Tips for a Healthy Journey Down the Aisles

Waiting in line to pay for your groceries can be a costly experience, not only for your wallet but also your health!

Those last-minute impulse buys like chocolate bars, sugary gum and candy have been known to sabotage even the most organized shopper trying to stock up on healthy fare for themselves and their family.

What many people don’t realize is that the food isn’t randomly laid out in grocery stores, but rather strategically arranged, packaged and displayed in an effort to influence the food you buy.

Knowing how to navigate the aisles can dramatically improve your chances of getting through the checkout with your healthy eating plan intact. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make informed choices to boost your health and spare your wallet:

• Patrol the Perimeter
  It’s not fluke that in virtually any grocery store you enter, the best selection of whole and unprocessed foods are located around the outside aisles. Food staples don’t tend to cost as much as processed foods like cookies and frozen meals, so stores put these in the more convenient middle aisles in hopes you’ll pick up more of them during your shopping trip.
• Resist the Myths
  Slick advertising has managed to convince many people that buying a frozen pizza is a smarter choice than picking up the ingredients to make your own. Block out messages like ‘fresh foods are too expensive’, ‘I don’t have time to make my own’, and ‘I can’t cook anyway so what’s the point?’ No one says you have to do the whole thing yourself from start to finish; for example, picking up a frozen whole-wheat pizza shell and then adding fresh tomatoes, low-fat mozzarella and herbs is a quick and easy way to better control the fat and sodium content and makes this meal a much healthier alternative to the pre-packaged version.
• Colour Your World
  One of the best ways to amp up the healthy side of your grocery cart is to fill it with colourful foods like fruits and vegetables. Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day. Look for orange and deep green produce wherever possible. Don’t forget to wash produce thoroughly.
• Make it Lean
  Although it can be a good source of protein and other nutrients, not all meat is considered equal since it can range from lean prime beef or skinless chicken breasts to fatty cold cuts and breaded fish sticks. Canada’s Food Guide recommends having meat alternatives such as beans, lentils, and tofu often; eating at least two Food Guide servings of fish each week; and selecting lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt.
• Be a Dairy Fairy
  Canada’s Food Guide recommends drinking skim 1%, or 2% milk each day. In fact, it is recommended that you drink 500 mL (2 cups) of milk each day. If you don’t drink milk, you can have fortified soy beverages instead.
• Skip the Snack Aisle
  Unless you have willpower of steel, it’s probably best to skip those tempting cookie and chip aisles all together, as these foods have minimal nutritional value. A much better option is to make tasty treats yourself, when you know exactly what’s in them and can minimize the fat and sugar content. Recipes can often be altered to boost their nutritional value without sacrificing taste, such as using apple sauce in place of vegetable oil and swapping chocolate chips for nuts in a muffin recipe.
• Be a Label-Looker and Plan Ahead
  Get in the habit of reading the Nutrition Facts table to make more informed choices about the nutritional value of foods before you put them in your cart. The table appears in a standard format so it has a consistent look from one product to another, making it easy to find and use. Prepare a detailed shopping list before you hit the store and stick to it while you’re there so you’ll be less likely to grab random things off the nearest strategically placed shelf. Chances are you will not only eat more nutritious foods, but spend less money overall and make the money you do spend go a lot further!

[Source: Tips adapted from Erin Ryder, Knight Ridder news service]

For more tips and information on healthy eating, including Nutrition Labelling and Canada’s Food Guide, visit Health Canada’s website at www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide.