How to grocery shop like a Nutritionist

Grocery shopping can be overwhelming, I get it. Often it’s on the way home from work or on the weekend when there are a million other things you’d rather be doing. Throw children or partners into the equation and it can be even more stressful. Good nutrition starts at the grocery store. These simple steps will help make the process easier and have you sitting at the dinner table enjoying a home cooked meal in no time.

Plan your meals

Spend some time before the week starts deciding what to cook for the week ahead. It doesn’t have to include every single meal and can be flexible to include the occasional takeaway meal or those thrown together meals when you don’t feel like spending ages in the kitchen. Having a good idea what you’ll cook for the week is a great start and often means healthier meals made at home.

Make a shopping list

The most important thing to do before going grocery shopping is knowing what you want to buy before you arrive. Make a list of what you need to buy or what you already have so there’s no guessing when you’re standing in the aisles. Sticking to a list can also help reduce the temptation of less healthy options or choosing certain foods just because you are hungry.

Stick to the outer aisles

The outer aisles provide the freshest and healthiest produce. Stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables and don’t be afraid of frozen options. Frozen fish and vegetables can be great to keep in the freezer when you need a quick meal that doesn’t take much effort to put together.

Shop at farmers markets or your local fruit shop

Getting fresh produce from markets or your local fruit shop is a great way to up your fresh food intake and support local businesses. They often have a greater range of produce and can often be cheaper than big chain supermarkets. It can make for a great day out on the weekend too, grab a coffee, get some vitamin D, chat to the farmers and take your time perusing all the local produce.

Eat before you go

A lot of the time we can make poor decisions at the supermarket when we are hungry. Eating a light protein rich snack (like some yoghurt, mixed nuts or veggie sticks and hummus) before leaving the house can help greatly when looking at all the tempting foods you wouldn’t regularly choose. Another option is to just avoid the tempting aisles all together and only look at the items on your shopping list.

So those are my top five tips for making grocery shopping easier and shopping like a nutritionist. With a little planning beforehand and these handy hints you’ll be eating healthy meals in no time.