If you’re looking for direction to help you make healthy food choices, follow these tips to help you navigate to a healthy diet:
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Plan Ahead - Before setting off to the grocery store it’s a must to plan ahead and have a healthy shopping list. You also want to have your coupons handy. Clipping coupons is another great way to plan ahead.
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Shop Smart - Balance convenience, price and health. Check unit prices to get the better deal just as you would read a food label for the healthiest option. For example, if you’re comparing two kinds of cheese, read the labels and choose the one with less fat and saturated fat.
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Shop the Perimeter - When you start your journey at the grocery store it is best to shop the perimeter of the store. This is where you will find the majority of food staples such as fresh produce, meats, dairy and breads.
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Produce - When buying produce, buy locally and in season for peak freshness and lower cost. Look for color to provide antioxidants and key nutrients such as Vitamins A and C, folate, potassium and dietary fiber.
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Dairy - Dairy provides an excellent source of calcium. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt and cheese.
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Seafood - Try to eat fish at least twice a week and choose high omega 3 sources for heart-health benefits such as salmon, trout, halibut, tuna and barramundi.
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Lean Meat - Try to limit red meat to 12 oz. per week or less. Look for “loin” or “round” in the name for a leaner cut. When purchasing ground beef you want to choose “extra lean” (95 percent) or “lean” (93 percent). Watch out for ground beef that is 85 percent lean as it has five grams of saturated fat, which is a quarter of a day’s serving!
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Short Cut the Aisles - Don’t forget the pasta, bread and cereal aisles. This is where we get our good whole grains (look for the 100 percent whole grain stamp) and fiber.
Happy, healthy shopping! For more information about Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services, call 972.560.2655 or click here.