The Joys of Food Shopping!!!

"I can spend hours in a grocery store. I get so excited when I see food, I go crazy. I spend hours arranging my baskets so that everything fits in and nothing gets squashed. I'm really anal about it, actually."
Cameron Diaz

Are you kidding me?  I guess shopping is a novelty for her!   I wish I felt that way about filling my cart with groceries!!!

Oh yes, the joy of food shopping!
It is so necessary but I really don't LOVE it ... Ok, I dread it.  But someone has to do it! 
To be on a mission to buy what your family needs when you are crunched for time isn't easy! Here are some strategies from my upcoming book "Winning the Game:  The Busy Mom's Manual for Refueling her Athletic Family."   

1.  What system works for you?  Handwritten list, no list, on-line shopping, smart phone app?  Stick with whatever works for your family.  If you're distracted like me, you will come home with food you really didn't need ... and you will forget that important ingredient you needed for your kid's birthday dinner!!  I need a list!!  Find something that works for you.  There are tons of apps out there that make it so easy to maintain your list.  I cannot live without the Cozi app.  Check it out!  http://www.cozi.com/
I also just found this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP-aPj-LJEA  (The Grocery Gadget Free App). If you have an iPhone, iPad or itouch you can use this app that is super organized ... as goofy as this couple is I think I'll check it out.  Let me know if any of you use this!!
2.  Be Consistent!  Enough said.
3.  Make Conscious Choices!  Try to choose seasonal fruits and veggies.  They are less expensive and were grown more locally than those out of season fruits that had to come from the other side of the world.  Keep trying with the fresh foods if you have a picky eater.  The colors help us get different vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients into our bodies!  If you are buying meat, choose animals that have not been locked in factories.  They've never seen sunlight and mostly have eaten foods they were not really designed to eat.  PINK SLIME ... yeah avoid those companies that have not taken it out.  (Also check out your kids' school lunch programs ... many food services are removing those meats that contain pink slime but many haven't yet as they will be stuck with excess food that is in storage ... call the board of ed offices to inquire.
4.  Shop the Perimeter of the Grocery Store ... why?  Those are the aisles you will find your produce, meat, fish, cheese, baked goods and dairy.  You can avoid the high priced processed foods if you stay on the outside of the store.
5.  Avoid Foods With "Lite" or "Reduced Calorie"  These foods are usually watered down and have artificial sweeteners and chemical additives. 
6.  Become a Food Detective When Questioning a Product!  A quick overview of strategies - read the labels!  I've worked with children and parents on how to read labels thanks to Dr. David Katz who designed "Nutrition Detectives,"  a great educational tool.

*Don't be fooled by the big letters on the front of the package.  Look for the itty bitty letters on the back!

*The first ingredient is always the BIGGEST!

*AVOID foods with partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat) and high fructose corn syrup!

*AVOID foods with a long ingredient list!

*FIBER IS YOUR FRIEND!  Beware of whole grain imposters! Foods should contain at least 2 grams of fiber per 100 calories.

Ok, your turn to get it done...on your mark ... 

Just kidding ... I just put my groceries away and all I can say is Yay it's done!  At least for now :)

Happy Shopping Fellow Peeps!

Or Smart Phone App?

Krista

Handwritten list ....