We all have healthy food choices at convenient, local markets...fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats, legumes, nuts, and seeds. With Jim Ayres shopping list and meal plans, it's easy to plan ahead and make it to the checkout stand without empty impulse items full of unhealthy fat, sugar, starch, and salt. Here's how to navigate the store.Shop the perimeter. Most markets layouts have meats, produce, and dairy around the edges of the store. Most processed, empty foods are located in the center and next the checkout. You're looking for foods that are nearest to the way they looked when they came out of the ground. The whole grains are about the only thing you need to look for in the center parts of the store.
Stay loyal to the same store(s). Once you're familiar with the layout, you'll shop more quickly and avoid temptations more easily.
Make a list. Use Jim's suggested list, then avoid picking up items not on your list. If you have impulse items around the house and you ever miss a snack or a meal, your cravings will kick in. And those foodless foods will jump out at you. If you're buying treats for other family members, store them out of sight.
Avoid shopping when you're hungry. You know what happens. Everything not on your list looks extra tempting...especially the empty, sugary, salty, fatty things. Advertisers and marketers have programmed us to go straight to the treats whenever our body chemicals signal hunger.
Check the labels. Don't be fooled by label that says "fat-free," "lite," or "low-fat." When you check ingredients, you'll see unpronounceable ingredients that can sabotage the shopper who doesn't check. If some form of sugar is one of the first two ingredients, that's a clue that it's unhealthy.
In addition to ingredients, check Nutrition Facts for percentage of calories from fat (you want it low), trans fat (you don't want any), protein and carbs (you want them as close to each other as possible in a meal or snack), sodium (you want it to be a small percentage of the suggested daily value), and fiber (you want it high...between 25 and 40g/day).
You only have to check the labels once to identify the healthiest brand. It will set you up for quicker shopping from then on. Check the labels of foods you have at home and decide which ones to switch for a more healthy choice.
Enjoy both fresh and frozen. Buy fresh in season as much as you can. Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at peak harvest time so their nutritional value could actually be better than fresh produce that has been in shipping and warehouses for awhile.
Get to know your butcher. Ask for what's fresh that day. A fresh cut will taste better with less seasoning (sodium).
Many ideas for this and the other articles in this series were gathered from suggestions by Kathy Smith, a well-known fitness icon who has led the charge for exercising, losing weight, and eating healthy for over 30 years.
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