Planning a trip to the grocery store

Planning a trip to the grocery store

So maybe you just started eating clean or would like help while at the grocery store.  This blog is designed to help guide you in the right directions and help you to make better choices.  Dietitians estimate that 40% of all supermarkets purchases are made on impulse.  Sometimes you'll have to inspect food labels at the store to make the better choices between two items, but all your major buying decisions should be made in advance.  Follow my shopping tips I list below and you will always come out of the store with the proper nutrition and the right fuel for your body.

• Always shop from a list-Shopping list are easy to create by using your meal plan.  From that meal plan you create your grocery list.  Once you have your list stick to it.  According to New York University nutrition professor Marion Nestle, 70% of shoppers bring list into the grocery store but only 10% stick to them.  Don't fall into going with the crowed on this one be the 10%!!
• Don't shop hungry- I'm sure you have heard this before it's nothing new, but NEVER stop at the store while hungry. Eat you almonds and an apple before entering the store.  Also be mindful of your physical and emotional state of mind as well.  If you just got a really bad phone call it's probably not the time to enter the store.  I remember growing up we always stopped after church on Sundays what a bad idea.  Everyone is hungry and it always ended in grabbing a bag of chips and dip for the family to eat on the way home.  Because we knew lunch was always later that day.
• Shop Quickly-Did you know that the grocery store plays slower music for a reason!! It's true they want to keep you as long as possible and in that time they want you to linger and buy more.  Instead with list in hand you can zip in and out.  It also helps for you to shop on off-peek hours when there are no crowds and shorter lines.  This has always been my favorite time to shop.
• Do most of your shopping in the periphery of the store- 80% of the food you will need to eat on a regular basis can be found on the periphery of the store.  Think about it meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits, fish, and lean meats are all found their. 
• Beware of food product marketing- In every square inch of the store, you're being marketed to constantly.  Food companies pay top dollar for the eye level spots on the shelves.  Also what the product is package in is key for food items they go after red, orange, and yellow.  Stick to your plan and don't be pulled in.  They also do so with weight loss gimmicks and clams.
• Eat most foods with one ingredient and no label- 80% of foods you eat daily will come with a label.  If they have a label then they'll usually have only one ingredient, like lean meats, fish, eggs, and whole wheat oatmeal.
• Become an expert label reader- Before eating anything in a box, can, or package read the label carefully.  Put it back if white flour or any forms of refined sugars such as sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup are on the label.  Do the same if the ingredients include trans-fatty acids or chemicals with names you can not pronounce. Also take note of your calories, serving size, and fiber amount.
• Watch for label loopholes- According to food labeling laws, if there's less than a half a gram of fat, the label can say "fat free".  In my eyes when I see "fat free" I see chemical city!!  Same goes with "zero calories" just put it back on the shelve.  Food companies take advantage of those loopholes by shrinking their serving sizes down.  For example a typical nonstick cooking spray will say "calorie free" on the label, but cooking spray is 100% oil.  how do they get away with that.  The serving size is a one-third-of-a-second spray. 
• Resist impulse purchases at the register-Even as you're checking out, you're still being marketed.  Almost every checkout lane has a ton of candy at a arms reach.  And a can of soda to go with it.  My suggestion self check out or put your hands in your pockets. 
• Small list- If you only need lest then a your two hands can carry skip the cart.  I have to say for our family a chart is always a must but if it's just you or you and hubby skip the cart.

I hope this helps you get in and out of the grocery store while trying to eat clean.  Trust me I get it just in the last month my two year old son thinks it's a free for all.  But I'm learning to use those times, as a time to teach my family on nutrition fit for his age.  Everything in moderations does my family still get ice cream once a week yes.  But it's not done 3-4 times a week.  Happy shopping!!