How to Shop Healthy: Quick Tips on Eating Healthier
We all want to eat healthier—that’s a fact. The problem is finding ways to eat healthy isn’t as clear cut as it seems. Low-fat, low-carb, low cholesterol, how do we know what is the best option? There are many ways we can eat healthier, but knowing a few quick tips can actually steer you closer to a new healthier you. Check out what we found when we took a closer look at shopping with health conscious food in mind.
Fat-free Vs. Fat
Fats bad – right? That is what we have learned over the years. In reality, you need to look a little deeper—in most cases fat-free is actually worse for you. Yes, you read that right., fat-free isn’t the healthier choice 9 times out of 10. Why is that? If you take a look at two exact products—one with the fat-free option and the other that has all the fat you might be surprised.
Sugar and sodium are usually extremely high in the fat-free option (Great examples of this are milk, peanut butter and cookies). Why? Sugar and sodium are calorie free, and add flavor. However, sugar and sodium in large amounts are actually worse for you than fat. Try using the full fat option but control your portion size.
Only Shop in the Outer Aisles
Ninety percent of the foods not in the center of the grocery store are fresh, non-processed foods. Staying clear of the middle of the grocery store means you won’t buy foods that are high in sugar, sodium, fat and chemically processed.
Organic
Did you know if something is labeled organic it might not be 100% organic? If eating organic is important to you and your family make sure it says 100% organic. If not, you could be spending extra money for something that is only 74-95% organic. Reader’s Digest goes into detail about what it means to use an organic label.
Become a Planner
It’s nice to say you’ll make a list—but how many times do you go through with it? Planning out meals is one of the top ways to eat healthier. Try and incorporate your meal planning into a family activity. Everyone can come up with fun recipes and hopefully keep their health in mind as well.
Have you found out quick ways to shop healthier? Let us know your tricks in the comments below.
