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10 Tips on Navigating the Grocery Store

March 08, 2023•7 min read

It can be overwhelming when you venture down this health-conscious, toxin-free journey. What to avoid, what not to avoid, learning to read nutrition labels...I mean grocery shopping while trying to avoid all the things can be tough. Even more so if you’re following a special diet. Whether it’s gluten- and casein- free, keto, paleo, vegan, or a diet that consists of wine & leftovers from the kids’ plates.

We’re creatures of habit. When you’re used to picking up soda and pre-made foods, it can be intimidating to walk in and sift through organic produce and free-range meat. Don’t let that fear stop you from taking the steps to improve your health and the health of your family. All you need to conquer the grocery store are a few hacks to help ya shop like a pro.

CHECK OUT MY TOP 10 TIPS ON NAVIGATING THE GROCERY STORE!

Do Some Recon

I have to admit, this one sounds super strange, but give me a chance. If you are new to cleaning up your diet, it can really help to take a trip just to see what type of healthy options are available at your local grocery store. Don’t make any purchases, just wander around! Jot some notes down on your phone or bring a pen & paper (this is me- I like to make lists just to be able to physically cross things out… I can’t be the only one). Take notes on items you’re interested in and then go home and research them. Look up their ingredients, use resources such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG), cross reference the ingredients with this list of ingredients we should avoid, and look up reviews - we still want our less toxic choices to be tasty! I know this seems like a lot of work but you will feel SO much more prepared next time you’re at the store!

I recommend doing this when you have a small shopping trip coming up, not when your refrigerator is completely empty. Baby steps!

Make A List

Ya girl loves her lists. It helps keep my squirrel brain organized. But, on a serious note, plan ahead. Before your trip to the store, plan out your meals for the week (or for a few days) and create a list to shop from. It may take a few more minutes at home but it will save you tons of time at the store & keep you on track!

Stick To That List

You spent all that time doing recon, looking up recipes, planning your meals, and making your list… so don’t F it up! Just kidding. But really. You did all that work, so stick to it! Grocery stores know what they’re doing - they strategically place each and every food item to draw you deeper into the store and expose you to nonessential items along the way. Grocery stores are in the business of selling you food, lots of food. It’s no coincidence that foods we tend to want to avoid just so happen to be front and center. Don’t fall into their trap, commit yourself to sticking to the foods on your list.

Eat Before You Shop

Turns out when your mom told you 459,038 times not to go to the grocery store hungry… well she was right. Many studies show that grocery shopping while hungry leads to poorer food choices and overeating. Always make sure to eat before going grocery shopping. If you’re heading to the store straight from work, keep some protein bars in your car to get a little something in your belly before heading in.

Stick To The Outside

Most grocery stores have very similar layouts (again, it’s all strategy). Perishables are on the outer perimeter while dry goods line the inner aisles. If you’re set on clean eating, stick to the outer aisles of your grocery store as much as possible - it’s where you’ll find the fresh foods (fruits, vegetables, meat, & fish). Try to avoid the center aisles where junk foods lurk. Although, for the mamas out there, these aisles also contain some great on the go snack options for our kiddos - so this is where your recon work and list comes in handy. on the go snack options

No Double Dipping

Aka no lingering, no going back, no wandering aimlessly. Only walk each aisle one time. When you get to the end of the aisle, move on. When we linger or walk up and down the same aisle 12 times, we end up with more in our cart than we planned for. You can avoid this by asking questions. If you don’t know where something is, ask! Before you walk around for 30 minutes trying to find the almond butter. Also, no phone calls. I’m adding in this rule. Unless it’s an emergency. When we talk on the phone and shop, we’re more likely to mindlessly grab things we don’t need. I would know.

Eat Whole Foods

As a rule of thumb, avoiding food products that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce is a great start. If you have to google what it is, chances are we aren’t meant to consume it. Although learning to read nutritional labels, particularly the ingredients, is extremely important- this is easily avoidable if most of your time is spent in the produce section. Choose a rainbow of colorful fruits & veggies, as the colors reflect the various vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

Buy Organic (when possible)

Eating organic foods reduces pesticide exposure and has been linked to tons of health benefits. By switching from conventional to organic foods, urinary pesticide concentrations can be dramatically reduced. And, by doing so, you can improve fertility and birth outcomes, reduce the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lower BMI.

Let’s state the obvious, though: buying organic can be ridiculously expensive. Every year, The Environmental Working Group releases their “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” lists, which highlights which fruits and veggies you should absolutely buy organic and which are clean enough that you could let it slide. It’s a great resource for those who need some help prioritizing. Each fruit or vegetable on the “Dirty Dozen” list tested positive for a wide range of pesticides at a much higher concentration than those on the clean list.

According to the EWG’s latest analysis, nearly 70 percent of produce sold in the U.S. contains residues of harmful chemical pesticides. The dirtiest of the bunch? Raisins. Traditionally, the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce only included fresh fruits and vegetables. However, since the USDA started testing raisins last year for the first time since 2007, the EWG decided to see how it would compare to the list.

And since they did, nearly every sample of non-organic raisins tested (99%) had residues of at least two pesticides. On the 2020 Dirty Dozen, raisins ranked worst of all fruits tested, including strawberries, nectarines, apples, and cherries, all of which had residues of two or more pesticides on at least 90% of samples tested.

SO, WHAT ARE THE “DIRTY DOZEN”?

Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes

To note, multiple samples of kale showed 18 different pesticides. And, on average, kale and spinach samples had 80% more pesticide residue by weight than any other crop tested.

WHAT ABOUT THE “CLEAN FIFTEEN”?

Avocados
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Onions
Papaya
Sweet Peas
Eggplants
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Cantaloupes
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Cabbage
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi

These 15 items had the lowest amounts of pesticide residues according to the EWG’s analysis - almost 70 percent of the Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had zero traces of pesticides!

Avoid GMOs

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are commonly found in processed foods (corn syrup and corn oil). Why we want to avoid these is a talk for another time. But it is important to note that genetically modified produce also exists. Currently genetically modified zucchini, yellow squash, sweet corn, potatoes, papaya & apples are on the market. A law passed in 2016, which is set to begin in 2022, states that GMO food products must be labeled in the U.S. However, these labels may be difficult to interpret (i.e. companies can use terms such as “bioengineered” rather than GMO). Foods that are labeled as “Non-GMO Project Verified” or “Certified Organic” can be trusted to be GMO-Free. To read more about how to avoid GMO foods, click here.

Chill!

Forget organic, just fresh produce can be expensive. When that’s the case, don’t discount the frozen section. There are plenty of frozen fruits and vegetables that are great options as well.

There’s no better time to start this journey than today. Let’s get it!

Check out more of me in my natural habitat, aka my fav grocery store, Sprouts Farmers Market!