7.  Shop the perimeter.

The highest quality foods tend to be found around the outer rim and not in packages. That’s where you’ll find fresh foods that are less processed. Only visit the inner aisles for specific items on your list and you’ll bypass most of the empty calories.

8.  Beware of the checkout line.

The checkout line bombards you with impulse options. Check your phone messages or read the magazine covers instead to elude the junk foods currently on sale.

Change the Foods You Select:

1.  Fill up on produce.

Devote most of your cart to vegetables and some fruits. Buying them in a variety of colors is simple way to ensure balanced nutrition.

2. Look for pastured meats.

Pastured, free-range, and grass-fed meats are high in nutrition and light years healthier than conventional forms of meat.

Ditto on pastured eggs.

3. Buy more fish.

Aim for at least 2 servings of wild fish a week. Many recipes you can find online are fast and easy.

4. Avoid low-fat or nonfat dairy products.

Any products where the naturally occurring fat has been removed or reduced are going to have more sugar and not be good for your diet.

Eating low-fat and non-fat is an old school philosophy proven wrong by science.  Our bodies need fat to sustain and function optimally. Eating healthy fats does not make you fat. The fats to avoid, however, are hydrogenated fats and industrial seed and vegetable oils (canola, soy, corn, etc.)

Olive oil and coconut oil are great fats to incorporate into your diet.

5.  Limit processed foods.

You could be paying a high price for convenience food. In addition to the higher price tag, frozen dinners and commercial crackers often contain trans fats and mysterious chemicals with little to no nutritional value.

Learn to navigate the supermarket wisely each time you shop. Enjoy your grocery shopping and bring home nutrient-dense foods that you and your family will love. The bonus is that it will help keep your weight off!