Eating Healthy

Smart Choices at the Grocery Store Make it Happen

Have you ever resolved to eat healthy and then realized that the "hidden" bag of cookies screams out every time you think about food?

Decisions in the grocery store don't just affect the wallet, but they help or hinder your health and well-being. Stocking your kitchen full of convenient health snacks and healthy meal ingredients is the very important second step to eating right. (Making the commitment to eat healthy is the first.)

Just don't buy it!

Flee from temptation. Purge your kitchen, office stash or secret stash of anything unhealthy. And the next time when you're at the grocery store, refuse to travel down the cookie and chip aisles. If you're a pop-aholic, ban the aisle with all your favorite sugar carbonated drinks.

Think: Out of sight, out of reach, out of cupboards, and out of mouth!

Moderation is the key.

Certain foods like cheese get a bad reputation, but cheese is a great snack. Buy only skim or low-fat versions for fat loss or weight maintenance, but realize that it's okay to splurge on your favorite higher fat cheese every once in a while. Most foods have nutritious value if eaten in moderation.

Just don't let this be an excuse to eat with total and complete abandonment.

*(If you know you will make a whole round of a certain cheese disappear in one sitting, then don't buy it. Consider adding it to your stash only if you know that it can be eaten in moderation--for example, a day when entertaining cheese-loving dinner guests.)

Pay attention to labeling, and don't believe all marketing claims.

For example, when comparing "healthy" carbohydrate selections take a look at the ingredients rather than the package promises. White enriched flour and fructose syrup listed in the first two or three spots in the ingredients throws a red flag that there is more marketing at work than truth. The most beneficial whole grain cereals and breads will list the whole grain as the first ingredient.

Don't just compare fat and calories; look at fiber content and sugar content.