A health coaches tips for grocery shopping

What kind of grocery shopper are you? Do you pre plan and buy around your list or do you go on an empty stomach and buy whatever sounds good at the moment? Call me crazy but I personally love grocery shopping. I love finding new brands and healthier options. 

Grocery shopping can be overwhelming for some. I am going to share with you some grocery store tips to help you for your next grocery store trip!

Shop the perimeter

I always recommend staying on the outside perimeter of the store. All the whole foods tends to be on the outside aisles and the middle of the grocery store tends to be the sugar filled processed snacks. 

Buy in bulk to save money

I love costco. Most people complain about how much money they end up spending everytime they do but the price per oz or item tends to cost a lot less. For example, I love Raos pasta sauce, but at the regular grocery store one jar costs about $9. At Costco you get two larger jars for about $12. 

Watch out for marketing

Marketing can get the best of us. You may see certain labels that say “gluten free”, “plant based”, “keto”, just to name a few but this doesn't always mean that it is healthy. Check the other ingredients. The produce may be plant based but they may add extra sugar or other chemicals to make it taste better. 

Check ingredients

If you are purchasing prepackaged foods, always flip to the backside and check the ingredients. Items with a large ingredient list and with ingredients I can't pronounce I tend to stay away from. The less ingredients the better. Plant based milks for example tend to have a lot of added ingredients, mostly ingredients I cannot pronounce. A brand I like is Elmhurst. I love their cashew milk. The only ingredients are cashews and water! 

I always check the added sugar and I check the fiber. I am big on fiber. I try to make sure I have 1g of fiber per 5g of carbs. For example if I find a protein bar with 30g of carbohydrates I try to make sure it has at least 6g of carbs. 

Check the price per oz tag

If you are trying to save money you can see on the grocery store price tag the price per ounce. If you are trying to decide between brands and your concern is saving money see which produce has a cheaper price per oz. 

Shop organic 

As a health coach, I recommend shopping organic! It tends to cost more, but they are more beneficial for you. Organic produce tends to be higher in antioxidants and polyphenols. Conventional tends to have four times more pesticide residue. Conventional farming tends to use technology and synthetic chemicals to yield more crops. Synthetic chemicals target the insects and the weeds. This accumulation of synthetic chemicals in our system can have negative effects.

Most grocery stores have their organic section labeled, but if not a way to know is to look at the barcode on the produce. Organic has a 5 digit code starting with the number 9. Conventional has a 4 digit code with the number 3 or 4.  

Shop at your local health food store

Shopping at your local health food store tends to have healthier options. I find it hard to find healthy options when I go to a regular chain grocery store. Local health food stores tend to have local produce and it is easier to find better for you products. 

Okay which tips are you going to take on your next shopping trip? Ready, set, go!