A more popular food slogan that has caught on in supermarkets is “Come and Get It.”
It has been used to promote ready-to-eat frozen dinners that have been sped up by microwaving.
The official food pyramid illustrates the correct balance of foods, but in practice, many of us eat too many processed foods and too little fresh produce.
While fast food places like McDonald’s may use advertising and promotions to push unhealthy foods, it’s important to remember that some retailers use food up-selling to encourage you to eat healthy.
Nutritionists recommend that you order your items in the same order that they appear on the store shelf to better preserve the nutritional value of your order.
For example, buy a sandwich or salad from a deli and read the nutrition facts, which will be listed on the label.
Skip the package with the fewest number of calories and the fewest fat grams
As you shop, it’s a good idea to calculate the calories and fat content of all of the items on your shopping list. If your total basket has a large number of calories or fat grams, make it clear to your grocery store clerk to adjust your order for healthier alternatives.
Avoid products on the list that contain ingredients that you do not need. A typical list will include a lot of high-fat foods, including many types of vegetable oils.
But there are also plenty of foods that contain a lot of calories but little fat or sodium. For example, chocolate milk contains no fat but lots of calories.
On the other hand, orange juice and orange juice drinks have nearly no calories. So while you shouldn’t drink a whole glass of orange juice at once, you can drink a small glass or two during the day.
Experiment with foods that contain few or no calories, sodium, and sugars.
It is easier to learn to make substitutions for many of the foods you eat on a regular basis than it is to learn new tastes and new tastes that you have not eaten before.
Before you buy any new food items, try them at least once in the week to make sure you like them.
Buy fewer than you think you will use and buy as much as you can use right away
When shopping for food, remember that a carton of milk is usually less per ounce than a glass of orange juice.
Buy the food item in the package that you think has the most servings for your money.
Many people make a meal that contains a main ingredient and a variety of side dishes.
This can be a challenge to adhere to because most people tend to pick up the ingredients on the list and fill their shopping cart, ignoring those items that are not on the list.
Here are some tips to help you stick to your grocery list:
Check the quantity of any remaining items in your shopping cart when you get home.
Be realistic about how much you can consume in a day or in a week. Some people are not able to eat more than 1,600 calories a day, while others can eat 2,600.
Try to minimize the amount of food you buy and take the time to make food from scratch.
Before you buy anything, add the amount of food you will need to your shopping list and have everything you need for the recipe.
After you have purchased the food that you need, don’t rush to put it into the refrigerator. It is better to leave it in the refrigerator, uncovered, for a few hours so that the food will be cold when you are ready to eat it.
Cook your items from scratch to maximize their nutritional value.
Keep food that is meant to be cooked and refrigerated, such as produce, on the top shelf of your refrigerator.
Limit the number of times that you are tempted to eat foods that are not on your shopping list.
Don’t go shopping if you are hungry. If you can wait, you will have more control of your food choices.
Make it fun to prepare your meals. Have a designated cooking day once a week.
Look at the list of ingredients before you leave the grocery store. If something that you are looking at doesn’t sound good, put it back on the shelf and move on to the next item.
If you are buying ingredients for a recipe, make sure that you have everything on the list or in the recipe.
Wash and drain your fruits and vegetables before you put them in the refrigerator. If you get them too cold, they are not going to taste good.
Don’t eat any food until you’ve checked to make sure that it is properly sealed.
Expect to go shopping three or four times a week, if not every day. After a while, it becomes second nature.
Choose your preferred method of grocery shopping based on your comfort level.
Avoid temptation. When the food store is a short walk away, don’t go when you are hungry or are low on funds.
Learn to make substitutions. When you do not like the taste of a certain food, there are a number of ways to make a suitable substitute.
You can add more or less of a vegetable or use mayonnaise as an ingredient for recipes. It is usually better to make a healthy substitution than to simply buy something and eat it.
Do you have more food shopping tips? Share them in the comments.
