How Healthy is Online Food Shopping?
By Sara Butler
It seems like a great idea to avoid the stress of the store: simply order all the food you need online, and then have it conveniently delivered to your car as you wait. Is it too good to be true or are you making worse choices for your health in the process? Here’s what you need to know about online food shopping and some tips to help you keep it healthy.
The Drawbacks
Online food shopping may be one technology trend that’s actually good for you but it’s not without its pitfalls. Preliminary studies have shown that when shopping online, people don’t tend to read the nutritional information as often as they do when physically shopping for food in the store. If you’re considering online shopping, don’t forget to check out the nutritional information available to you.
It appears as if people are also buying more snack foods and canned goods when shopping online than they do in person. That’s probably because unlike other, more perishable foods such as meat or produce, people don’t feel as if they need to examine prepackaged or canned food items. Just make sure you’re on the lookout for added salt and sugar!
The Good News
One of the major benefits of placing online food orders is that you have time to do your research, helping you to avoid impulse purchases that may land squarely in the unhealthy category. Plus, you don’t have to pass by the heavenly smells of fresh baked cookies wafting from the bakery section, so you’ll be less tempted to snag unhealthy foods. This helps to keep you healthy and helps your budget out too.
Ordering food online also helps to save time. You don’t have to wander down every aisle in search of the right ingredient or contend with other people as you fight to grab the last avocado. Online you simply search the ingredient, then add it to your cart.
In the end, online shopping may open your world up to even more healthy choices. That’s because when you take the time to sit down and plan out what you want to order, you’re probably going to make healthy meal plans for you and your family for the week. Just remember to stay organized and you should be able to reap all the benefits that online shopping has to offer to your health.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fontana, Calif.