Navigating the grocery store: familiar and uncharted territory

Yesterday was my very first trip to WHOLE FOODS. (GASP... I know!) I was INCREDIBLY overwhelmed with the stimulus overload trifecta: free samples everywhere, extremely perky staff, and VERY crowded aisles. To be fair it is a weekend and I should have braced for impact before stepping into what many have not so affectionately called: 

I often people say things to the affect of "I would eat healthier if it wasn't so expensive" to which I often think or if I am feeling particularly snarky say, "Well groceries or doctors bills, you choose." The truth is there are many options worthy of exploring if you are truly ready to make a change. 

So lets take this step by step.  Please note that the following strategies should be used whenever making FOOD purchases even from so called "Health Food" stores. I often talk about the difference between GOOD FOR YOU and LESS BAD FOR YOU. Think about what you have been eating and what category it would fall in. 

1. Take a tip from the Boy Scouts: BE PREPARED or better yet the US Coast Guard: SEMPER PARATUS 

(ALWAYS PREPARED). 

Not only should you NOT go grocery shopping HUNGRY but you should never go unarmed; with your list that is. How can you make a list if you don't know what you're serving? SO your REAL Step 1 is:  Make a Menu! 

Take some time to plan your week. Write the ingredients you will need for each meal. Be sure to check your  inventory at home so you don't make an unnecessary purchase. Not only will you be an efficient shopper and save money but you will be more likely to stick to your plan rather than ordering takeout, or going out to eat, or making another unhealthy choice in the form of a smorgasbord of whatever you have at arms reach. This worked incredibly well at my house. Whoever is home first can start dinner because there is no guesswork. 

 You may be thinking that you do go to the grocery store with a list and you still spend not just an arm and a leg but ALL day in the grocery store. Find a system that works for you to identify where the items on your list can be found in the grocery store. You can section off your list to begin with or maybe take a highlighter to your list with a code that makes sense to you giving produce, meat, fish, dairy their own color. This way you can whiz through the grocery store and get what you will need with minimal distractions from any mysterious marketing ploys. If you have a habit of forgetting your list and working from memory at the store don't worry there's an app for that!

2. MAN THE PERIMETER

Your vision and judgement can become blurred in the middle aisles of the grocery store. The outer perimeter should fill the bulk of your shopping carriage with fresh produce  (That's right, I am from Massachusetts and we say shopping carriages. No amount of signs in FL will make me say cart and certainly not buggy). These aisles are processed food central. 

3. BEWARE OF BUZZ WORDS/PHRASES

Don't let yourself be fooled by marketing. The latest buzz is about gluten free food and a low number of ingredients. Advertisers have a genius way of taking what we believe to mean healthy and spinning their products to trick us. When purchasing ANYTHING packaged the FRONT is for the advertisers to wow/entice you to purchase the product and the back is where the real nutritional data lies. In Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food, Christine Avanti encourages readers to become "Label Detectives". If you read the previous blog you know I have warned you not to believe that the FDA is on your side. Their job is to regulate NOT educate. Here are three of the phrases that are trying to fool you: 

"A good source of Fiber"

• May contain synthetic fiber which is not digested as natural fiber nor does it have the same benefit as fiber coming from natural sources (beans, whole grains, or produce)

"All natural"

• This term actually means NOTHING.  There is NO regulation on this term so marketers are free to use this term without substantiating their claims. If its so natural anyways why is it in a package? Are there naturally occurring canning factories I am unaware of?

"Whole Wheat or Made with Whole Grains"

• Wheat Flour and Whole Grain Wheat Flour are NOT interchangeable terms! You should be looking for foods labeled 100% Whole Grain or 100% Whole Wheat (read: absolutely no refined wheat flour) or Whole Grain. Don't forget to check out the ingredient list on the back and if you see "enriched wheat flour" or "stone ground flour" put it back on the shelf and move on. The nonprofit Whole Grains Council has created stamps to help you decipher real grains from savvy imposters. They are fairly new so if you have a promising wheat/grain product be sure to check out the ingredients before discarding what may simply be a slow down in stamp distribution.

(For the full list be sure to check out Avanti's book, Skinny Girls Eat Real Food)

4. OUT SMART OVERPRICED ORGANICS

By now I am sure you know at least the BASICS of why it is beneficial to buy organic (Produce, meats, grains, and dairy products yielded from farming practices that have a minimal impact on the environment and ecosystem that are free of harmful chemicals, additives, and hormones). In a perfect world we wouldn't have to sacrifice our nutrition in order to keep the grocery bills down. We need to escape the all or nothing mentality that stops so many of our healthy endeavors. The "Dirty Dozen" and  "Clean 15" are two resources you can use to guide your organic purchases. 

The Dirty Dozen are foods with a high pesticide residue so when possible buy these items organic. Another rule I use is anything that has skin that I will eat I try to buy organic. Items that have a thick peel: bananas or oranges for example, I am not so worried about. Conversely, the Clean 15 are those items with a low pesticide residue so feel free to save one these traditional produce items. Whenever possible skip the grocery store all together and head out to your local farmer's market. This is a great way to support your local agricultural resources and often get produce at its peak of freshness. Organizations like Local Harvest can help you find a Farmer's Market near you.

5. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

When looking for new items don't be afraid to ask for directions in the grocery store! Many of the items that have become staples of my diet took me a very long time to find. I never thought I would find my bread in the freezer section or "pasta" in the refrigerated section. I use websites like Amazon.com to purchase dry goods at a MUCH cheaper price than I found at any grocery store. 

What are the FOOD RULES?

I often have people ask me what the "important" food rules are. The truth is the nutritional advice is often inconsistent AT BEST with conflicting ideas among respected dietitians & nutritionists, scientists, and how the media chooses to relay information; its hard to keep up! In fact, someone recently advocated for restricting water intake because "too much water can kill you".

To be fair, Water Intoxication is a real condition but unless you are an endurance athlete or an infant you are safe with surpassing the recommended 64 oz per day. Are you guilty of manipulating a food rule to your advantage?  Think about what you have heard:  Red Wine is good for your heart (Sadly, I am sure that the benefits came from drinking a glass not a bottle), Vegetarian diets are healthy (This is surely not free reign to OD on refined carbs), and Antioxidants make everything better (Blueberries are a good source of antioxidants of course BUT I am pretty sure throwing them in a stack of pancakes negates the benefit). In fact, in Food Rules, Michael Pollan states "its entirely possible to eat healthily without knowing what an antioxidant is".

So why all the confusion? In short, its good business for the food manufacturers: the more theories about what is healthy the easier it is to advertise towards the specific claims and everyone's "right". Have you ever thought about how so many items in the grocery aisles can all be so good for you but the American population is so unhealthy? 

I have recently read Food Rules and recommend it as a good kick start to your REAL FOOD journey. Sure many rules are reminders of what you have heard (but might not be practicing), but after reading this book its much easier to navigate the grocery store and protect your cupboards and your body from what Pollan not so affectionately refers to as "edible food like substances". After all,  isn't that what processed food is? A collection of chemicals shaped into something resembling food. I can already sense your objection, "But, its FDA approved! So it MUST be safe!" That FDA label is merely fancy flare the big businesses add on to their packaging and why are you so certain the FDA has your back? Who has the resources to go after an FDA approval? Big Business. Don't be fooled into thinking that Less bad for you and Good for you  are the same things! Rule #8 cautions consumers against foods that profess their healthy "benefits" because a) it comes in a package to display their claims and is therefore processed and b) Broccoli doesn't need to boast about its benefits! 

I urge you to pick this book up and take some time to reboot your ideas about food. In search of the secret, Pollan discovered we are seven words away from success: 

That is WAY to simple to be the answer! Surely, with the technology available to create supplements and new ways we study the human body and its functions there HAS to be more to it! Maybe not since the average American (both male and female) is 20 pounds heavier than 20 years ago. 

Since the Rules are grouped by theme I will share my TOP 12 Food Rules with you and hope you find some that resonate with you: 

Rule #7 AVOID FOODS CONTAINING INGREDIENTS THAT A THIRD GRADER CANNOT PRONOUNCE

Forget the 3rd grader have YOU looked at your labels lately? This one ties in nicely with 

Rule #15 EAT FOODS MADE FROM INGREDIENTS YOU CAN PICTURE IN THEIR RAW STATE OR GROWING IN NATURE 

Can you guess what this ingredient list is for? I'll give you a hint its "Heart Healthy"

I have to say I am a little overwhelmed trying to decipher that code for CHEERIOS! Do you know what distilled monoglycerides look like (without google-ing?) 

Rule #10 AVOID FOODS THAT ARE PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT 

Now, I know I advocate for swaps and am partial to most things covered by Hungry Girl so I am NOT talking about things like Cauliflower Mock Potatoes or Shirataki Tofu Noodles. One of the biggest offenders is the 100 Calorie Pack Craze. Not only are you spending WAY to much per serving on things that are rarely satisfying but they're still chips, cookies, crackers that are highly processed and not very good. If I'm going to have a cookie its going to be delicious I would rather splurge once in a while and enjoy it that settle for a mediocre substitute. 

This also pertains to pretty much anything that claims to be low or nonfat. How do you think they make the cream cheese nonfat. It definitely does not happen naturally which makes me think of 

Rule # 20 DON'T INGEST FOODS MADE IN PLACES WHERE EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO WEAR A SURGICAL CAP

MOSTLYPLANTS

Rule #27 EATING WHAT STANDS ON ONE LEG IS BETTER THAN WHAT STANDS ON TWO LEGS, WHICH IS BETTER THAN EATING WHAT STANDS ON FOUR LEGS

I love the term Pescatarean. If we are going for least number of legs then 0 must be greater than 1! If you know me or remember my eating habits from 5 years ago you are probably laughing that I suggesting others eat more seafood. There is something to be said for fueling your body and once you know how to prepare formerly "scary" foods you will learn that being delicious and nutritious are not mutually exclusive terms. Too often we try "healthy foods" but forget to spice them up. There is no wonder most people perceive healthy as bland! One great piece of advice in regards to portion size I was received was that I could have a little piece of read meat, a bigger piece of chicken, or a giant piece of fish. I am a quantity girl so Fish wins most of the time! 

