How to grocery shop for health and good tasting food

I often hear from patients that they just can't stand grocery shopping and therefore make poor eating choices because they never have healthy food in the house.

In this post, I will share 6 effective grocery shopping tips for health and happy taste buds.  You will see that you really can get in and out of a market faster than you think. 

1)   Look at your calender to deterimine how many days you will be dining at home

Assess days how many days you will need to cook at the beginning of the week.   This way you can also get an idea of meals that can be stretched for left overs and days you won't need to cook because of a business event or special occasion. You may also want to make a couple of meals or more on 1 day so your done for at least half of the week.

2) Think about what flavors your mouth is in the mood for.

Maybe you are in the mood for Mexican, Mediterranean or would like Asian flavors.  You can easily switch up by using familiar ingredients and changing herbs and spices.

For example, I love to make tacos and have 2 versions, 1 with Mexican inspired and the other full of common by Asian flavors.  I make the Mexican inspired taco by using cilantro and cumin and design the Asian inspired taco by using the basil and mint and using soy sauce (really Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids).  The other ingredient I switch out is lettuce for shredded carrots for the Mexican and Asian, respectively.     

3) Know your health goals

If you are eating low glycemic, vegetarian, Paleo, vegan, etc.... make sure you know what foods and brands will serve your health goals.  You can research substitutions and ingredients on line before going to the market.  This helps move you along more quickly while shopping. 

4) Identify recipes

After you have determined what you want to eat, locate recipes if you don't have them memorized.  (I have posted a bunch of recipes on this blog.  Just search "recipes" from the home page and they will come up.)  

You may want to consider making dishes with similar ingredients which is a great way to save time and money when shopping.  Note any ingredients you need to purchase to make your meals complete.  

5) Make a list and a budget

To stay on track make a list.  It helps to avoid walking around aimlessly at the store.  Include any snack items, need ingredients for recipes or household goods.  You may also want to write down your budget so you don't over spend.

6) Get familiar with the grocery store

I like to zip through the aisles one after another collecting what I need.  It really helps to know where your items are in store to save time.  The more you go, the more you shop.

If you need help with this...

I offer a grocery store tour where we will review how to read food labels, shopping for nutrient dense food, organic versus conventional and more.  Please email me at drlisa@drlisaupshaw.com if interested for additional information.

Well, now you're ready to roll.

Hope you enjoyed!

Blessings...