Grocery shopping after switching to a healthy lifestyle can be a bit scary since you don't know which products fit your new diet and which to avoid. So, we offer you this guide to make it easier for you. After that, you'll gain experience in knowing the foods that suit you, because there are many healthy products that fit all markets.
Before you go
Write down what you need before going to the grocery store to help avoid distraction, and arrange them by priority. This makes it easier and more focused. If you don't know how to write such a list, read the next lines.
How to create a healthy grocery list
A grocery list is important for shoppers. Many studies show shopping lists have a strong psychological effect on buyers and help them decide faster. But what healthy foods should be on the list? For example, vegetables, fruits, protein sources like eggs, fish, nuts, beans, and seeds like chia, flax, sesame, and pumpkin.
It's best to split the list this way so you don't forget anything:
- Fruits: berries, apples, grapefruit, grapes, mango.
- Non-starchy veggies: broccoli, celery, onion, spinach, peppers, zucchini.
- Starchy veggies: sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash.
- Beans and grains: chickpeas, brown rice, black beans, quinoa.
- Protein: meat, ground beef, chicken, salmon, eggs, red kidney beans.
- Frozen foods: frozen berries, frozen spinach.
- Nuts and seeds: roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts.
- Dairy and alternatives: cashew milk, coconut milk, fat-free feta cheese, Greek yogurt.
- Spices: olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, canned sauce, olives.
- Supplements: ground fenugreek, dark chocolate, dried banana flakes, shredded coconut.
You don't have to write the exact same items. You can swap them for what suits you. We're just giving examples.
Weekly menu planning
You can write down the ingredients you'll need to cook next week's meals if that makes it easier for you. If you're used to eating out, try to prepare some items that don’t require cooking. At first, it might be hard to cook meals, but don’t worry, this will become part of your daily routine after a while.
What you should store in your kitchen
If you're not used to going to the store often, you should keep some items that don’t spoil quickly. These can save you as snacks. Such foods include frozen veggies and fruits. You can keep the following foods for a long time:
- Nuts, seeds, and almond butter: pistachios, cashews, almonds, and natural almond butter. You should know some types of nut butters need to be refrigerated, as does flour.
- Oils: olive oil, coconut oil.
- Grains: quinoa, oats, brown rice, pasta.
- Unsweetened dried fruits: dried mango, raisins, dates, dried cherries.
- Spices: garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, curry, paprika, cinnamon.
- Canned beans: chickpeas, red beans, lentils.
- Canned tuna and salmon: tuna and salmon fish.
- Baking products: baking powder, baking soda, honey, vanilla powder, cocoa.
- Snacks: banana chips, tortilla chips, chocolate-covered almonds.
At the grocery store
There are some steps you should take when you lose focus and want to buy something not on the list, they are:
- Buy foods that have nutritional value.
- Avoid foods that are labeled as healthy.
- Read the nutrition label.
Unfortunately, grocery stores are always designed to encourage you to buy products you don't need, and soda drinks, so try not to focus on the offers and ads in the store.
How to read the nutrition label
Not every product labeled healthy should be considered healthy. Also, not all packaged foods are unhealthy. You need to learn to read the nutrition info on every product. If the product has high amounts of oils, sweeteners, or refined grains, you should avoid it because it's not healthy. Avoid foods with large amounts of added sugar because it raises your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.
For example, ready-made latte drinks will shock you when you see they contain nearly 31 grams of sugar, which is 8 spoons of added sugar. Some companies label their products as organic or gluten-free to make you think they're healthy. There are granola or breakfast cereals labeled healthy but they actually have large amounts of added sugar.
You don't have to feel stressed when you rearrange your needs to live healthier. If it's hard, you can ask one of the Fitness Garage trainers to help organize your life in a healthy way. And don't forget to follow the Facebook group, because many girls help each other stick to a healthy lifestyle.
