9 Grocery Shopping Tips

Shopping for food is something many of us do. Who doesn’t look for ways to save both time and money? With these tips, you can fill up your cart with healthy food, stay within your budget, and be in and out of the store in record time. 

Here are 9 tips to make your next grocery run a home run:

1. Go prepared. Plan weekly menus and make your list ahead of time so you can stay focused as you shop. Avoid purchasing less healthy items that you don’t need. This will help you eat smart AND stick to your budget.
   
   
2. Don’t shop on an empty stomach. This can lead to impulsive purchases because you’re hungry.
   
   
3. Start on the perimeter of the store. Most grocery stores stock their fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy, fish, seafood, poultry and lean meats on the outer aisles. Look for produce that’s in season and healthy choices that are on sale to save some money. Next, move to the interior aisles to look for canned products, including beans, fruits (no sugar added), vegetables (no salt added). Look for whole grains, including bulgur, quinoa, rice, pasta and barley. Finally, head over to the frozen aisle to pick up frozen fruit and vegetables to keep on hand. Skip the aisles that have stock heavily processed foods such as sodas, candy and cookies. If you go down them, you may be tempted to pick up items that aren’t healthy choices.
   
   
4. Read Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists. Ingredients and nutrient content can vary among similar products. When there’s more than one choice, compare labels. Choose the item with the lowest amounts of sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. You can also search online for products bearing the Heart-Check mark or look for the mark on products while you shop. Products carrying this mark are certified to meet nutritional requirements for a heart-healthy food.
   
   
5. Look for the term "whole." Look for items that list a whole grain first in the ingredient list. Shop for whole grains including sorghum, brown rice, oats, bread and pasta. Learn more about whole grains and fiber.
   
   
6. Go lean. When shopping for protein, look for the term “lean” on the packaging and choose lean cuts of meat, such as top sirloin, flank steak, tenderloin and skinless chicken breasts. When choosing canned fish or chicken, look for those packaged in water rather than oil and labeled “no salt added” or “lower sodium.” Get more tips on picking healthy proteins.
   
   
7. Stock up on canned fruit and vegetables. Canned products often have a long shelf life. Stock up on them so you’ll always have healthy options in your pantry. When buying canned vegetables, look for items that are labeled “no salt added” or “lower sodium.” Buy frozen vegetables without sauces, seasonings or salt. Before cooking or serving canned veggies or beans, rinse and drain them to get rid of excess sodium. When buying canned fruit, look for items canned in water, natural juice or labeled as “no added sugar.” Buy frozen fruit without added sugars, syrups or sweeteners. Get more tips on buying fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.
   
   
8. Bring your own cooler bags. Putting refrigerated or frozen foods in cooler bags while you shop will keep colder items at safe temperatures. For food safety, bag the produce separately from the meats.
   
   
9. Portion out what you bring in. When you get home from the store, portion out your snack foods such as unsalted nuts and whole-grain crackers, fresh fruit such as grapes or cherries, and fresh vegetables such as celery sticks and baby carrots into small containers or snack-size baggies. This can help with portion control and make grabbing healthy foods the easy choice.