We write a whole load of posts on eating healthy, but it’s about time we covered the all-important step that goes before that: shopping for healthy food. Would you agree that being that little bit organised with your food shopping ensures that you don’t reach out for junk food or ready meals? When you have a well-stocked fridge you have no excuse not to put together a nice home-cooked meal that is way better for you than heavily-processed food. What are our tips for shopping for good quality food? This is a list of things we’ve picked up from years of reading articles and blog posts on food:
1.) Don’t shop on an empty stomach: This is when you’re more likely to succumb to temptation and choose something that’s quick to put together to quell your hunger, but bear in mind it might offer the best nutrition
2.) Make sure you’ve created a shopping list: This is key to keeping you on track with your diet and also your budget because you are clear on what you need to buy. Therefore, you are less likely to waste your money and calorie intake on impulse purchases
3.) Shop in the outer aisles: You’ll notice that most of the fresh food is located along the periphery of the supermarket (probably because of the need for chilling). That means that most of the processed food is pooled near the centre aisles. Make sure you choose the contents of your basket wisely!
4.) If you can’t tell identify where it comes from, think twice about getting it: This one’s easy: if an ingredient comes with numbers or weird chemical names or you can’t tell where and how it’s sourced from nature, you want to be cautious about putting it into your body. Yes, it might be convenient, but that’s a short-term win only.
5.) Be adventurous: Buy a new ingredient every week. Expand your horizons and maybe nutritional intake as well by cooking something new. Inspire yourself with a dish from another cuisine. Take a risk and prepare something you’ve never tasted before. The key is to have fun with healthy cooking because it doesn’t have to feel like a burden.