How To Choose Healthier Foods: 10 Tips
Choosing healthier foods can be a headache when we don’t know what to do. Therefore, in the next article, we will tell you what you need to know so that you can choose healthier foods from the grocery store!
How to choose healthier foods: 10 tips
The first step to choosing healthier foods is to go to the store on a full stomach. In other words, you should never go shopping when you are hungry!
A study conducted in 2013 and published by JAMA Internal Medicine supports this statement. According to the study, those who shop while hungry tend to buy foods with a higher calorie content. So now you know… To eat better, you need to have lunch before going to the store!
Now, suppose you’re done eating and you’re fed up. What else do you need to consider to choose healthier foods? Remember the following tips!
1. Choose fresh food
The first choice when you go shopping should be fresh food. Fruits and vegetables provide an infinite amount of nutrients. They mainly provide vitamins and minerals and therefore should take up a lot of space in the shopping cart.
Don’t wait until the end of your shopping trip to pick up fruits and vegetables. Pick them up as soon as you get to the store. This way, you will be more likely to take a larger amount than if you did this when you are already eager to get home. In addition, you will most likely spend more time making sure your fruits and vegetables are in good condition.
When it comes to choosing healthier foods, whole grains should also be a priority. These cereals do not lose their bran, germs and endosperm, which provide various nutritional benefits.
As for bran, they provide fiber, iron, magnesium and B vitamins. At the same time, germs are rich in vitamin E and healthy fats. Endosperm provides carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Unlike refined cereals, whole grains provide a large number of nutrients. All these components are good for the body, so do not forget to put a lot of whole grain products in the basket!
When we go to the store, we often throw things in the cart without thinking too much. But have you ever stopped to read the labels?
We do not refer to the main packaging which reads “light” or “sugar-free”. We are talking about the return of the packaging and the careful examination of the nutrition label. There, you will be able to see what ingredients are really in the foods you buy.
If you want to choose healthier foods, then understanding nutrition labels is a fundamental step. You need to know that the ingredients on the label are sorted by their volume. Therefore, the first ingredient that appears on the list is the main ingredient, and the amount of each ingredient that follows is less than that of the previous ingredient.
In addition to examining the number of calories in each product, we recommend that you take a closer look at the nutritional information. Check if the product has saturated fats and how much sodium and sugar it contains. Compare it with other products. This way, you will choose the option with the best nutritional value.
This may seem obvious. Making a list and following it will prevent you from shopping compulsively… or at least keeping compulsive shopping to a minimum. The products we add to the impulsive basket tend to be high in calories and have a low nutritional value.
Choosing healthier foods requires awareness and discipline. Before shopping, plan what meals you want to serve during the week. Prepare the list accordingly and allow yourself only one or two temptations. This way, you will spend less and eat better!
