In last month's post Becoming Supermarket Savvy When You're Not Traveling-Part 1 we talked about tips and strategies for more effective label reading as well as how to easily create and stick with a nutrient packed weekly food shopping list. For this month's post, let's cover your best bets within each aisle of your favorite supermarket.
So what are the healthiest choices to make within each aisle?
Most of the healthiest foods are located in the outermost aisles of the supermarket, especially in the fruit and vegetable departments.
Let's start in the produce department. Here's where you really want to fill up your cart with beautiful, interesting and colorful fruits and vegetables. Different colors of fruits and vegetables offer different nutrients, so just by making colorful selections you're automatically increasing your chances of getting a wide variety of healthy nutrients. There are also many varieties of prewashed, precut lettuce and other vegetables available, making it easy to prepare interesting salads and side dishes. Here's where you splurge, because if a variety of pretty, precut vegetables are available at home, your may reconsider eating pre-packaged, processed junk food.
A word on organic fruits and vegetables. One of the greatest differences in organic fruits and vegetables lies in how the food is grown, handled and processed. Because organic foods aren't treated with preservatives and waxes you may find that organic fruits and vegetables spoil more quickly than nonorganic varieties. Organic fruits and vegetables also aren't sprayed with herbicides and pesticides, which leave a residue on the food; something many people want to reduce their exposure to. Organic farming methods are also designed to conserve water and soil while reducing pollution; making organic foods more environmentally friendly. There is a price for these farming practices however. While these methods encourage the growth of fruits and vegetables free from herbicides and pesticides, it often means that the farming method is more labor intensive which increases the price of the food.
If you're interested in shopping organic and there's a limited supply at your local supermarket, here's where you can find local farmers markets, organic foods and community supported agriculture near you.
Now, if you aren't buying organic varieties, here are a few tips. Rinse and gently scrub the skin to reduce the amount of residue or peel the skin and trim the outer layers. This will cut back on anything that accumulated on the surface of the food. Be aware however that many fruits and vegetables have important nutrients found within the skin so peel with discretion. Also, if you're concerned about the price, these choices have been labeled the "dirty dozen" which means they are most affected by herbicides, pesticides and preservatives. If choosing only a few organic options, these are the choices to splurge on: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes.
These fruits and vegetables have been dubbed the "cleanest" choices so if your budget allows for only a few organic choices, opt for the list above and go nonorganic for these choices: onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mango, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papaya.
Speaking of organic, when walking through the meat and poultry aisles, here's the difference between organic and nonorganic meats. Organic meat comes from an animal that hasn't been fed any antibiotics, growth hormones or steroids. These animals eat grass or grain (for chicken) so they grow at a natural rate. Organic meat and poultry also has less fat than conventionally farmed livestock because the animals are given more freedom to move.
So moving beyond organic or nonorganic, how can you make healthier choices in the meat and poultry aisle?
In the meat section opt for leaner cuts of beef and poultry. Choose cuts with less visible fat to decrease your intake of saturated fat. If you are buying ground meat, look closely at the percent of fat (most labels now show the fat content) and buy the leanest version. With fish, choose both fatty (salmon and tuna) and lean varieties. Fatty fish are great sources of omega 3's and white colored varieties (flounder, sole, and halibut) are low in fat and calories. For vegetarians or those trying to decrease their intake of animal protein, bypass this aisle entirely for protein sources coming from tofu, nuts, seeds, etc.
In the dairy section look for words such as "low fat", "non fat", "fat free", "1 percent", "2 percent", and "skim". Consider switching to skim milk, or at least working your way down to 2%, then 1% and then skim. Just some facts-eight ounces of whole milk has 156 calories with more than half of those calories coming from fat. Skim milk has around 92 calories with only 5 of those calories coming from fat.
Eggs, butter, margarine and soy products are often in these aisles so read labels and choose carefully. Watch the fat in your dairy products and look out for added sugar in yogurts, creamers and soymilk.
You can still pick up healthy items in some of the center aisles if you choose carefully. In the grain aisle, try to avoid refined carbohydrates and opt for whole grain and high fiber whenever possible. Choose 100% whole-wheat or sprouted grain bread, high-fiber cereals, whole-grain pasta, brown rice and other fiber rich grains. The closer the grain is to its natural source, the more fiber and nutrients it contains. Beans can also be found in either the grain or canned food aisles. Dry beans require soaking. If this doesn't appeal to you, canned beans are just as nutritious so if you'll eat more beans this way, buy the canned version instead.
In the frozen foods section, you might want to grab a few bags of frozen vegetables or mixed blends (without the added sauces or butter flavoring). Frozen vegetables retain the vitamins and nutrients while being convenient and easy to prepare.
Of course, you may want to add a few sweets and treats to your shopping cart and that's ok. Opt for single serving portions for easier portion control whenever possible. Remember, as difficult as it may be to bypass something in the supermarket, it's easier to walk past an item while it's on the shelf than once it's in your home.
The most important thing to remember is that slow and steady change in the right direction brings lasting results. Just starting with one change from these ideas can create some new, healthy habits your entire family can benefit from as you learn how to become more supermarket savvy!
