Tips for Smarter Grocery Shopping
Do you struggle with overdoing it when grocery shopping? Here are 5 tips and tricks for optimal, more efficient grocery shopping to set yourself up for success in the kitchen so you can attain your nutrition goals.
Leave Home with a List
Going grocery shopping prepared is imperative to keeping the things out of your cart that don’t deserve the space. Having a list of things written out to keep you from getting distracted by the “maybe I need this” or the “oh that looks good”.
Take time to write down what you need for your meals and snacks for the week, and stick to it.
Shop the Perimeter
Skip the isles and stick to the circumference of the grocery store. The perimeter traditionally consists of products that need temperature regulation to stay fresh, which in turn tells you that the product is fresh, whole, and more natural.
Things found in the aisles typically use numerous preservatives and unnatural processing to keep the integrity of the product for the longest period of time.
Do Not Shop Hungry
When you shop hungry, you’re likely to buy more and different foods than you intend. You’re rushed, you’re hangry, and everything looks good!
This causes an increase in money spent, and a decrease in the quality of food bought. Save yourself the time, stress, and money, and shop when you’re in the right headspace.
Check the Nutrition Label
A product’s ingredient label specifies what is in that product from most abundantly present to least.
If the first 5 ingredients listed are not naturally found in nature, you cannot pronounce the words themselves, or you don’t even recognize the ingredient, then your body won’t recognize it either.
It’s best to set these aside, and focus on whole, natural products.
Avoid the Marketing Mayhem
Companies pay extra for their products to be displayed at eye-level, showcased at the end-caps of the aisles, featured in the front of the store, etc. The Center for Science in the Public Interest breaks this entire process down further to explain the who, how, and why behind it all in their document “RIGGED: Supermarket Shelves for Sale”.
Don’t be fooled by the marketing mongrels. Stick to your list and stray away from the advertisement trickery.