Make Your Grocery Store Experience An All Around Healthier One
What we consider to be one of the healthiest places that we frequent, sadly, the grocery store is a beacon of unhealthy habits, and this is actually one of the more common places for us to act out our unhealthy actions on a regular basis.
Everything from mindless eating to mindless purchasing, many of your important food choices happen at the grocery store. From the free sample table to the candy aisle, temptations for derailing our health are at every turn. However, making just a few conscious changes can help make the grocery store a healthier place for you and and your lifestyle.
Stick To Your List
It has been found that the rate at which we put items into our cart, is far higher at the beginning of our grocery store run, than it is at the end of it. So, do yourself a favor and head straight to the produce aisle when you first enter. A good rule of thumb is to shop the "perimeter" of the store. The set up of the majority of grocery stores is to have all of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and non-processed foods on the outer ring of the store, while the processed, frozen, chemically infused foods are in the middle aisles.
Resist The Sample Table
In every facet of our lives, we become extremely susceptible to subliminal and flashy advertising, sampling and bright, elaborate packaging. So, it should come as no surprise that sample tables around grocery stores are generally at the front, enticing you to try the latest and greatest, and they are also typically not trying to have you consume fresh fruit. Things like meats, candies and even alcohol are the high rollers at the sample tables. One easy way to conquer the temptation of succumbing to these tactics is to snack while you shop. Eat an apple, or a banana or even chew gum to keep you busy and to keep your mind off unhealthy foods.
A Sneaky Way To Eat More Broccoli
A marketing ploy that may not be so bad after all, is the grocery store's use of things like sauces and dips, strategically placed in the produce aisles. Well, depending on the type that you buy, this may actually increase your urge to want to eat healthy. Knowing that you can enjoy healthy broccoli or carrots with a nice low fat ranch dip, can see you eating more healthy foods with ease.
