Choosing Wholesome Foods For Your Family

Choosing Wholesome Foods For Your Family

When shopping at the grocery store, many of us don’t have time to review all of the nutrition facts of every item we choose to buy. Trying to keep track of which foods are healthy and which are not can be a daunting task. Instead of reading lengthy labels for each item you buy, you can stick to a few general guidelines that will steer you towards healthier, more wholesome foods when you shop.

Think of Snacks that Include a Vegetable or Piece of Fruit

A healthy snack doesn’t have to be bland, and a tasty snack doesn’t have to be unhealthy. There are many great options that include a fresh fruit or vegetable while still allowing you to indulge yourself. Bananas dipped in chocolate, apples with hazelnut spread, frozen grapes, carrots with your favorite dip, or celery with peanut butter are just a few ideas. Making snacks that include fruits or veggies gives your body the vitamins and minerals it needs while giving your taste buds a boost too.

Stick to the Perimeter of the Grocery Store

One guideline to grocery shopping that has become increasingly popular is to buy the majority of your groceries from the outer sections of the store and avoid the interior. A grocery store’s perimeter usually includes the fresh produce section, the deli, freshly baked breads, the meat and fish counter, and dairy and soy products. The interior of the store, on the other hand, usually contains shelves of processed foods that are more expensive than fresh foods and contain fewer nutrients.

Get to Know Your Butcher

If you eat meat, you may want to get to know the butcher at your nearby grocery store. They can answer any questions you have about the meat selection available, including which meats are organic, hormone-free, and humanely treated. These are qualities that you may want to consider when buying meat, since all of these may affect the health of an animal and therefore the quality of the meat you are getting. Your butcher will also know which meats are freshest each day and which are the best deal out of the current selection.

Avoid Products with a Lengthy List of Ingredients

When you are looking at products in the interior of the store, such as cereals, pasta and rice products, crackers and chips, cookies, and drinks, look for those that have a short list of ingredients. This is a good general rule to avoiding a hefty amount of preservatives and artificial flavors, and it’s something you can do at a glance instead of trying to read all of the fine print on the side of a box. If the list is exceptionally long, odds are it contains a lot of filler ingredients that are not adding any nutrition to the product.

Try Local Products

Local foods are not necessarily better for you than other foods in terms of nutrients. However, because they are local, there may be a shorter lag time between when produce is picked and when it arrives on the grocery store shelf. You may also want to check out your nearby farmer’s market, which will have many fresh local foods, and often you can talk to the farmers or producers about their foods directly.

For More Wholesome Food Ideas

If you would like more information on great tasting recipes that include fresh, wholesome ingredients, check out CD Kitchen online here.