One of the main components of healthy living – allowing people to lose weight, prevent illness, increase energy, and reduce the risk of mood disorders – is decision-making at the grocery store. Before you can make the right choices, though, you need to know what the healthiest choices actually are.
These tips from David C. Dugdale, III, MD, of the University of Washington offer the basics on healthy decisions at the grocery store so that you can prepare yourself for eating right.
Care at the grocery
Getting a surplus of food, as is common when shopping at box stores, “can lead to overeating,” said Dugdale, who further advised, “If you do buy large amounts of a food, divide it into smaller portion sizes and store what you will not use right away.”
Note furthermore that organic, non-GMO options are best; also, locally grown produce is preferable so that what you eat has retained all of its nutrients.
Healthy meals can be composed as follows:
Meat, eggs & dairy
The following protein sources are best:
· Turkey or chicken (particularly without their skin)
· Bison, pork, or beef with smaller amounts of fat (as with tenderloin and ground round)
· Salmon, cod, or haddock
· Egg whites and low-fat dairy (although limit these since eating non-whole versions of foods limits the digestive enzymes
· Beans and lentils.
Fruits & vegetables
For healthy living, get these fresh whenever you can. Especially avoid ones that are in packaging with added corn syrup or preservatives. Consider the following:
· Apples typically contain about 70 cal.
· A cup of carrots contains 45 cal.
· A cup of cantaloupe contains 55 cal.
· If you are going to buy canned fruit, choose one that contains juice or water rather than additional sugars.
Grains
The main element you want to remember with grains is that you want them whole:
· Whole-grain bread
· Cereals that contain at least 4 g of fiber in each serving
· Whole-wheat or brown rice pasta.
Eating right is also about moderation in this category. Grains contain ample amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, inflammatory compounds that can exacerbate pain conditions.
Expert advice & treatment
“Look for 100% fruit juice and whole food items,” said Dugdale. “Choose foods with no extra sugar or salt and as few additives as possible.”
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