5 Tips For Healthier Grocery Shopping

The first step to living a healthy lifestyle is knowing how to shop intelligently. Since your diet makes up 80% of your overall fitness, it’s no wonder that health starts at the grocery store.

Although a lot of people arrive at the grocery store with the best intentions of being healthy when they go shopping, all it takes is seeing the temptation of all of the options available to you and temptations at every corner.

“Markets perform a great public service, but keep in mind they are designed to get you to buy (and, therefore, eat) more food, not less,” says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., MPH, professor of nutrition at New York University

Despite all of the temptations that may catch your eye, it’s entirely possible to make healthy decisions by merely following these nutritional guidelines.

Choose Produce Carefully

One of the most important things that you should start with is choosing produce which packs the most punch. Since not everyone necessarily has the budget to be able to buy all organic everything all of the time, it’s essential to choose fruits and vegetables which carry the most benefits for your health.

Choose fruits and vegetables which are low in the glycemic index, offer plenty of fiber, and have antioxidants. That way you know that when you are spending money on produce, it’s making a serious difference in your overall health.

Avoid Processed Foods

A lot of foods are marketed as being healthy. However, they are secretly highly processed despite what the label may say.

As a general rule of thumb, if you find yourself unable to pronounce or recognize the ingredients, then you should probably put it back on the shelf.

Try to look for foods which are full of mostly ingredients which you are familiar with that are derived from a natural source. That way you know what you’re putting into your body.

Limit Sugar

One of the biggest causes of obesity is a high sugar diet. Unfortunately, a lot of people have no idea how much sugar they’re consuming in the least likely of place.

Sugar is the cause of a variety of health problems. We already mentioned obesity, but it also has a detrimental effect on oral health, resulting in tooth decay and gum infections. It’s important to get your teeth checked regularly with your family dentist englewood (if that’s where you live) to ensure that your teeth are healthy.

From sauces to even some vegetables, you’d be surprised where sugar can lurk. You should familiarize yourself with which foods are the biggest culprits for packing in large amounts of sugar and steer clear if you can help it!

Plenty Of Protein

Although protein is only part of a balanced diet, it’s important to make sure that you have plenty of it. Not only does it keep you healthy and strong, but it makes you feel fuller longer. When you mostly carbohydrates and sugars you’ll find that you get hungry much faster. Therefore, reach for a piece of lean protein next time you’re munchy, and you’ll find it’s much more satiating.

Sam Roberts

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