Healthy Shopping AND Snacking (all in ONE)

We have Molly Mallette back today to give you a “one pager”, so to speak:  a great reference on Healthy Shopping & Snacking.

Snacking is an important part of a healthy diet. Snacking helps fill nutritional gaps in meals, helps prevent overeating at meals, and maintains our energy in between meals. Unfortunately there are many snack foods filling grocery store shelves and vending machines that are packed with sugar, fat and sodium and counteract the healthy benefits of snacking.
In order to snack healthy we must shop healthy, which is not always an easy task especially when we’re on a budget or bringing children along.

Here are few tips for shopping smart in the grocery store:
• Shop the perimeter – Spending most of your time on the outskirts of the store can help you stick to fresh and less processed foods. Cheese, yogurt, fruits and vegetables, and fresh meats are almost always located around the perimeter of stores.
• Shelf-stable staples (say that ten times fast!) – Canned vegetables, dried fruit, nut butters, and whole grain products, such as pastas, barley, rice and cereals are healthy items that have long shelf lives. Try to stick with low-sodium canned vegetables and nut butters that contain less sugar and additives.
• Involve your kids – Allowing children to help pick out foods can spark their interest and make them more likely to eat the healthy foods you purchase. Giving your children tasks will also help keep their attention and avoid tantrums or misbehavior. Some experts also suggest using the grocery store as a method of teaching children how to make smart choices when choosing foods.
• Enhance flavors – Try salsas, vinegars, mustards, herbs, and spices to add more flavor to your foods. Rather than relying on heavily processed foods that have been pre-marinated or come with a premade sauce, experiment with different low-calorie items to design your own unique sauces and seasonings.
• Plan ahead – Make a list of what you need and stick to it! This will help you stay within your budget.
• Eat before shopping – The hungrier you are while shopping, the more likely you are to indulge in junk food.

Now that you know a few strategies for shopping smart, here are some tips to snack smart:
• Add protein – Adding a handful of nuts such as almonds or pistachios to fruit or adding nut butters to whole grains can help keep you full until your next meal. Other good sources of protein to add to snacks are low-fat cheeses, yogurt, or milk.
• Incorporate whole grains – whole grains provide fiber which digests slowly allowing you to feel fuller longer. Dry cereal, crackers, toast, oatmeal, and plain popcorn are great examples of whole grain snacks.
• Make fruit and veggies convenient – keeping a bowl of fresh washed fruit in your kitchen allows for a quick grab and go snack when you are in a rush. Keeping fresh-cut up veggies in your refrigerator is also a great way to avoid a lot of prep work at snack time. Grocery stores often sell cut up fruit or snack sized containers of produce and healthy dips such as hummus or peanut butter which may be helpful for on-the-go families.
• Plan ahead – When eating healthy, it is important to plan ahead. Determining or preparing your snacks for the day ahead of time can make getting ready for work or school in the morning less stressful, and can help you avoid making poor snack choices when you are hungry.
• Portion size – pay attention to the size of your snacks. Read the labels on packaged foods and avoid overeating. Snack items such as nuts and seeds contain a great deal of fat which is why it is important not to eat too many of these.
• Make snacks kid-friendly – Getting creative with snacks is a fun way to help your child eat healthy. Making snacks into fun shapes, or allowing children to combine their favorite healthy foods into a new snack is an excellent way keep your child interested in eating healthy. Here is a link to some fun and healthy snack ideas for children published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

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