When you’re trying to eat healthy, navigating your way through the grocery store can be quite a feat. From preparing a grocery list to reading ingredients labels, arming yourself with a few healthy grocery shopping tips can do wonders for your waistline and your wallet.
Wondering how you can be a better shopper, what you should get for groceries and how you can save money at the supermarket? Keep reading for a few of my top healthy shopping tips to make your next trip to the grocery store a breeze.
Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips
1. Come Prepared
Successful grocery shopping should start before you even get to the store.
Take a look in your fridge to see what you already have, plan out a few healthy meals for the week and head to the store with a shopping list in hand.
Not only can this be incredibly beneficial for your wallet, but it can also keep your waistline in check as well by keeping you from buying unhealthy foods that you don’t really need.
It’s also important to go to the grocery store after you’ve had a meal or snack to help curb cravings while you’re browsing the aisles.
Feeling hungry when you’re food shopping can fuel unhealthy choices and cause you to buy more than you really need, leading to wasted food and money.
2. Stick to the Perimeter of the Store
Oftentimes, the healthiest options are actually found on the outside of the grocery store.
Produce, meat and dairy, for example, are all found on the perimeter of the store while pre-packaged, convenience foods are generally located somewhere in the middle.
Spending the majority of your time on the outside of the store can ensure you’re filling your cart mostly with whole foods rich in nutrients rather than processed junk.
3. Check the Ingredients Label
Many processed products are marketed as “healthy” or “good-for-you” by food manufacturers, regardless of whether or not it’s actually true.
With terms like “natural,” “low-calorie,” or “light” being constantly thrown around, it can be nearly impossible to understand what you should be adding to your cart if you’re trying to eat healthy.
One of the most important grocery shopping tips is to simply start checking the labels of the foods that you’re buying.
Look for products with minimal ingredients and limit your consumption of foods with fillers, additives and chemicals.
As a basic rule of thumb, if you don’t recognize the ingredient as something you may have in your kitchen, you’re probably better off without it.
The order of ingredients is also important, as ingredients are placed in order based on the amount present on the food label.
In particular, if sugar (or one of its many names, such as sucrose, corn syrup, maltodextrin, etc) is found within the first three ingredients listed, then you’ll probably want to steer clear and pick a healthier alternative.
4. Stock up on the Basics
Keeping a few simple staples on hand is one of the best ways to save money on groceries while also minimizing the amount of time you’re spending at the store.
Stocking up on basics in bulk—preferably while they’re on sale—can not only save you time and money, but it can also make meal prep a breeze.
With basics like grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and spices ready to go in your kitchen, you can easily mix and match your favorite ingredients to whip up a well-balanced meal in a pinch.
You can also focus your weekly grocery shopping trips on items with a shorter shelf-life, like fruits, veggies and proteins.
5. Buy What You Need
One of the easiest and most effective ways to save money on groceries and cut back on food waste is to stick to ingredients that you actually plan to use during the week.
It can be easy to go overboard and fill your cart with tons of healthy foods, but it’s important to stop and ask yourself if you’re actually going to be able to use it all.
Planning out your meals throughout the week is a good place to start, but also takes a bit of trial and error to find a balance between getting too much and not getting enough.
One of my favorite smart grocery shopping tips is to make one big haul during the week, which is when I’ll buy the majority of my fruits and veggies, plus any other ingredients I might be running low on.
Later on during the week, I might make a quick stop at the store once or twice if I want something extra that I plan to use for a specific meal, or if I forgot anything on my first trip.
Sample Grocery List
Hands down, one of the best ways to save money on food is by drafting up a grocery list before you hit the store.
Check out this sample grocery list with some ideas for which foods to add to your grocery list.
Then, adapt it to fit your own personal preferences and use it with the healthy grocery shopping tips above to get started!
- Fruits: apples, bananas, blueberries, grapes, grapefruit, limes, lemons, melons, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, strawberries, etc.
- Vegetables: arugula, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, kale, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc.
- Protein Foods: tempeh, tofu, eggs, poultry, seafood, red meat
- Grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, couscous, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, spelt
- Legumes: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans, etc.
- Nuts: almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
- Seeds: chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Dairy Products: milk, butter, yogurt, cheese
- Healthy Fats: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil
Conclusion
Using these simple grocery shopping tips to save money and time can also have a huge impact on your health.
Prioritizing healthy whole foods over ingredients that have been heavily processed or refined is a simple strategy that can have long-lasting effects, which can range from increased energy levels to protection against chronic disease.
Try making a few minor modifications to your routine to give your health an upgrade, starting right at the grocery store.
