What to Buy When You Are Grocery Shopping
Are you trying to create a healthier shopping list? There are many staple food items you can choose. Knowing what to avoid is a good place to start. So, what should be avoided while grocery shopping? All forms of processed foods are enemy number one. Replace your meats and processed foods with whole foods. Additionally, make every attempt to eliminate all food sources with chemicals and preservatives. Also when shopping, make every attempt to avoid unhealthy fats and replace them with healthy fats. It may feel a bit strange initially, considering as consumers we are more accustomed to the convenience of processed foods. However, the added health benefits of a healthier grocery list are priceless.
Processed foods are the first thing to avoid on your grocery list. These foods are everywhere because they offer a great number of conveniences. There are many reasons why foods are processed. Some of these reasons include the manufacturer’s desire to have a more appealing color to their product. An item may be processed to offer more stability to its shelf life. Whatever the reason may be for a manufacturer to process foods, the end result is an unnatural and unhealthy product that adversely affects the human body. The key thing to remember is that any food altered from its natural state is a processed food and should be avoided.
If your objective is to avoid purchasing groceries with chemical and preservatives, avoid selecting processed foods. Process foods include sugars, chemicals, preservatives, dairy products, meat, unhealthy fats, and surprisingly, soy. What’s more, avoid all meats and meat bi-products. Now, focus on whole foods. Whole foods are any staple item that falls within the following categories: beans, legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. By the way, there are many people under the notion that soy is a healthy replacement for meats. However, there are reports indicating that some Chinese manufacturers of imported soy are using the chemical hexane. This dangerous air pollutant is not healthy at all. Stick to whole foods, they are your ideal choice.
With just about every category of food available in a low-fat version, the average consumer is constantly reminded to stay away from fats. Just as there are unhealthy fats, there are healthy ones that give the human body a nutritional advantage. Fortunately, healthy fats are found in great tasting natural whole food sources. Coconut and avocadoes are two examples of such natural food sources for healthy fats. So, don’t avoid all fats, just the unhealthy ones.
Choosing a healthier shopping list cuts down on other costs, like medical bills, dental bills, and over-the-counter medication. A healthier grocery list means a healthier you. Knowing what to buy when you are grocery shopping is the place to start. Don’t get sucked in by the pretty packaging of processed foods. Not to mention, make every attempt to banish the myth that processed foods offer you the most convenience. Be healthy and stay healthy with whole foods. Shop smarter and live a healthier happier life.