The Definitive Guide to Healthy Grocery Shopping

As a dietitian, I'm well apprehensive that grocery shopping can be an intimidating and inviting experience for numerous people. For illustration, numerous of my cases do n’t know where to begin when in the grocery store and are n’t sure which foods to add to their wain.

Plus, with putatively endless food choices available — hourly in deceiving packaging — it can be hard to determine which foods are truly healthy and which bones

are better left on the shelves.

In this composition, I explain the basics of healthy grocery shopping, including how to choose nutritional foods, produce a smart shopping list, and stock over so you can grocery shop less frequently.

Before you go

While some people can go grocery shopping without a list or an idea of which refections they ’ll chef during the coming week, utmost people need some kind of a plan.

Bringing along a grocery list or a daily menu is a good idea if you get fluently side- tracked in the store or do n’t know where to begin.

Creating a healthy shopping list

A grocery list is an essential tool for numerous shoppers. It can help you stay on task and remind you of the particulars you need. Plus, studies show that grocery lists may help you make healthier choices while shopping( 1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

But what does a “ healthy ” grocery shopping list include?

Generally, a healthy, well- rounded diet should primarily comprise whole, nutrient- thick foods. I ’m talking about foods similar as veggies, fruits, protein sources like fish and eggs, sap, nuts, and seeds. These are foods to prioritize on your list.

When creating your shopping list, it can be helpful to break it into sections, similar as nonstarchy and stiff vegetables, fruits, sap and grains, nuts and seeds, proteins, firmed foods, dairy and nondairy backups, drinks, seasonings, and eclectic particulars.

Here’s an example of what a healthy grocery list might include:

Fruits: apples, blueberries, clementines, grapefruits, and avocados
Nonstarchy vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, onions, spinach, peppers, and zucchini
Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, baby red potatoes, and butternut squash
Beans and grains: chickpeas, brown rice, black beans, and quinoa
Proteins: eggs, canned salmon, skin-on chicken breast, and pea protein powder
Frozen foods: frozen mixed berries and frozen kale
Nuts and seeds: roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, and natural peanut butter
Dairy and nondairy substitutes: cashew milk, coconut milk, feta cheese, and full fat Greek yogurt
Condiments: olives, sun-dried tomatoes, salad dressing, olive oil, pesto, and salsa
Drinks: unsweetened coconut water and sparkling water
Miscellaneous: ground coffee, dried fruit, dark chocolate, banana plantain chips, and shredded unsweetened coconut

You won’t have to purchase shelf-stable items like peanut butter, protein powder, and bulk grains every grocery trip. I cover how to stock your kitchen with long-lasting items further down this article.

How to stock your kitchen like a pro

Still, grazing your kitchen with nonperishable and frozen foods is crucial, If you are n’t a addict of frequent grocery store passages. This can help you prepare nutritional refections and snacks indeed when you ’re running low on fresh foods.

It’s important to check your closets, closet, fridge, and freezer to take force of what you need before going shopping. This can cut down on food waste and insure that you ’ve got the constituents demanded to prepare healthy refections( 3Trusted Source).

You ’ll need to buy fresh particulars like fresh fruits, veggies, dairy products, and other perishables more frequently. Meanwhile, nonperishable goods and foods that can be firmed can be bought less frequently.

Then are some ideas of long- lasting masses you can keep in your closet and freezer

Pantry

Nuts, seeds, and nut butter: pistachios, cashews, almonds, and natural almond butter

Keep in mind that some types of natural nut butters need to be refrigerated after opening. Nuts and nut-based flours should ideally be kept in the freezer long term to keep them fresh.

Oils: olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil
Grains: quinoa, brown rice, oats, buckwheat, and brown rice pasta
Unsweetened dried fruit: dried mango, raisins, dates, and dried cherries
Spices: garlic powder, turmeric, curry powder, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon
Canned and dried beans: black beans, chickpeas, and lentils
Canned tuna and salmon: Wild Planet canned tuna and salmon
Baking goods and sweeteners: baking powder, baking soda, honey, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and flour blends

For long-term storage, keep flour in the freezer.

Shelf-stable milk substitutes: coconut milk, oat milk, and Elmhurst cashew milk
Sauces, dressings, and condiments: unsweetened marinara sauce, Primal Kitchen salad dressing and mayo, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and hot sauce
Snack foods: banana plantain chips, trail mix, tortilla chips, and chocolate-covered almonds
Long-lasting produce: sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, butternut squash, and garlic
Miscellaneous: unsweetened dried coconut, dark chocolate chips, pea protein powder, coffee, chicken and vegetable broth, and coconut water

Freezer

Protein sources: chicken, ground turkey, chicken sausages, and wild-caught salmon
Frozen fruits and veggies: cherries, berries, mango, spinach, edamame, broccoli, peas, and riced cauliflower
Bread: Ezekiel bread and sourdough
Nuts, flours, and grain-free flours: for long-term storage, store flour, nuts, and nut-based flour in the freezer

· With a well-stocked kitchen, your bases will be covered, and you won’t have to stress about buying groceries as often. Just make sure you check your inventory before you go shopping to avoid purchasing items you already hav

Summary

Keeping long-lasting items like canned beans and frozen fruit in your pantry and freezer can help cut back on grocery trips and ensure that you always have ingredients on hand to make a healthy meal or snack.

At the store

Now that you know how to properly prepare for grocery shopping and stock your kitchen, let’s talk about healthy grocery shopping.

