Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Shop

How can you make the most of your shopping trip?

At the store

Use the shopping list you created from your menu plan. You may notice that most of the items on the outer aisles of the store are fresh foods, such as meat, produce, and dairy. These items tend to be less processed compared to some of the foods in the center aisles, such as packaged cookies, chips, or soda. As you shop, pay attention to how much you buy from the outer aisles compared to the inner aisles where the processed foods are.

What to buy

When you are selecting items from your list, try to choose foods lower in fat, calories, and/or sodium if possible. For example, when you buy sandwich meat, remember that plain roast turkey or roast beef has much less fat and sodium than processed lunch meat. You can also buy fat-free or low-fat dairy items, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Try to limit drinks with added sugar, such as soda and sweetened iced tea. Instead, try to drink more water or buy sugar-free drinks or drinks with little or no added sugar.

Include some healthy convenience foods on your shopping list for both meals and snacks. These are great to have on hand if you are busy or don't like to cook. You may want to try:

• Bagged, precut vegetables or salad greens that you can either steam to have with dinner or eat raw as a snack.
• Healthy frozen entrees that are lower in fat, calories, and/or sodium. You can use these on days when you don't have time to prepare a meal. Add a salad or fruit and a glass of milk to round out this meal.
• Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit. In small portions, this makes a healthy, satisfying snack.
• Fruits, such as apples, grapes, or oranges, that are ready to eat after you wash them.
• Low-fat string cheese with whole-grain crackers or fruit.
• Individual-size yogurt or applesauce.

Helpful hints

Try to buy just what's on your shopping list as much as possible. Sale items may seem like a good bargain. But if you weren't planning on buying them in the first place, they may not be a good deal.

Portion size is also an important part of healthy eating. Whether you are shopping for yourself or a family, you can buy certain things in bulk. For example, if you buy a large "family pack" of chicken, you can divide it into single-meal portions and freeze them. This is a good way to control how much you eat at each meal and have a quick option available when you don't have time to go to the store.

Keep in mind that if you are shopping for one, not everything is good to buy in bulk quantities. Fresh produce and other perishables in large amounts may not last long enough for one person to eat them all.