Monday, August 13, 2012

Shop Smart and Read the Label


Smart Shopping and Label Reading
            These days it seems as if the simple act of shopping for food has become just another task on the busy to-do list.  Add to that the barrage of advertisements (in store and not) and mixed messages that the media is touting and you have some pretty confused folks wondering the supermarket trying to make heads of tails of it all.  I have put together a grocery shopping guide to use when you head out to the store.  Always be sure to avoid shopping on an empty stomach and plan ahead what you are going to buy and prepare for the week ahead.  The best advice overall is to choose whole foods.
1.      When you get into the store be sure to get the size of cart that you are going to need.  If you need a few items from a list be sure to just grab a basket or small cart.  If you are shopping for a large family and buying for one week or more go for the bigger cart.  The reason is that if you have more room to store items you may end up buying more items than you need.
2.      Begin with the perimeter.  The most important foods are found in the perimeter (fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, etc).  Start by stocking up on the fresh fruits and vegetables that you know you will be able to use within a week or so.  Then head onto meats and diary and buy enough for the week or buy some meats and freeze them for the month.  Try to plan your meals around these food groups.  Keep in mind that juices often are mostly water and sugar (even some of the better brands) so stick to whole fruits and vegetables as much as possible.
3.      Head to the isles after you finish the perimeter.  This is where the packaged items will be found.  These items are more likely to be processed, canned, and have additives that are unnecessary for your body (but necessary for long-term storage).  Choose wisely when shopping in these isles.  Try to avoid foods that are canned and those that are heavily processed (check your ingredient list-the first ingredient is the highest percentage of that food and so on down the list).  Choose whole grain cereals, breads and pastas and whole wheat crackers without added fats.  Grab some mixed, unsalted nuts as a snack.
4.      End with the freezer section where you can choose dairy foods, meats and frozen fruits and vegetables that may remain in your freezer for longer than one week.  This is where you want to check the labels carefully to avoid trans-fats and sugars at greater than 10-12g per serving.  Be sure to check the ingredient list of fruits and vegetables for additives that are unnecessary (for example-frozen broccoli should say broccoli, nothing more).
Label Reading Tips
1.      Start at the top with serving size and servings per container.  If you plan to eat more than one serving you will need to multiply everything else on the list by that number of servings to know how much you are actually eating.
2.      Try to avoid foods with greater than 3g of total fat per serving (unless it is nuts, oils and margarine or avocado).  Packaged foods (even foods such as bread and cereal) may contain added fats (and sugars and salt).
3.      Limit the sugar content.  A breakfast cereal with more than 6-10g of sugar is a dessert, not a breakfast.  Also keep in mind that sugar alcohol and sugar are pretty much the same (in the way that they act in your body) so do not be fooled.  Avoid sugar alcohols the way that you avoid sugar.
4.      Watch out for those fat-free and sugar-free lines on packages.  When a product has the fat taken out, often either sugar or salt is added.  Additionally, when a sugar or salt are removed fat is often added.
5.      Limit salt content.  Sodium is in virtually everything that is processed (as it acts as a great preservative).  In fact recent studies indicate that many Americans are getting most of their daily sodium from the bread that they eat.  Limit sodium (aka salt) to 1,500-2,000mg per day.
Remember that whole foods are foods that can be readily found in nature and/or are minimally processed before you eat them.  A good example is an apple vs. apple juice or carrot sticks vs. cheese flavored crackers.  Choose whole foods first.  Try not to buy items that you may find tempting when in your home.  If you have trouble eating only a few cookies then don’t buy a big package and keep it at home.  Every once and a while you can always stop by a store for a small package and enjoy the smaller portion.

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