A big part of a healthier lifestyle begins with what you have at home to eat. When you look in the cabinets, pantry, refrigerator and freezer, what types of foods do you have? If you see mainly processed foods that are quick and easy, chances are it's not the healthiest for you or your family.
The next time you're at the store, pay attention to each department and how they're laid out. Usually, you're walking into the produce department. What a great way to greet you with all of the color! It's not only very inviting, it's one of the most important sections of the store. This should be where you're choosing a bulk of the items to fill your cart. It's recommended that adults consume 1.5-2 cups of fruits per day and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day. Fruits, in particular, are simple, easy, and delicious on-the-go snacks. Some vegetables are pretty portable, too, such as baby carrots, celery sticks, cut up peppers, and grape or cherry tomatoes.
As you round the corner, the next department is the deli. Protein is an important part of any diet, but not all protein is made the same. Deli meats are considered "processed", which is more of a description of how meats are prepared, such as smoked, cured, salted, dried or canned. Many will have added preservatives, which may include salt, sugar or chemical preservatives. This includes cold cuts, hot dogs, sausages/brats, bacon, jerky and canned meats. Not only will they contain beef, turkey, chicken, ham, etc, but also water, broth, modified corn starch, salt, sugar, spices, vinegar, and things like cultured dextrose, sodium phosphates, carrageenan and coloring. One of the best habits you can get into when grocery shopping is label reading! On the front of the package, products are touted as delicious, nutritious and healthy, but the nutrition facts and ingredient list will expose if that is the case. It may be best to limit these types of protein sources in your cart.
Moving to the next department is the meat department. When you think of fresh meats, you think it's just meat. No processing included - no salt, no sugar or sugar derivatives and no preservatives. Turkey is turkey, after all. Well, MOST of the time. For instance, a Butterball turkey does have an ingredient list because it's brined for you before it's packaged, so it contains up to 4% of a solution of water, salt, and spices to enhance tenderness and juiciness. Some of the turkeys out there contain an 8% - 18% solution! Label reading cannot be emphasized enough so you know what you are buying. If you're okay with it after that, that is your choice. And, be assured, there are turkeys available that are just turkey, but you'll have to search for them and pay a bit more.
As for the other meats, steak is steak, chicken is chicken, pork chops are pork chops, and salmon is salmon when purchased fresh. Ground beef you'll have to check out more thoroughly. You may see "minimally processed", along with "natural flavorings" included as an ingredient, the 4th most common ingredient in foods behind water, sugar and salt. The only thing is natural doesn't always mean natural when talking flavorings. According to Scott Christ at Pure Food, natural flavorings are 80-90% chemical solvents and preservatives. The whole label reading concept is really becoming eye opening. Stick to the fresh meats when adding them to your cart as much as you can.
Moving on will be the dairy section with milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, sour cream and more. Cheese and yogurt have a lot of different options, so again, (Yep! You guessed it.) read the labels. Cheese slices may be "made from real milk", along with a long list of other ingredients, while others will be a simple and short list. Generally, the shorter the list, the better!
As far as yogurts, it's more about the added sugars. Flavored yogurt can have as much as 16 g of added sugars (24 g and 36 g is recommended per day for women and men, respectively), while plain has none. The added sugars in non-dairy yogurts will not be much different. Protein level depends on the type, with Greek yogurt at 11-15 g, traditional yogurt 5 g, while non-dairy is <1 g up to 5 g, depending on the milk source. Any high protein yogurts are using a protein additive, such as whey, to reach that 20 g level. Again, before adding them to your cart, check the labels and determine what you are comfortable with for you and your family.
That brings us to the frozen foods section. This section is quite varied, from frozen vegetables, fruits, and juices to whole meals in one. The pre-prepared meals are going to have extra ingredients, such as preservatives and natural flavorings, we wouldn't use at home. That also goes for sauces included on your favorite vegetables. As with the other store sections, the healthier items typically have fewer and simpler ingredients. Frozen fruits and vegetables are great to have on hand when the fresh run out. And, having your favorite frozen food, like pizza or ice cream, is a nice treat on occasion.
All of these departments are typically circling the outside of the grocery store. These are going to be your healthiest options, overall, and should be the bulk of items in your cart.
The last section, which I'm including all in one, are the aisles in the middle of the store. Other than a few select items, these are mostly processed foods. You will find your beans (dried and canned), rice, oatmeal, oils (olive and avocado being the best), olives, canned veggies (like pickles and stewed tomatoes) and nuts in this area, but otherwise, you should really limit your choices from this area. There are some calorie-free condiments, too, such as mustard and many hot sauces, to spice up any meal.
This trip around the grocery store got a little more involved than we were all anticipating, but it is important information to consider if you're wanting healthier foods for you and your family. I mentioned label reading a lot here, but the foods with no labels at all are the best foods out there. This time of year some of your freshest options are at your local farmer's market. You should be able to find vegetables, fruits, meats, whole grain breads and more. Take some time to inventory your kitchen. If you're proud of what's in there, fantastic! If not, hopefully this will help you take some steps toward needed changes and to learn to live and enjoy healthier living.
To learn more about how you can move past the ho-hum attitude and busyness of life, contact Dani to set up a consult.
Sources:
Arnarson, Atli, BSc, PhD. Healthline. Why Processed Meat is Bad For You. June 4, 2017
Christ, Scott. Pure Food. What Are Natural Flavors and Are They Bad for You? 2020
CDC. Only 1 in 10 Adults Get Enough Fruits or Vegetables. November 16, 2017
Walmart.com for the food labels and ingredients.
Comments