Healthy Food Shopping Guide

When you head to the supermarket there are some simple steps you can take to make sure your avoiding all the processed foods. Most supermarkets have their fresh produce such as fruit and veggies, meats, fish, eggs and dairy products on the peripherals of the supermarket. This is because all of these foods have a short shelf life so they need to be somewhere where they can be easily be moved and removed. It’s these foods that should make up the bulk of your shopping as they are nutrient dense foods.

The foods you should avoid tend to be in the middle of the supermarkets or by the checkouts. Foods such as cereals, biscuits, crisps, crackers and chocolates have very little nutrient value. Because of this they have a very long shelf life.

Some quick tips

1 – Have a shopping list
Don’t go to the supermarket and try and wing it, you will end up with items you don’t need and will spend far too much time wandering up and down the isles. Make a shopping list before you go and stick to it!

2 – Know your supermarket’s layout
Once you get to know where all the healthy nutritious foods are in your supermarket, you should stick to those areas. Avoid isles that you don’t need as they are laden with unhealthy temptations.

3 – Make sure you eat before you shop
If you go to the supermarket hungry, it is almost inevitable you will grab something that is not on your shopping list. And these foods you generally are attracted to tend to be quick, highly processed, sugary foods guaranteed to raise blood sugar levels and slap excess fat onto your body.

4 – Get your food from the farmers market
If you can, avoid the supermarket all together and shop at the local farmers markets. This is possibly your best choice when it comes to getting good quality nutrient dense produce. You will be able to pick up locally grown, organic foods and grass fed meats for reasonable prices.

5- Order your weekly shop online
By ordering your weekly shop online you will take away some of the temptations that you find in the supermarkets, the smell of fresh baked bread straight out of the oven or the bakery section where you will find muffins, cookies, donuts and cakes out on display to try and tempt you.