I worked with a man who was training for the Tour de France a couple of years ago, and not only did he spend a LOT of time on his bike, he was extremely careful about everything that he ate. He did all his grocery shopping at Whole Foods, which told me he probably made more money than me… Not what I would call discount shopping!
When I made a comment about how pricey it was to shop there, he was amazed that I felt that way, and was quick to point out that there was a lot you could get there that was at least close to what you might pay at your local Safeway.
Next time I visited Whole Foods I did a little more looking around, and found that he was correct – there really were many items that were healthier but comparably priced!
Lesson learned was that you could shop for healthier items and not have to spend a fortune!
Paula Owens, nutritionist and author, shares some of her grocery shopping tips in a recent article.
The first is one that I have heard for years – shop for REAL FOOD, not processed and sugary. These items are usually found around the perimeter of the store and not in the center aisles (there are a few good items there too, like olive oil, nut butters and coffee/tea.
Real food excludes items that are low-fat and fat-free (generally nasty and unsatisfying!) products that come with a generous amount of artificial sweeteners and other chemicals not naturally occurring in real-for-sure food.
She also recommends organic as much as possible, claiming that organic produce is much healthier, and that those that eat organic tend to have better immunity, less body fat, and get better sleep. If your budget doesn’t allow you to make those choices across the board, trying to pick organic eggs, meats, and specific fruits and vegetables that tend to be the highest in pesticides.
These include some of my favorites – apples, celery, bell peppers, spinach and cucumbers. She has a list of 12 that she calls the Dirty Dozen.
Read labels and avoid those containing artificial ingredients, but if you stick to the real food recommendation above, these will drop right out!
Use a list when you shop and stick to it!! For best results, have a healthy snack prior to your shopping trip to reduce temptation.
For other recommendations, read the entire article here.
