Eight Smart Shopping Tips For A Healthier Diet

Most of us know the advantages of a healthy diet. It can help us lose weight, boost our immune system, and protect our bodies from all kinds of illnesses and conditions. But a lot of us find it difficult to eat healthier because it usually involves a lot of salads and boring food. At least, that’s what people think.

In reality, healthy eating does require a bit of change in the things you eat, but it’s not as drastic as you might think. So to help you out, we’ve put together eight smart shopping tips that can help you build a healthier diet.

1. Plan out your meals

If you want to avoid impulse purchases when you go grocery shopping, make sure you plan out your meals and make a list of the things that you need to buy.

2. Buy from better producers

A reputable producer matters more than you think. Reputable farms such as Superior Farms treat their animals better which results in higher-quality meat that is pure and without any kind of additives. There are lots of products that you can buy which contain strange ingredients and additions. If you want to avoid this, make sure you buy from brands that you can trust.

3. Look for additives and preservatives

Additives and preservatives can often ruin an otherwise healthy food. Make sure you always read the labels so that you know exactly what you’re buying. You might discover that many of your favorite brands and products are actually fairly unhealthy.

4. When buying vegetables, go fresh or frozen

Most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between fresh and frozen vegetables, making them both a great choice to buy. However, canned vegetables (and most other canned goods) are often soaking in some kind of liquid or brine as a preservative. Not only does this affect the taste of the vegetable but it can also introduce a lot of unwanted additions such as salt or sugar.

5. If you have a freezer, get used to bulk buying

Bulk buying is a money-saving tip that works great if you have a freezer. Just make sure that you read the labels thoroughly to ensure that you’re not buying something that has additives or preservatives.

6. Avoid anything premade and try to make food from scratch

There are a couple of exceptions to this such as spaghetti, but in most cases, you’ll want to try and make everything from scratch by yourself. Jars of sauce can be surprisingly heavy on calories and pre-made meals can contain a lot of additives.

7. Always read labels

This is especially true for things like processed meats where you might not be sure about what’s inside the product. Some processed meats can be extremely high in salt which can ruin your diet.

8. Consider buying skinless

The skin on things like fish and chicken contain a surprising amount of fat. If possible, try buying skinless meats to avoid a high number of calories.

Feature Photo: Jeana Bala