A Man's Guide To Grocery Shopping

A Man's Guide To Grocery Shopping

Most of us who live on our own struggle between the battle of eating healthy and snacking on unhealthy foods - even though we know that these foods are not good for us, we still snack on them because of convenience. The same situation applies when we enter the grocery store. When shopping, we go up and down every isle grabbing what is tasty instead of what is nutritious. Instead of falling into this trap, we are going to give you some helpful pointers for grocery shopping.

Never Go When Hungry
Men love leaving everything to the last minute and eating is no exception. When they are hungry they look in the fridge and notice that the only thing left is a carton of milk that expired three weeks ago. Only then will they realize that they better head straight for the grocery store to buy something to fill the fridge. Once they arrive, they head for the items that they can snack on right away. Furthermore, these guys don't care about the nutritional value contained in any of the foods and don't make healthy decisions when buying the rest of their groceries.

If you are hungry, try to snack on a piece of fruit or drink a cup or two of water to fill you up. This will curb your appetite and allow you to make better decisions when you are grocery shopping.

Use a Basket
By using a basket instead of a cart, you will cut down the time that you are in the grocery store, you will limit the amount of junk that you get, and it will speed up your trip by allowing you to go through the express line.

Fruits and Vegetables First
When you get to the store, make sure you purchase your fruits and vegetables first. If you get your essential fruits and vegetables first you will tend not to purchase as many snacks because your will not have room for them or they will be out of the budget. Shopping using a basket also makes you get only what is required and if you buy fruits and vegetables, you will not buy an excess of one item, therefore there will be no extra items to spoil or go rotten.

Skip the Snacks
The pop isle and the candy isle are the two isles that contribute the most to your unhealthy lifestyle. When going up and down every row, try to skip these two isles. We know it's hard, but you have to try!

Read Labels
In North America, the ingredient listing on the boxes and bottles of all products are listed in the order of content. The first item on the list is the most abundant while the last item on the list is the least abundant. When reading labels, look for excess sugars that may contained in some foods. Also stay away from items that are processed since they contain added salt and extra fat.

When selecting products watch for the wording on labels since they don't necessarily mean what they say. Here is a listing of claims that some products make and what they actually mean:

Fat-Free - Contains no more than 0.5 g. of fat per serving.
Low Fat - Contains no more than 3 g. of fat per serving.

Reduced in Fat - Contains at least 25% less fat and no increase in calories.

Cholesterol-Free - Contains no more than 3 mg. of cholesterol per 100 g., no more than 2 g. saturated fat per serving or no more than 15% total calories from saturated fat. Caution, this food may still be high in TOTAL fat.

Low Cholesterol - Contains no more than 20 mg. of cholesterol per 100 g., no more than 2 g. saturated fat per serving or no more than 15% total calories from saturated fat. May still be high in TOTAL fat.

Calorie-Reduced - Contains at least 50% fewer calories than the regular product.

Light / Lite - The reason for labeling the product "light" must be indicated. It may be light in salt, sugar, fat, or light in texture or flavor. It may not always be reduced in calories or fat!

Dairy Products
Choose dairy products that are lower in fat. If possible choose skim milk or two percent milk over whole milk. You should also stay away from chocolate milks since they have extra sugar. Finally, you should choose butter over margarine since it contains less cholesterol and is low in trans fat (Trans fat increases blood cholesterol levels and may make blood platelets stickier).

Meats
When purchasing steaks, stick to flanks or rounds. These meats contain less fat than the other alternatives. When buying chicken, purchase skinless chicken breasts over legs and thighs. Also note that fish is also healthy and provides you with extra Omega 3 fats which are good for you.

Breads
When selecting breads, purchase whole grain instead of whites. Not only are these better for you but they also give you essential nutrients that are better for your body.

Drinks
When buying drinks, stay away from items that contain sugar. Pop is one culprit but juice is also another. Though juices may seem healthy, juices contain large amounts of sugar which can affect blood sugar levels. In the end the best alternative is water.

The only way to limit what you buy and make sure that you only purchase healthy items is to shop with a shopping list. A shopping list prevents you from purchasing unwanted items. Keep the list short and sweet and only purchase the essentials. Finally make sure that you list the fruits and vegetables first.