Six Supermarket Strategies

The choices you make at the grocery store are an important part of eating right and living well. Grab your coupons, a shopping cart and our simple strategies for finding the healthiest choices at your supermarket.

1. Plan out the week's meals before you go to the supermarket, then make a grocery list. This will help you eat more nutritiously, reduce trips to the grocery store and save you money.

2. Walk past the end-of-the-aisle displays of food samples - they're usually higher in fat.

3. Be aware of products at eye level. High-fat, high-profit items are often placed here to encourage impulse buying.

4. Stick to the outside aisles of the store. The outside aisles contain the healthiest items, such as breads, meats, dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables.

5. Look for the right "label language"

• "Light" means that calories have been reduced by at least a third or the fat by at least half from the original product

• "Free" means that the product contains no (or negligible amounts of) fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar or calories

• Look for "lean" or "extra lean" on meats, poultry and seafood, which means the product has a lower fat content. Also ask for "lean" meats from the deli counter or butcher.

6. Check your supermarket for free nutrition pamphlets and services. Some grocery stores now have their own in-house nutrition experts.

Click here to go to Preferred Care's Health Encyclopedia for meal planning tips, complete with a printer-friendly meal planner and grocery list.

Posted: November 2004