Eating Healthy Shopping Tips

Create a menu

Eat before you go. It is a proven fact you will overbuy and purchase foods you wouldn't ordinarily when shopping on a empty stomach.

Perimeter Shop. Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store first. This way you will hit the fresh produce, dairy and butcher sections before entering the packaged goods aisles, which are always at the center of the store.

Shop Solo. You can get in and get out quickly and no one will bug you for a candy bar at the checkout.

Stick to your list. Don't be tempted to buy extras just because they look interesting or are on sale.

Look for and avoid hidden sugars including corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose glucofructose, honey, molasses, maple syrup, maltose, sucrose and artificial sweeteners. Nutrition labels list them all.

Read labels. Watch for and avoid palm and palm kernel oil, shortening, butter, chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa butter, egg and egg yolk solids, lard, tallow, suet, whole-milk solids, glycerol esters, and mono- or diglycerides. None of these are healthy options.

Avoid man-made trans fats and saturated fats at all cost! According to Lee Labrada, author of The Lean Body Promise, trans fats" are the worst artery-clogging, cancer-causing substance you can put in your body." He's right.

Always look for the highest fiber content products, especially in breads and cereals.

Be Aware of "health" foods posing as healthy foods. These products can contain more hidden evils than the original!!