Cooking healthy and nutritious meals at home and avoiding going out to eat is an important way to keep your diet healthy. You have more control over what you are eating and you can avoid taking in more fat and calories than you realize.
But just because you’re getting your food at the grocery store doesn’t mean there aren’t bad decisions to be made.
Check out these 5 tips for making good choices at the grocery store!
Tip #1 – Go with a plan/list
Don’t try to wing it at the grocery store. Make yourself a plan for the week and/or create a grocery list. This can help you avoid:
- buying too much
- not buying enough
- overspending
Tip #2 – Avoid “problem areas”
Whenever I walk by the desserts I inevitably want one. So what do I do?
I avoid it!
I don’t even walk through the dessert area. I have a special route to avoid it. I’m not there to buy dessert, and I’m also not there to taunt myself.
If I don’t see it, I’m not tempted. So avoid your temptations! Just create your own route!
Another strategy is to stick to the outside. The processed foods are mostly stocked in the inside aisles, so if you’re perusing, it should definitely be places like the fresh produce or the meat/seafood area!
Tip #3 – Come back for the impulse buy
Even if you avoid the “problem areas” of the grocery store, you will inevitably run into an impulse buy that you probably don’t need and probably isn’t good for you.
Instead of throwing it into your cart, tell yourself you’ll come back for it. This will give you more time to think about whether you really need it. And it might even give you time to forget about it! 😉
Tip #4 – Eat before you go
Don’t go to the grocery store while you’re hungry. Bad decisions are made by hangry people.
If you go with a full stomach and a plan, you’re much more likely to make good chocies.
Tip #5 – Try grocery pick-up
The easiest way for me to avoid impulse buys at the grocery store is to not even go in!
Grocery pick-up helps me by remembering my recent purchases, making my grocery store trips faster, and encouraging me to buy my frequently purchased items. And it’s also a really safe way to shop during a global pandemic!
I can’t buy the random dessert or bottle of wine, because it doesn’t show up if I’m not searching for it!
Win win win!
Its certainly not for anyone, but if the grocery store is a place of temptation for you, it may be a strategy to consider.