The Grocery store

Oh the grocery store!! Now that you understand the rules of clean eating it is time to SHOP!! I love shopping! Anywhere and Everywhere! The grocery store is no exception! I love looking at all of the beautiful colors in the fruits and vegetables! You have to admit the smells of fresh baked goods can be overpowering delightful! This is how the store owners lure you in to shop and spend money. So you must have a plan!

 

Clean eating staples

Have you ever heard the term called shop the perimeter? This implies sticking to the outer walls of the grocery store, and avoiding the isles in the middle. Shopping the perimeter is very helpful for anyone that is trying to eat clean. If you think about what is along the outer walls of the store it is all of the freshest foods such as fruits and vegetables, freshly baked bread, meats, eggs and foods that need to be chilled.

 

So step one is to shop the perimeter first and then work your way through the middle isles. Your cart will be full to the brim with fresh and healthy produce. Look at your list and load up on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and fresh whole grains. Include breads and wraps,low fat milk and yogurt, and milk alternatives such as rice milk and almond milk.

 

 

When you shop the middle isles you need to FOCUS! Shelves are stocked and over towing from head to toe with no room between products. Endless amount of food options exist here! Start with the frozen food section. Anything that is advertised as one step, heat and serve, or ready to go meal in a box is most likely not going to be part of a clean eating lifestyle. Look at the food labels nutritional content and ingredient list. If you can't pronounce some of the words or look like they were part of a fancy science experiment, put the product back on the shelf.

 

 

Skip the frozen pizza, lunch- size meals, and canned sugary drink. Frozen unsweetened frozen fruits are great to use in smoothies and Shakeology! Especially in the winter months when fresh varieties are out of season. Frozen vegetables are perfect in a pinch as long as they are the only ingredients listed on the package.

 

You do not need to go down every aisle in the grocery store. In fact, there are aisles you should actually skip! Do you know what these aisles are? Avoid the snack and soda aisles at all costs! The bright fancy packaging can be hard to resist so don't even give in to those temptations.

 

So, what DO I purchase from these middle aisles in the grocery store? Brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, black beans, chickpeas,  tuna, olive oil, peanut butter, and whole wheat pasta.

 

The less you find yourself in the central aisles of the grocery store, the healthier your shopping trip will be. Make it a habit—work the perimeter of the store for the bulk of your groceries, then dip into the aisles for staples that you know you need.

 

Happy Shopping!