Grocery Shopping 101

So it’s that time of the week to go Grocery Shopping.  Some of us dread it and some of us love it, but one thing we all have in common is that it’s a necessity.  Have you ever looked around at other people’s carts?   C’mon I know you have:).  Does what others have in their cart inspire you to get a specific type of food?  Let’s say you see this delicious pastry in someone’s cart, believe it or not just by looking at this (if you have a sweet tooth) can start the digestive process by making your salivary glands produce saliva.  This sends a signal to the body and you may not go buy that pastry, but you are more likely to put something in your cart that will satisfy your subliminal craving.  The same thing happens if you stroll up next to a health food junkie and you see lots of Fruits, Veggies, and lean Meats in their cart.  You’re probably not going to salivate lol, but you will have the subconscious urge to get some healthier options in that cart!
 
So it’s easy to pick out something that is not so good for you.  You look at the picture on the cover or the food itself, say wow that looks good, and put it in the cart.  So how do we get those healthier food options into that cart?  Let’s start looking at the Nutrition Labels!  What are we looking for, Fat, Cholesterol, Carbohydrates?  While looking for that content is O.K., I guess.  That’s where we make our mistake!  Look below the Nutritional Facts at those ingredients.  Rule of thumb if it sounds like a chemistry experiment down there, put the item back on the shelf and stroll quickly down the aisle.  Try to pick out foods that have less chemistry and are more simple and natural for starters.  These foods are more situated on the outer perimeter of the grocery store. 
 
So what section of the grocery store do you start and end? Do you do the peek at the cart thing?  Have you ever put something in the cart that you regretted and once you unpacked it at home thought to yourself “Oh well, I bought it so I guess it can’t go to waste”?