Finding healthy food at the grocery store may seem difficult when you’re on a tight budget, but there are healthy and economical alternatives in every aisle of the store. As tempting as all that junk food out there sounds, it really can be cheaper to eat home-prepared foods. And with a little imagination and experimenting with herbs and spices in the kitchen, it tastes even better. The first key to eating healthier is having more healthy foods available to eat at home. So, stop going to the drive-through and stop buying pre-packaged, over-processed foods that you probably have in your kitchen now. Get organized by creating a meal plan and grocery list for the foods you’ll need to prepare those meals. The next step is to go to your local grocery store and buy whole foods that you can make at home using whatever kitchen resources you have there.
Increasing your consumption of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables, will make your food choices a lot easier in general. If the foods you choose contain more than 5 ingredients and many unknown, unpronounceable elements, you might want to reconsider the purchase. Counting calories, carbs, or fat grams isn’t as necessary when you’re choosing foods that are a product of nature rather than a product of industry. Finding healthy foods at the grocery store is pretty easy. They can be found in the “fresh” departments such as the vegetable and chilled meat and fish departments. The freezer and dry aisles also contain good, healthy foods, although there are plenty of unhealthy distractions there too.
Healthy foods to have available to cook at home include whole foods (foods in their most natural form), fruits and vegetables, dairy (low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, and eggs), seafood, lean pork and beef, and chicken , naturally sweetened whole juices and plenty of water.
Foods to avoid include refined grains (white flour or white rice), refined white sugar, any form of corn syrup, and anything that comes in a box that has more than 5 ingredients.
Making the switch to healthy eating requires a change in mindset, as well as some imagination and preparation. It will help to create a weekly meal plan and turn it into a well-organized shopping list to take to the store. This will help you stay focused and reduce trips to the grocery store.
Thanks to Blake Bowie
