3 Tips for Shopping Healthier

Supermarket shopping can be a weekly chore that can really make or break your health. It all starts with what you bring home as to what you consume through the week. If you don't buy it, then you don't eat it. It can be as simple as that, so getting the supermarket shop right is essential for keeping your health on the straight and narrow.

Below are my top 3 tips for mastering the art of the supermarket shop. And it's easier than you may think!

1. When buying fresh produce buy veggies/fruits with the leaves on it.

These leaves will give you an idea of the freshness of the produce, if they are wilted and tired looking then best to avoid, as it would suggest the produce is older. So sticking to carrots with their tops, beetroots with their leaves, full things of celery etc. The added benefit of the freshness is these leaves often have very high nutritional value (except for rhubarb), so chopping them up and using them in salads is the perfect way to add extra nutrition to your meals.

2. Stick to the outside of the supermarket. - Avoid going down every aisle.

You have probably heard this one before, but it is true. If you avoid going down every aisle and stick to the outside of the supermarket you will avoid temptation and stick to the healthier choices. Think about what is generally on the outside of the supermarket. Fresh produce, bakery, meat, deli, dairy, eggs. And I'm not saying that everything around the periphery is healthy, but it really does help you avoid the junk and the extras that can end up in the shopping trolley without even realising it.

3. Learn how to read nutrition labels.

Now this sounds like a lot of work but it's really not. If you only look at one thing then thats better than not looking at all.

Look for the sugars per 100g section. By looking at per 100g it makes it easier to compare products as they can manipulate numbers with changing serving sizes.

The sugar you are looking for is 10g or below. This is a general rule but one that you will find will really get rid of a lot of the processed foods in the supermarket.

To put this into context, 3g of sugar = 1 teaspoon.

Karah is a degree qualified Naturopath with over 8 years experience in the health profession. She is the owner and director at The Sana Co and has a special clinical interest in digestive health, seeing many patients with IBS, reflux/GORD, bloating and many other digestive conditions.