GROCERY SHOPPING and READING LABELS

I put these two together because before I buy any food I check the label so we’ll cover them as one subject.

So…the first tip we always get is 

1. DON’T GO SHOPPING WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY!That seems pretty menial but we don’t always pay heed to it, I know I don’t and end up paying for it when I don’t listen to my and others advise.  EVERYTHING looks good when you’re hungry and the brain stops functioning, so DO pay attention to this rule.  
2. SHOP THE PERIPHERAL FIRST.  That simply means go around the out aisles and counters first.  That’s where you’ll find your fruits and vegetables and meats and cheeses and other FRESH FOODS!  We want to get that cart filled up mostly with these foods BEFORE we hit the inside aisles!
3. SHOP WITH YOUR EYES FIRST!  Look up high on the shelves and then down low.  We normally see what’s before our eyes which is where we find the company’s THAT CAN BUY THE BEST SPACE ON THE SHELVES!  There are a lot of products you’ve never seen because you’ve never looked!
4. DON’T BUY THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD unless it’s a good healthy food that you love.  So many people go off “diets” because they get tired of eating the same foods over and over.  My question would be:  WHY?  Our rule is every time we shop we buy something new and, if we like it, it goes on my favorite foods list so we don’t forget it!  Haven’t you ever bought something, loved it, forgotten it and MONTHS later you see it again and say, “Boy, if I had had that in the house I could have stay on program”.  
5. So, START YOUR OWN SHOPPING LIST! Go through your kitchen today and write down all the foods you have that you LOVE and are HEALTHY (good calories, not too much fat, good fiber) and, when it’s time to go shopping look that list over and begin your shopping list for the week.
6. ALWAYS SHOP WITH A LIST so you don’t get off track and, except for the one or two new products, STICK TO IT!
7. In order to stick with a list PRE-PLAN YOUR MENUS FOR THE WEEK!  At least do the dinners since they’re the hardest.  If you don’t have the foods in the house YOU’LL EAT ANYTHING!

So, there you have some BASIC rules but….let’s talk about what kind of foods to get according to labels.  What are the important things to look for on a label?

1. The first thing I look at are CALORIES!  
2. The second thing is HOW MANY SERVINGS PER CONTAINER!  These two things are really one thing in my mind.  Why?  Have you ever picked up a small package of something ( looks like a serving) and the calories are low and, after you’ve eaten it, gone back and found out it was something like 2 1/2 servings?  Too late to do something then.  Check out some candy apples – one serving, huh?  NOT! I’ve seen lots that are 2 SERVINGS!  Have you ever shared one?  Of course not!  Some bottles of beverages that LOOK like one serving are actually two!  I’ve even seen an ice cream BAR that was two servings.  Check!! You’ll be amazed!  If you know that once you buy that 2 1/2 serving chip bag that you’ll no doubt eat the whole thing PUT IT BACK AND PUT IT BACK FAST!!!
3. Okay, so next I want to see the fat count.  We need fat in our diet, actually it takes fat to burn fat, but we don’t need TOO much.  Thirty five to forty five grams a day is about right for most of us but we want HEALTHY FAT!  Limit saturated and  trans-fat (found in lots of packaged foods – it’s on the label as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil and should be limited to 1 to 2 grams a DAY).  Then we have polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.  These are the GOOD fats.  To break it down – saturated fats lower the good cholesterol, trans-fats lower the good and raise the bad, polynsaturated lower the bad, monounsturated lower the bad and raise the good!  
4. Next step is CHECK THE FIBER.  If you’re buying whole grain foods and eating lots of fruits and vegetables you’re probably getting some good fiber.  Example – a white flour tortilla has practically no fiber, the whole grain one I use (La Tortilla Carb Cutting) has 7 grams of fiber.  My Fiber One bar has 9 grams.  Popcorn has around 4 grams for 3 1/2 cups.  You want at least 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day.  It fills you up and keeps you satisfied so you don’t eat too much!
5. The SUGAR count is something to check up on also.  Every four grams is one teaspoon so keep it down BUT check the ingredients for what kind of sugar.  An apple would have a sugar content if it had a label but it’s fructose so that’s okay!  We’ll talk about sugars in a later blog.
6. And last CHECK THE SODIUM!  A 2,000 calorie diet (which most of us are eating less than) should stay at or below 2,400 mg.  We all know that too much sodium is not good for our health BUT IT ALSO WILL MAKE YOU RETAIN FLUIDS AND SHOW IT ON THE SCALE.  Leave it to me to find the most important reason not to have too much sodium (kidding!).  But really, eat Chinese food one night and the next day you might be up a couple of pounds.  If you’re in my class I’ll always remind you to drink more and the real number will show the next week.

Okay guys!  If you have any questions about the above, leave a comment and I’ll answer it in an upcoming post or, if you need it, I’ll get right back to you.  Make it a great week!!