Healthy Food Shopping TipsYou’ve got your healthy food shopping list in hand. You’ve planned for the week, you’ve taken inventory of fridge, freezer and pantry and you have gone over all of the healthy food shopping tips on this page. You’re going to shop healthy because you’ve planned very healthy menus based on….based on what? Most families plan their meals around an entrée, usually a meat of some sort—unless they’re vegetarian. That makes perfect sense because meat is a “complete protein”. But meat contains, well, uh, animal fat. Surprise! Too much animal fat contributes to heart disease so keep it to a minimum. You can shop healthier than that. Healthy Food Shopping Tip # One: Local produce does not have as far to travel so it will, in all probability, contain more nutrients than produce that has traveled thousands of miles and takes a longer time to get to market. The more time from picking to table, the fewer nutrients produce will contain. And the farther it has to travel the more costly it will be due to shipping costs. If it is in season there is usually a good quantity as well as quality and at a lower price. (And if it is locally grown it reduces your carbon footprint making it healthier for Planet Earth, too!) Look at corn, for instance. Most of the year, corn costs 50-60 cents an ear at our favorite store. Corn sold during the summer growing season drops to 10 cents an ear. Think about it! That’s an 80% savings! There are lots of healthy food shopping choices. Just make sure they are healthy on the budget, too! What kinds of choices do you have? Supermarkets are no longer limited to what is in season locally. They get foods shipped from all over the world! Exotic looking produce comes in a variety of shapes and colors! Proteins are comprised of amino acids. There are 22 amino acids and your body produces 13 of them to build healthy tissue. However there are nine essential amino acids that are not produced by the body. You must obtain these nine from the foods that you eat and they are found in plant food. So, just as important, maybe even more important than the entrée are the dishes accompanying it. You should give priority to a variety of veggies to plate with the meat. Veggies will, in different combinations, provide the nine essential amino acids for forming healthy tissue, organs and muscle. They will also provide fiber, vitamins and other important phytochemicals. Your body needs protein to build protein. The body needs vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, phytonutrients like antioxidants to assist in building healthy protein and to fight free radicals that produce disease and premature aging. So, is there a magic number of fruits and veggies? The latest government guidelines say healthy food shopping is five a day. (Nine is better.) So which five do you choose? Let’s head to the supermarket produce section or neighborhood produce stand. So many choices! So little time! Where to start? Mix it up! The best produce to buy is the fresh “in season” produce for your area. The ideal place to buy “in season” produce is at a local produce stand or Farmers’ Market. If you can get organic, that’s even better. Local produce that’s in season is almost always cheaper at a produce stand or local Farmers’ Market. They have a much lower overhead and chances are the produce is fresher. If you can buy local produce for one third to one half less than at a grocery store that's healthy food shopping on a budget! Local produce does not have as far to travel so it will, in all probability, contain more nutrients than produce that has been transported thousands of miles and takes a longer time to get to market. The more time from picking to table, the fewer nutrients produce will contain. And the farther it has to travel the more costly it will be due to shipping costs. (Was that an echo or did I just repeat myself?) If it is in season there is usually a good quantity as well as quality. Look at corn, for instance. Most of the year, corn costs 50-60 cents an ear at our favorite store. Corn sold during the summer growing season drops to 10 cents an ear. Think about it! That’s an 80% savings! What kinds of choices do you have? Supermarkets are no longer limited to what is in season locally. They get foods shipped from all over the world! Exotic looking produce comes in a variety of shapes and colors! So, what are you going to choose? Go for the gold! And the red and the green, the orange and the purple! Don’t be afraid to try something new! If you don’t know how to prepare something ask the produce manager or check out this government website for recipes and nutritional information. Each color has its own level and “brand” of phytonutrients for specific health applications. “Let food be thy medicine” Hippocrates Healthy Food Shopping Tip #2 Look for fruits and veggies with the deepest and brightest colors. If it’s supposed to be red, make sure it’s red, not pink. Deeper greens such as spinach are richer in folates than iceburg lettuce. Deep blues, reds and purples have the highest levels of anti-aging and disease fighting antioxidants. These are only partial lists, but you get the picture. All the colors contain various phytochemicals that help to reduce different forms of cancers! Veggies are a cheaper way of getting needed protein and they’ll help keep you slimmer, too! So if weight loss is part of your health plan, cut down on meat and load up on colorful plant foods. There are many healthy food shopping choices in your supermarket produce section but go for the best bang for your buck if you are on a budget—and who isn’t these days! Remember to make healthy shopping choices. Some kinds of produce have more pesticides than others. To make healthier shopping choices for your family carry this handy wallet guide that shows which fruits and veggies should be bought “organic” and which non-organics are freer of(but not necessarily free of) cancer-causing pesticides. If you have time and a little bit of space you might want to consider growing some of your own organic veggies and herbs. Even a small patio or terrace has space for tomatoes grown in a pot! You can grow herbs in small pots on a sunny windowsill. We have an old wash tub just outside the kitchen door where I grow the herbs that I like to use most often. I use fresh basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley and chives to add extra flavor to various dishes. Tasty Tips! Throw a sprig of rosemary into a pot of rice for great taste and wonderful aroma! It smells especially good when added to a pot of organic brown rice that has a delicious nutty smell when cooking! Chop up some oregano and toss into a pot of potatoes for a little zest. A little thyme in sour cream with a dash of lemon zest makes a great topping for fish, avocado or sliced tomatoes. Adding a rainbow of color to your meals adds nutrients and appeal to the eyes and the appetite! Do your mouth and your body a favor and add a colorful palette for the palate! Eat it Colorful! Eat it Healthy! Shop it Healthy!
|
