- March 1, 2023 46,283 views
Healthy grocery shopping is not just about tossing a few fruits and vegetables into your cart. Some people spend hours in the grocery store, reading labels and contemplating every item that they buy. They compare prices, think about nutritional value, and make sure to buy items with low levels of sugar.
The best healthy grocery shopping tips
1. Separate meat and fish.
Do you grocery shop for meat, seafood, and poultry all at the same time? It’s not ideal. You can save money by shopping separately. You can pound a few chicken breasts into submission in your food processor, and then chop them finely and add them to a stir-fry or a pot of soup.
2. Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Winter squash, apples, root vegetables, and berries are often on sale during the fall/winter months when they are in season. The produce is fresher, and sometimes less expensive as well (but not always). Be sure to check the expiration dates on certain items when shopping for fresh foods during these times.
3. Shop at local farmer’s markets.
Buying locally grown food always has health benefits, but also saves you money. You are supporting local small businesses and vendors, and you are getting food that will be fresher than that found in a grocery store.
4. Buy a large chicken or turkey breast and save the rest for later.
It’s easiest to cook your meat with a meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked thoroughly. Slicing the meat into strips or shredding it and freezing it in individual portions makes it easy to add protein to any meal later on. Cooked chicken is great on salads, in sandwiches, or as an addition to soups.
5. Canned vegetables are not that bad.
A lot of people use them as a last resort, but canned vegetables are often less expensive, and have no preservatives. You can easily add them to soup, or toss them into a stir-fry to save time and money.
6. Buy in bulk when possible.
It’s not always possible to do this, but buying large packages of nuts, dried fruit, and grains can save you money. If you eat the food quickly enough it will not spoil before you can use it all up. But be sure to check the dates on everything so you don’t end up wasting your money on items that have expired before their time.
