5 Tips on How to Grocery Shop for Clean Eating

Having a cleaner diet seems to be on the minds and list of goals for many modern families. I know that, for my family, this has meant a gradual change over the past year in how I do our grocery shopping.  I have read many books on the subject of nutrition, and would like to share the most important things I have learned about grocery shopping and eating a cleaner, healthier diet;

1.       When you go grocery shopping, avoid the middle part of the store, stick to the outer regions. I have noticed that pretty much every store is arranged the same way; the meat, produce and dairy are always on the outer walls. That is where you want to do the bulk of your shopping. Stock your cart with fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and low fat dairy products, you will find very few heavily processed foods in those sections, so you won’t be tempted to buy junk food.  When you're in the produce section, try to buy at least 2-3 different colors of produce each day. The more colors, the more broad of spectrum the vitamins and nutrients will be. Walk in with a list and a plan.  Avoid the junk food areas, out of sight, out of mind.

2.       Try to only buy items that have five or fewer ingredients. Have you ever read the ingredients labels on high-processed foods? Sakes! I can’t even pronounce most of the words! Manufacturers are constantly coming up with new ways to make food taste better and last longer, which typically means taking the real nutrients out of the food by bleaching/boiling/processing the whole food, and then they inject artificial vitamins, flavorings and nutrients, along with preservatives and then sell it you. That isn’t food! I call high-processed foods “food-like products”, because that’s exactly what they are. Honestly, those artificial vitamins and nutrients do not have the same effect on you as the ones found in whole foods, nature is very, very difficult to copy. And who knows whether or not your body can even absorb or properly process the other chemicals used for preservation. Look at chicken nuggets in comparison with real chicken. Nuggets are made from who knows what with a whole lot of added...who knows what in order to make them last for ten years in the freezer. Make homemade nuggets out of real chicken! Processed foods, in comparison with whole foods, are higher in fat, plus your body has a difficult time processing the added chemicals. If it has fewer than five ingredients, chances are, it's a whole lot better for you.

3.       Avoid soda pop, and stick to ONLY water and water based drinks. Soda is bad, don’t even go down the aisle. It’s the leading cause of obesity, and the diet stuff is the biggest culprit! Stop buying it and eventually they’ll stop making it. Your body needs water to process food properly, it is as necessary as oil is to a car. It keeps your system lubed and running. There is simply no substitute for water,  you should drink a full glass in the morning when you wake up, and one before every meal, and one before you go to bed, as well as a few glasses in between meals. A cup of tea or coffee here and there is fine. Much like fiber, water helps you poop, it keeps your system running clean, just drink more.

4.       Buy less meat. My family typically eats 4-6 ozs or less of meat with our dinner, and we try to eat vegetarian breakfasts and lunches. We eat no less than two vegetables/fruits and a starch with our dinner. Meat is tough to digest, more for some people than others. Eat a little meat along with a bunch of plant fiber, which will help the meat process through your body better. Meat does have important nutrients in it, but you could also switch to beans and legumes and get the same necessary nutrients. Just try to buy less and eat less meat.

5.       If a label is trying to convince you that it a product is low fat, low sugar or good for you, don’t buy it! This is something manufacturers have thrown into the mix in the past couple decades; trying to convince you that eating their processed food is actually good for you. The term, “high in fiber” always makes me laugh. The fiber in most processed foods isn’t a natural fiber, it’s a chemically produced one. If you want fiber, which you do, eat plant based foods. As far as other popular gimmicks, “low in fat” or “reduced calorie”, you need to think about what they are comparing that to. Is it low in fat compared to, oh…say, straight lard by the spoonful? Who knows. I can tell you without any uncertainty that many manufacturers use experimental fats and sugars in their processing.  If you were born in the 1970s, or earlier, you might remember Olestra. It was discovered by accident, added to processed foods as a fat alternative, and then eventually banned in many countries. You can read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olestra. Turns out that is was giving people the trots and it was interfering with vitamin absorption. Nice, huh? As far as “reduced calorie” goes, they usually take out the real sugar and add sugar substitutes, many of which have been proven to give rats cancer and/or have been banned in many countries. Don’t buy the hype!

Just a quick, helpful reminder…

FOOD: fresh fruits and vegetables like celery, apples, bananas, mangos, kale, etc. and meat including fresh chicken, beef, pork , real food is whole grain breads and cereals like grape nuts, and, real, aged cheeses.

NOT FOOD: Potato chips, pastries, frozen entrees, chicken nuggets, individually wrapped cheese, fast food (nearly all!), canned entries, almost everything that is sold in a box, and nearly anything labeled good for you or low in fat/sugar!

Eating clean should be a long term goal, it should mean that you’re trying to make a long-lasting change to your diet for health’s sake. You can do it!!