The Grocery Shopping Guide for Healthy Eating

Navigating the supermarket can be a tricky thing if you’re just getting started with healthy eating goals. You aren’t just looking for the tastiest snack, but you’re probably looking for healthy foods, foods that fuel performance, and maybe you’re on a specific nutrition plan, so you need to shop for certain macros, or certain meal plan guidelines.  When you’re just getting started, it’s best to go in with a plan. Unless you prefer tospend the whole day at the store reading labels on things to check the macros, come upwith a good plan of what sorts of foods you’re going to be building your diet around ahead of time , and use those.  We’re going to break this down step by step. We’ll look at each macro, and which food sources you should be looking for. Shopping for Protein In the world of fitness nutrition, protein is king, and so this is where we’ll start. Whenshopping for protein, you really have a lot more options than you may think. This is often challenging when people begin trying to increase protein, but it can be a lot simpler than you may think.  For most people, you’re looking at things like eggs, fish, meats, and some dairyproduct.. If for any reason you need to follow aplant-based diet, your protein sources will be a bit more limited, but you still have thingslike tofu, plant-based burgers, and other substitutes. If you’re in a fat-loss phase, look for leaner protein cuts, with less fat. If you’re in a muscle-buildingphase, the fattier protein sources are okay. They’re packed with nutrients, and withmore calories in your diet, you’ll be able to fit them in.  The lists below are good guides to shop for your protein staples. If you’re trying to losefat, pick from the lean protein list. If you’re in a muscle gaining phase, you can choosefrom either list. Lean Protein Sources (Best for Dieting) Egg whitesBoneless skinless chicken breastTilapiaCodLean ground turkeyTop sirloinShrimpCanned tuna in water0% Greek yogurtFat-free cottage cheeseWhey protein isolate Higher Fat Protein Sources (Best for Muscle Gain Phases)Whole eggsChicken thighs/wingsGround beefNew York Strip Steak, Ribeye, any other red meatsSalmonCheeseProtein bars Shopping for Carbohydrates With protein out of the way, it’s time to move on to carbs. If you’re following a Ketogenicdiet, you’ll probably want to skip most of this list, except maybe some vegetables.Otherwise, this list is divided into whole foods and processed foods. Just like with protein, shop for your goal. If you’re dieting you’ll want to focus mostly onwhole-food sources rich in fiber. You can use the more processed sweets from time to time, but ascarbs get low, you want to choose the ones that will keep you full and supply the mostnutrients possible. If performance is the goal and you aren’t too worried about keeping calories low, you’ll have a lot more options. High-Fiber, Filling Carbohydrate Sources (Best for Dieting and Health)Potatoes (any kind)Rice (any kind)FruitVegetablesMixed greens/salad kitsBeans or lentilsOats Low-Fiber, High-Carb Sources (Best for Muscle Gain or Performance)CerealFruit juiceCream of ricePastaBreadCandyHoneyJam/JellyRice Cakes Shopping for Fats For the most part, you’ll probably get a good amount of healthy fats from the foods youeat. Protein sources like whole eggs, red meat, salmon and other fatty cuts of fish, and just about any other meat source is going to have some natural fats, and that’s perfectly fine assuming you account for the fats in those foods.  Sometimes you may need to add healthy fats, and when that’s the case, let this be your guide. Unsaturated fats, especially those high in omega-3s, should be a staple in your diet. Processed foods are often high in the “bad” fats, which increase omega-6 levels and can increaseinflammation and have negative effects on your internal health and cholesterol. Keepingyour omega-3 and unsaturated fat intake high is a good way to fight inflammation, andmake sure your bloodwork and health markers stay in a good range, both of which areimportant to keep you healthy and feeling good for years to come. Best Fat SourcesAnimal proteins (red meat, fish, eggs)Olive oilCoconut oilAvocado/Avocado oilGrassfed butterAlmondsMacadamia NutsNut butters Budgeting Tips Looking at the list of foods above, it seems like you may need to be spending a smallfortune on food. While that’s one way to do it, if you’re trying to be cost-effectiveand stick to a budget, there are certainly ways you can buy healthy foodwithout breaking the bank. 

• Look for what’s on sale when you’re shopping. Stores usually have different

protein sources on sale that rotate weekly, so mix things up and try what looks good.Make sure to join your store’s reward program if they have one, and check out theweekly flyer.  

• Don’t be afraid of the frozen section. Fresh protein may taste good, but it’s also

going to be a little more expensive. If you can get a bag of frozen chicken breasts orfish for a good price, that’s a good option and you don’t have to worry about your foodgoing bad. 

• Buy in bulk. There’s nothing wrong with freezing food and saving it for later, so if you

see a great deal on something you love to eat, buy a bunch and throw the rest in thefreezer.