Ideally, you’ll want to focus on the following when grocery shopping:

purchasing mainly whole, nutrient-dense foods
shopping off of your list or weekly meal plan
avoiding purchasing foods solely based on the packaging
reading the nutrition labels and ingredient lists of packaged foods
sticking to your plan and trying to avoid impulse purchases

Unfortunately, utmost grocery stores aren't designed to encourage healthy eating. rather, they ’re laid out to nudge you to buy certain particulars and these aren't always healthy.

For illustration, grocery stores tend to offer deals on and produce displays ofultra-processed products like meliorated snack foods and soft drinks. You ’ll frequently find these at the end of aisles and checkout counters( 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

still, you ’re less likely to get detracted by deals and displays, If you have a plan. Simply make a point to stick to your shopping list.

Eventually, trying to only grocery shop when you ’re not empty may help you avoid making impulse purchases.

How to navigate grocery aisles

Perimeter shopping — or fastening on buying foods located on the external edges of grocery stores — can help you make healthier choices, as fresh fruits, veggies, proteins, and other perishables are frequently set up there.

Still, you can find numerous healthy choices in the center aisles, including bulk grains, nuts, seeds, nut flannel

, canned foods, seasonings, and firmed foods.

Just because an aisle features some largely reused food choices, you do n’t need to avoid the entire aisle. occasionally, aisles contain a blend of nutritional and largely refined food choices. For illustration, a snack- food aisle could offer nuts and seeds along with chips and eyefuls.

launch by filling your wain along the border of the store with fruits, veggies, proteins, and other perishable particulars on your list. also, move into the inner aisles for particulars like nuts, whole grains, and canned goods.

How to read labels

Just because an point is packaged, it’s not inescapably unhealthy. Still, it’s a good idea to read the component markers and check the nutrition data of packaged particulars.

Indeed though unhealthy, largely reused foods generally have a long list of constituents, the same can be said for certain nutritional packaged foods. therefore, it’s important to take a look at the component marker before you decide whether to buy an point or leave it on the shelf.

still, meliorated grains, or largely reused oil painting, If the first many constituents are a type of sweetener.

I pay the utmost attention to the added sugar content of a food point. Consuming too important added sugar can harm your overall health and increase the threat of conditions like heart complaint, internal health diseases, and type 2 diabetes.

For illustration, I lately noticed a premade chai latte product at the grocery store. I was shocked to see that it contained a whopping 31 grams, or nearly 8 ladles, of added sugar per 3/ 4- mug( 180- mL) serving.

While the packaging mentioned words like “ organic ” and “ gluten-free ” to make you suppose it could be healthy, sugar saccharinity was listed second on the component list.

When you ’re shopping for particulars that generally contain some added sugar, like granola or cereal, a good tip is to conclude for products that contain lower than 6 grams(1.5 ladles) of added sugar per serving.

Reading markers can be confusing. For a detailed companion to reading nutrition markers, check out this composition.

What a healthy grocery shopping cart may look like

Everyone has different dietary needs, but in general, a healthy grocery shopping trip means a cart filled with nutrient-dense foods.

Here’s an example of what a healthy grocery cart could contain:

Nonstarchy vegetables: cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, sweet peppers, onions, garlic, bell peppers, greens, leeks, and mushrooms
Fruits: oranges, bananas, apples, grapefruit, lemons, blueberries, pineapple, and avocados
Proteins: eggs, fish, chicken, ground turkey, and tofu
Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, potatoes, and winter squash
Grains and legumes: quinoa, oats, brown rice, dried black beans, buckwheat, red lentils, barley, and farro
Nuts, seeds, and nut butter: pumpkin seeds, macadamia nuts, almonds, and natural peanut butter
Canned foods: canned salmon, sardines, canned beans, canned pumpkin puree, diced tomatoes, and marinara sauce
Oils and condiments: olive oil, salad dressing, avocado oil, salsa, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, dried spices, honey, and maple syrup
Dairy and nondairy products: full fat Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, goat cheese, cashew milk, and coconut yogurt
Snack foods: dark chocolate chips, trail mix, unsweetened dried fruit, and hummus
Frozen foods: frozen raspberries, frozen shrimp, frozen kale, and Ezekiel bread
Beverages: unsweetened seltzer, herbal tea bags, and ground coffee

This list is not exhaustive or definite, but it can act as a general guide for shopping trips.

Unfortunately, utmost grocery stores aren't designed to encourage healthy eating. rather, they ’re laid out to nudge you to buy certain particulars and these aren't always healthy.

still, you ’re less likely to get detracted by deals and displays, If you have a plan. Simply make a point to stick to your shopping list.

Eventually, trying to only grocery shop when you ’re not empty may help you avoid making impulse purchases.

How to navigate grocery aisles

Still, you can find numerous healthy choices in the center aisles, including bulk grains, nuts, seeds, nut flannel

, canned foods, seasonings, and firmed foods.

How to read Labels

Just because an point is packaged, it’s not inescapably unhealthy. Still, it’s a good idea to read the component markers and check the nutrition data of packaged particulars.

still, meliorated grains, or largely reused oil painting, If the first many constituents are a type of sweetener.

While the packaging mentioned words like “ organic ” and “ gluten-free ” to make you suppose it could be healthy, sugar saccharinity was listed second on the component list.

Reading markers can be confusing. For a detailed companion to reading nutrition markers, check out this composition.

The bottom line

Grocery shopping doesn’t have to be stressful.

Making a list or meal plan, taking inventory of your kitchen, and stocking your freezer and pantry with long-lasting staples can make your shopping trips easier and more enjoyable.

Try using some of the tips covered in this article and before you know it, you’ll be a healthy grocery shopping pro.