How to Grocery Shop Healthfully

By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD 

Getting the right foods at the grocery store to put together healthy, balanced meals can seem challenging and overwhelming. There are so many options and what seems to be countless temptations in every aisle. 

However, by preparing before you go to the store and implementing a few tips while you’re there, you can confidently choose healthy groceries. Here are our favorite strategies for how to grocery shop healthfully. 

1 – Sketch out a meal plan. 

First thing’s first—sit down and sketch out your meals for the week before you hit the store. Choose a style of meal planning that works for you, like planning dinner for every night or coming up with a list of foods you can use to make multiple dishes. Having at least some idea of what you’re going to eat will make it easier to navigate the grocery store. 

2 – Make a list. 

Making a grocery list is vital for a successful trip to the store. Start by adding the ingredients for the meals you plan to make that week. Stick to your list and you will be less likely to purchase unhealthy options or groceries you don’t need. Plus, having a grocery list will help you avoid food waste and make your trip to the store shorter. 

3 – Spend most of your time in the produce section. 

Just like a balanced plate that’s made up of half fruits and vegetables, your grocery list should include a lot of produce. Produce sections tend to be towards the front of stores. So, if you hit that section first, put all of your fruits and veggies at the beginning of your list. Organize the rest of the list according to the rest of the store layout. 

4 – Take an inventory of what you have and replace staples. 

As you start to get in a rhythm with grocery shopping, you will probably always have a few of the same staples on your list every week. Before you go to the store, take an inventory of these staples and put any that you need to replace on your list. 

Some of the best healthy staples to keep stocked include: 

  • Extra virgin olive oil 

  • Frozen veggie blends 

  • Frozen fruits 

  • Frozen proteins like chicken, burgers, and salmon 

  • Canned fish 

  • Canned or dried beans 

  • Greek yogurt 

  • Eggs 

  • Nuts/nut butters, seeds 

5 – Don’t fear the bulk bins, inner sections, or freezer aisles. 

One of the myths about healthy grocery shopping is that you should only shop the perimeter since the inner aisles only have unhealthy options. While snacks foods, desserts, and sodas tend to be in the middle aisles of a store, there are also so many healthy choices there! If you skip those areas, you’ll miss canned beans, oatmeal and other whole grains, frozen fruits and vegetables, and bulk bins with whole grains, nuts, and seeds. 

6 – Eat before you go. 

You may be familiar with one of the cardinal rules of grocery shopping—don’t go when you’re hungry! You will be a lot more likely to make impulse purchases and pick up less healthy things you see if you’re starving while you shop. 

Note from Healthy For Life Meals: Choosing one of our healthy meal plans will save you time spent on grocery shopping! Our meals are nutritionally balanced and made with fresh, delicious ingredients. Check out our menus and order today for your fresh meals delivered next week. 

Stef Keegan