Being a smart shopper is an important component of living a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to read food labels, having a healthy grocery store route, knowing how to pick produce and when to use a list, are a few tips you can follow for smart shopping.
One might say that real food doesn’t have a label. However, you will notice that even fruits and vegetables have stickers on them. If the produce sticker has a number that starts with a 9 it is organic; if it starts with a 4 it is not. Always inspect the label when you buy packaged foods. Always. Read the nutrition facts and ingredient list. In an ingredient list, the fewer the ingredients, the better. Try to only buy packaged foods with five or less ingredients. If you aren’t sure what an ingredient is, do you really want to eat it? Do a quick internet search on your phone, or simply, put it back on the shelf. Look out for hidden sugars in the ingredient labels. Some common names for sugar include cane juice, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, barley malt, dextrose, fruit juice, maltose, rice syrup, and glucose, among others.
For nutrition facts, check the serving size and how many servings are in the package. How many calories per serving? 40 calories indicates a low calorie food, 100 is moderate, and 400 is high. Look at the amount of nutrients, and consider which nutrients you might try to limit or increase. The “% Daily Value” indicates what percentage of the daily amount that is recommended for that nutrient is in a serving. For example, if there is 20 percent protein in a serving, then based on an average diet, there is 20 percent of how much protein one would eat in a day. The person would have to account for another 80 percent of protein in the foods they choose throughout the remainder of the day to obtain the 100 percent of protein they would ideally consume.
A simple smart shopping tip is to stick to the outside edges of the store. This is where you find the fresh produce in most grocery stores. Stay out of the aisles – that’s where the packaged and processed foods are typically placed. If you must go into the aisles, bring a list.
When it comes to choosing produce, shoppers can make decisions based on their own beliefs and values. Eat the produce rainbow, and choose an assortment of colors of fruits and vegetables for a variety of health benefits. Typically, local and seasonal produce is fresher, near the front of the store, and usually on sale. Plus, local purchases support community members.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts together a handy guide, cleverly called ‘The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15,’ that refers to pesticide use in produce The ‘Dirty Dozen’ are foods grown with higher amounts of pesticide. You should try to buy organic of the following, when possible: strawberries, apples, nectarines, peaches, celery, grapes, cherries, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers.
The ‘Clean 15’ are foods that have ‘low-to- no’ pesticide use: avocados, corn, pineapples, cabbage, sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwi, eggplant, honeydew, grapefruit, cantaloupe, and cauliflower. You can buy conventional, non-organic, versions of these safely. You can download reference materials and more from the EWG website.
Another controversial factor in grocery shopping and selecting produce is the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The EWG notes that “some produce, specifically corn, papaya, and summer squash are made from GMO seedstock. Buy organic varieties of this crop if you want to avoid GMO produce.” And, about 90% of the soy grown in the world is GMO. So, look for GMO-free soy products if you want to avoid all GMOs.
And lastly, to list or not? Creating a grocery list is a great tool for smart shopping. This and meal planning will help avoid temptation from straying from your budget or choosing foods that you really don’t need and that may not be the healthiest options. However, if you have the chance to shop at the farmers’ market, this is a great opportunity to go list free and get creative with your purchases. Choose from what is available, and have fun planning meals.
For more healthy living inspiration, visit LakeCountyBeWell.com.
