“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” – Benjamin Franklin
The shopping plan is one of the most crucial steps in shopping for healthy foods. As stated in the previous section, you want to be sure to have your grocery list organized and in a format that will be easily accessible for you.
The first step is researching grocery stores in your area. Depending on your situation and health goals, you may be looking for stores that offer low prices, sales, allow coupons, or offer a large selection of organic or specialty food items. Regardless of the store you choose, you should review the circular ad before you go to the store so that you have an idea of what is on sale that week to maximize savings. Mobile apps like Retale and Flipp offer a collection of local stores’ circular ads, along with coupon clipping features and automated shopping lists that you can create from the ads.
Once in the store, there are some guidelines that you can follow to make your shopping trip as healthy as possible. Most stores have the same general layout: produce and dairy along the sides, meat, fish, and deli items across the back. Processed food items like snacks, sodas, cereals, and canned goods are usually located in the center aisles. To maximize the healthy options on your shopping trip, it is best to focus your attention on buying items from the perimeter of the store. While fresh produce is always best, frozen is a great option, too. Some canned items, like beans, can be good choices as long as you opt for the healthiest options, like organic and low sodium. However, the best rule of thumb is to avoid shopping the center aisles as much as possible.
Task:
Comment below with your favorite grocery store to shop at and why. If you use coupons or store circular ads be sure to let us know what you find most useful.
Intro to Health and Wellness 