Grocery Shopping Tips

www.prevention.com

If you're anything like me, grocery shopping is not something I thoroughly enjoy... Not only that, but it can be extremely overwhelming with all of the health claims out there.  How can you really be sure you're purchasing healthy products?  Here are a few tips that may make grocery shopping not such a headache:

- At all costs, try to avoid going grocery shopping without a list OR on an empty stomach!  These could lead you to buy everything and anything - mostly unhealthy options and things you don't need.  Before you leave, make a list of the essentials and have a snack to curb your appetite.  An empty stomach at the grocery store can cause unhealthy cravings and lead you to buy high calorie, high fat foods.

- The healthiest, freshest items are always located on the outside perimeters of the store (fresh and frozen produce, refrigerated items, etc).  The middle isles are where most of the pre-packaged, processed items are stocked.  So, if you're thinking healthy, think outside!

- Ingredients are listed by volume with the first ingredient being the highest concentration and the last being the lowest.  Try to stay away from products that have sugar, salt, high-fructose corn syrup and/or saturated oils listed as one of the first & primary ingredients.

- Just because a package says "made with whole grain" or "whole wheat" doesn't necessarily mean that it was made from 100% whole grains.  You must check the ingredient label!  If it says anything like "enriched" or "unbleached" flour, it's not whole grains.  The ingredient label must say "100% whole grain" or "100% whole wheat".

-  I always find it difficult shopping for red meat.  Most have fat content ratios on their labels but also, a good role of thumb to follow is: the darker red the meat, the less fat it contains.

-  Be aware that a product containing 0.5g of Trans Fat can still be labeled as "0 Trans Fat".

- Don't let the words "All Natural" trick you into thinking it's healthy!  "All Natural" can mean a lot of things.  FDA has not set any formal, specific regulations/guidelines to the claim.  As a result, genetically modified and "minimally processed" items can claim that they are "All Natural" (ex. High fructose corn syrup - though glucose to fructose can occur naturally, the chemical conversion of cornstarch should not be considered natural).

- "Made with Organic Ingredients" means that the product contains at least 70% of organic ingredients.  "Organic" means the product contains at least 95% and "100% Organic" means the product contains only organically produced ingredients (other than water and salt). 

-  When it comes to fruits and vegetables, don't let prices steer you away from purchasing them.  Fresh and frozen are, of course, a great option but canned fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious if you know which ones to buy.  Go for canned vegetables that are low-sodium or have no added salt, and fruits that are packaged in either their own natural juices or 100% juice.

What are some health claims on food labels that you have come across that may be confusing, misleading, or questionable?