Pro Tips for Shopping for Healthy Foods

There’s not a right or wrong way to grocery shop, but I’ve found a few tricks to help me shop smart, get the healthiest foods available, and save money as well! Avoiding overly processed foods and altering recipes to include produce that’s in season are a few tricks, but there may be a few things you are overlooking when filling up your grocery cart. These tips will help you stay on the healthy eating track!

Buy Local

Often, the foods in your local supermarket, are not necessarily from your local area. You might live here in NJ, but your strawberries or lettuce have been shipped all the way from California. To ensure you get the freshest produce, find your local farmer’s market or sign up for a CSA. I use Alstede Farms and would be happy to introduce you if you’d like more information. The best part is you’ll be supporting local farmers and eating the tastiest produce available.

Buy a Whole Head of Lettuce

There are times when this solution is necessary, but buying the head of lettuce is more cost effective and fresher. Unfortunately, they can become victims of listeria and E. coli outbreaks. Instead, buy a head of lettuce, wash it yourself and do a simple rough chop. It takes less than 5 minutes.

Source your Animal Proteins Well 

If you’re a meat-eater, it’s important to buy the best sourced animal proteins. For fish, look for wild-caught whenever possible. For beef, grass fed and grass finished is the best. And for poultry, pasture raised is preferred. Want a great recipe using grass fed beef? Check out this article where I’m quoted with 40 other top food bloggers!

Fill your Freezer

You may think that frozen vegetables may not be as healthy as fresh vegetables, but this isn’t true. They’re often flash-frozen at the peak of freshness, and can still pack a nutritional punch into any meal you have on your menu for the week. These are great to have stashed away when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare dinner. Stock up on these when they are on sale – just don’t steam in the bag! Instead, cook them on the stove or move to a microwavable ceramic or glass dish before cooking.

Avoid Long Ingredient Lists

As a general rule, avoid items with a long ingredient list. Stick to 6 or fewer ingredients, and make sure you can picture everything on the list. If no, check for a better, healthier alternative. Buying the ‘original’ version of things is often has a much shorter ingredient list!

Have a Plan 

This might sound obvious, but don’t go shopping without a grocery list. Planning ahead can be time-consuming, but it sets you up for the most successful grocery store trip. It also cuts down on excess items and extra spending. In addition, it reduces the number of times you need to go to the grocery store to grab one more ingredient to prepare your dinner.

Following these tips will help you buy the best foods for you and your family in the smartest way possible. Are you back to your regular grocery shopping habits, or still reducing your trips due to Covid?

UPCOMING RESET

If you’re tired of grocery shopping, prepping, and planning meals, why not take 3 days off?! Get freshly prepared healthy and flavorful soups, made from scratch in small batches, delivered to your door. The Effortless 3-Day Reset provides delicious vegan soups, free of top allergens, with expert coaching and a like-minded community, focused on your success. Open your fridge and know exactly what you are going to eat – no fuss, no mess, and no stress. It’s never been so easy to take care of yourself! Set yourself up with the tools and knowledge for the long-term, and have a plan after the 3 days are over.