I am certainly not advocating for everyone to become vegetarian or vegan but coupling this rule with 

Rule # 26 TREAT MEAT AS A FLAVOR OR SPECIAL OCCASION FOOD 

Try filling your plates up with colorful veggies (Rule #28) then have a "side" of meat. It will save you from not only added calories but also the extra saturated fat that comes with that steak. Also, we often eat meat as our go to protein and have it in some form at each meal. Let's be creative with our proteins, shall we? 

Rule #41 MILK IS A FOOD NOT A BEVERAGE & Rule #40 MAKE WATER YOUR BEVERAGE OF CHOICE

Besides milk, we drink hundreds of unnecessary calories daily! YOU over there with the zero calorie Vitamin Water, Crystal Light, or Diet Soda are not getting off so easy. I am guilty too! For me, there is nothing like an ice cold fountain DC as a treat! Eating/Drinking sweet makes you crave more sweet! You are better off sticking to water to quench your thirst. I rarely turn down a fountain soda when I am out to eat (I do not keep soda in the house) so when I have it I want to enjoy the bubbly goodness NOT wash my meal down with it. Some of you are reading and thinking water is so boring; so spice it up! Add citrus, cucumber, or berries (extra points if you use frozen fruit not only does it flavor your water but it also chills it too!  Pretty soon that Vitamin Water Lemonade will be a distant memory. 

Just one more brief thought on the subject of dairy. Not only is it unnecessary calories in the name of calcium (there is actually more calcium per serving in Soy and Almond Milk) but it causes MOST humans physical pain in order to digest it. We are all somewhere on the lactose intolerance spectrum maybe you just haven't hit your limit yet. I will leave you with this quasi-gross image and the question why are we the ONLY mammals who drink the milk of another species?

NOT TOO MUCH 

This isn't breaking news! We are in control of what we eat and how much. Don't let habit rule your life. Its time to take CONTROL and RESPONSIBILITY for your HEALTH. This isn't about fitting into a specific size or hitting an elusive number on the scale this is about living a long healthy life for your family and teaching your children be healthy as well. These last few rules will help guide your choices of HOW to eat. 

Food is fuel. It is not: Entertainment, a Friend, Comfort, or a Reward. Although I will save the topic "Food is an abusive relationship" for another day, think about how food shows up in your life. Have you had a bad day and "deserve it"? Maybe you don't want to hurt a host's feelings by turning down an unhealthy choice. Christine Avanti, nutritionist and author suggests using "I'm off sugar for health reasons"as a go to reason for declining when faced with food peer pressure. If you are committed to your health and wellness you will find a way, if not you will find an excuse. 

Rule #56 EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY NOT WHEN YOU ARE BORED

It is often hard to differentiate simply because we have established these patterns of behavior where we think we need food at certain times (after school, dinner time, when we are sad, etc) or during activities (at the movies or watching TV- Are you one of the many who watch Biggest Loser with a bowl of ice cream?). I use my 15:15 rule to help crack the food vs. boredom conundrum- drink 15 oz of water (roughly) and wait 15 minutes. If I am still hungry I will grab a small handful of almonds or a piece of fruit which brings me to my next rule: 

Rule # 57 IF YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY ENOUGH TO EAT AN APPLE, THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT HUNGRY

If you have ever thought to yourself I am hungry but I don't know what I want; you are NOT hungry. 

Finally, we will focus on quantity: 

Rule #67 BUY SMALLER PLATES AND GLASSES

Clearly you are not to be trusted with portion size, and I am not either. I have gotten into the habit of using my lunch plates for dinner solely because if there is space I will fill it and my more than adequate size dinner portion looks better on the lunch plate. Eating healthily doesn't mean you need to hide out at home. When out to eat know that a restaurant portion is 2 maybe 3 times the portion of food you should be eating and that's not VALUE they are adding their so don't be fooled. If you have ever complained about a "fancy" restaurant serving too small portions it's likely because we are so used to being over served that we don't know what a true portion looks like any more. 

Rule# 68 SERVE A PROPER PORTION AND DON'T GO BACK FOR SECONDS

Step away from the family style meal! Serve your dinner from the counter or better yet another room. If you have to get up to get seconds you have another opportunity to JUST SAY NO. Too often we eat because its there not because you are hungry. Trust me the extra is both a WASTE in the trash and on your body and its not helping starving children anywhere. If you are out to eat as for a to go container up front to put away half for later or split an entree with someone. 

So SLOW down, enjoy the food you are tasting, put your fork down in between bites, and limit your drink intake during your meal. This last trick will not only slow you down because your whistle isn't so wet that your food slides down your throat at lightning speed ready for the next bite BUT it will help with digestion too. 

I hope you have an opportunity to check out these and Michael Pollan's other food rules. Please let me know what YOUR favorites are.