Making Smart Choices at the Grocery Store

Are you making the right choices when you walk down the aisles of the grocery store? If not, you may be setting yourself up for failure when it comes to healthy eating. Remember, if you don’t have junk food around the house, you’re less likely to eat junk. If all you have is healthy food around the house, you’re forced to make smart choices. So let’s take a look at what you should be stocking your fridge and cabinets with.

Fridge

- Cottage cheese and Yogurt: Mixed with chopped nuts or berries makes a great mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal.

- Chopped walnuts, almonds and pecans: Great source of healthy fats.

- Eggs: One of nature’s richest sources of nutrients and high quality protein.

- Avocados: Great source of healthy fats, fiber and other nutrients.

- Whole grain wraps and whole grain bread: Look for wraps and bread with at least 3-4 grams of fiber per 20 grams of total carbs.

- Leaf Lettuce and Spinach: Salads are a great addition to dinner.

- Homemade salad dressing: Use balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil mixed with your favorite herbs and spices. Store bought salad dressings are very high in sodium and use highly refined soybean oil.

- Fruits: Contain natural sugar but the fiber in most fruits slows down the carbohydrate absorption rate and glycemic response.

Freezer

- Frozen Berries: A great source of antioxidants. Mixes well with protein shakes, smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt and cottage cheese.

- Frozen Veggies: Very high nutrient content compared to the fresh produce.

- Frozen Fish: Try different varieties to get your daily dose of omega 3’s.

- Frozen Chicken: Put individual servings in plastic bags for a quick, convenient dinner option.
Cabinets

- Oatmeal: High in fiber and a great way to start off your day.

- Various Antioxidant Rich Teas: Green, white and chamomile are some of the best.

- Brown rice: Always choose brown over white.

- Black or Kidney Beans: One of the best sources of youth promoting antioxidants.

- Tomato Sauce: Great source of lycopene. Just watch out for brands that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup.

Remember, you always have a choice.