Grocery shopping tips
Follow these general rules for grocery shopping. Remember, a little bit of planning will go a long way when trying to stick to a healthy diet.
- Produce Section: Choose fresh, whole organic produce whenever possible. Fruits and vegetables from all parts of the color spectrum should make up most of your grocery items.
- Canned/Packaged Foods: Choose no- or low-sodium canned and packaged foods. Stay away from processed or pre packaged foods like crackers, chips, and baked goods.
- Grains, Breads, Cereals and Legumes: Choose products made of whole, intact grains, not white or whole wheat-flour products. Stock up on healthy, inexpensive staples like dried beans and lentils.
- Dairy/Refrigerator Case/Frozen Foods: Avoid anything with carrageenan (which may be irritating to the digestive tract), choose low- or non-fat dairy products without a lot of added sugar, and choose frozen foods that are organic. Avoid frozen meals that are high in sodium, and instead opt for healthier protein sources such as frozen edamame, omega-3 enriched eggs and fresh tofu.
- Meat/Seafood/Fish: Choose fresh or frozen to widen your selection, and focus on seafood. When buying salmon, always opt for wild-caught Alaskan varieties. As opposed to traditional, grain-fed livestock, meat that comes from animals fed grass also contains anti-inflammatory omega-3s, but in lower concentrations than coldwater fish.
- Healthy Fats: Choose unsalted or low-salt varieties of nuts and seeds that are raw or dry roasted (store seeds in the freezer for freshness) and always choose a high quality extra virgin olive oil or organic, expeller-pressed canola oil for cooking and baking. Avoid pro-inflammatory oils such as safflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, Margarine, partially hydrogenated oils, and shorting.