This content was provided by Michele Arthurs, MD, a board-certified family medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente.
Grocery shopping can be overwhelming. There are so many options to choose from—and it can be even harder to make healthy food choices at the grocery store when you aren’t prepared or don’t know exactly what to look for.
But shopping for and selecting nourishing, wholesome food doesn’t have to be a challenge or break the bank. It begins with deciding to make healthy lifestyle changes for yourself and your family, including diet. One way to get started is by meal planning. Creating a weekly meal plan in advance for the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners your family will eat not only saves you time, but it also eliminates stress around mealtime, making it easier to choose healthy, nutritious ingredients over quick, processed options.
Next, make a plan for a grocery shopping trip using these tips that will help you make healthier, better choices—and also stick to your grocery budget.
- Eat before going to the grocery store. When you go to the grocery store on an empty stomach, you’re much more likely to impulse shop and throw items into your cart that you want in that moment.
- Take a grocery list. Always shop with a grocery list and stick to it, which helps you also keep your budget in check. You can also have a “don’t buy” column on your list to remind you of those common pitfalls.
- Shop on the outside aisles of the market. Healthier, fresh food options, such as produce, dairy and meat, are usually on the perimeter of the store.
- Read nutrition labels on packaging. Check food labels for sodium and sugar levels, and also to determine if the item is highly processed. A longer list of ingredients typically means the item is highly processed.
- Be selective about processed food options. Not all processed or prepared foods are created equally. For example, incorporating some frozen vegetables and/or fruit, canned or dry beans/legumes and pre-cut vegetables into your grocery haul can save time, provide simple but healthy last-minute meal options and reduce food waste.
- Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk not only saves money, but it can also help with meal planning when you have the items on hand in advance.
Knowing how to navigate the grocery store helps you make healthier, more mindful choices for your family and is a great first step to supporting a healthier lifestyle.
Listen to Kaiser Permanente’s podcast to learn more about how to make the most of your trip to the grocery store.
About Kaiser Permanente:
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.
