5 Tips for the Supermarket

Eating for optimum health is so important and your trip to the supermarket is where it all begins. By taking these 5 tips on board during the next supermarket trip it could make all the difference to your week ahead.

1. Make a shopping list

Know your Supermarket and go with a list of healthy foods in the order they are laid out. That will help you resist temptation, and it speeds up shopping because you’re not wasting time cruising the aisles for what you need.

2. Buy more fruits and veggies

In my experience, most people tend to under-shop the fruit and veg department. They toss a head of lettuce, a stalk of broccoli and a bag of carrots into the trolley and move on. But remember: We’re supposed to be eating five servings of veggies a day. This means fresh or frozen the trolley should be at least one third full on veggies.

3. Go natural 

The natural versions (most often plain-flavoured) foods and beverages like cereals, almond milk, yogurt, pasta sauces and more, are usually the most nutritious. The least amount on the ingredient list normally means the most nutritious

4. Read food labels 

Probably the most important tip, bypass the front of the package and rely mainly on the nutrition facts panel and ingredients lists. If you’re looking to bump up fibre or protein intake, or lower fat/saturated fat intake, the nutrition facts panel can be a one-stop shop for all nutrients and can simplify the process of comparing products. However, when using them, make sure to check the serving size to make sure it’s a reasonable portion for you. If not, you’ll have to double or triple the numbers that you’re trying to add or reduce.

5. Do a final check

Very important that before you pull in to check out, stop and do a final trolley check. Make sure your trolley visually has 50 percent fruits and veggies, 25 percent lean and plant proteins, 25 percent whole grains — and don’t forget to double check there are enough healthy fats, like avocado, nuts, seeds, nut butters and liquid oil. Following these tips you are certainly on the right track.