Five Things to Consider Before Grocery Shopping

Over the course of my healthy habit journey, I’ve learned five ways to have a successful week. It’s much easier to eat nutritious foods when you have a plan.

1.) Plan your meals in advance
This makes your grocery shopping smoother and faster. Use a list and buy enough ingredients for at least 5 dinner meals (plus enough for leftovers) It can also help cut down on the groceries you don’t need as well as eliminating multiple trips to the grocery store for more ingredients. Use your left overs for a healthy lunch the next day.
2.) Don’t shop hungry
It’s easy to steer off your healthy eating plan when you’re hungry because everything looks appetizing. You may find yourself gravitating towards more junk food verses healthy choices. If you find yourself guilty of this, make sure to have a snack or meal beforehand.
3.) Fill your cart with fruits & vegetables first, then shop the perimeter of the store
The healthiest foods are all along the perimeter! By practicing this every week, I found I cut back on the junk food! After filling the bulk of your cart with fruits & vegetables, shop for lean proteins and other nutrient dense foods.
4.) Analyze your cart at the register
This is a quick, simple checklist to see if you picked the healthiest choices. Take pride in keeping your cart free from any type of processed food. This will help you stick to eating healthy during the week. I’ve found when I don’t bring junk food into the house, I don’t even think about eating it. When it’s in the house, it’s harder to say no.
5.) Stock up on an “emergency” dinner
Let’s face it, we all have days when the last thing we want to do after work is cook. What’s your go-to healthy meal when this happens? Make sure to include this meal in your grocery shopping so you can continue to eat healthy verses opt for take out. What are some of my favorites? Spinach protein shake, veggie omelets or a tuna salad.