SHOP YOURSELF SKINNY! Be SMARTER than the AVERAGE shopper! part 2

SHOP YOURSELF SKINNY ~

Find the Organic and Natural Foods Section of your Grocery Store!  This is where you will find: Almond Butter, Larabar's, Luna Bars, Whole Wheat Flour and other food to introduce into your diet. 

If your store does not have a Natural Foods Section, ask the store manager to order some items in for you.

   Remember item suggested as healthy choices:

         ~ Almond butter vs peanut butter

         ~ Fresh Spinach vs Romaine or Iceburg Lettuce
         ~ Whole Oatmeal vs boxed packaged oatmeal
         ~ Frozen vegetables vs Canned vegetables
         ~ Larabars vs Granola Bars
         ~ Raw Whole Almonds vs Salted/flavored Almonds
         ~ Caffeine Free Herbal Tea vs Sweetened Bottled Green Tea
         ~ Fresh Fruit vs Canned Fruit....frozen is good TOO!

Supermarket Savvy ~ Tips for Shopping Healthy!

1. Produce. Spend the most time in the produce section, the first area you encounter in most grocery stores (and usually the largest). Choose a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables. The colors reflect the different vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content of each fruit or vegetable.
2. Breads, Cereals, and Pasta. Choose the least processed foods that are made from whole grains. For example, regular oatmeal is preferable to instant oatmeal. But even instant oatmeal is a whole grain, and a good choice. When choosing whole-grain cereals, aim for at least 4 grams of fiber per serving, and the less sugar, the better.    Keep in mind that 1 level teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams and let this guide your selections.  Avoid granolas, even the low-fat variety; they tend to have more fat and sugar than other cereals.Bread, pasta, rice, and grains offer more opportunities to work whole grains into your diet. Choose whole-wheat bread and pastas, brown rice, grain mixes, quinoa, bulgur, and barley.

**Looking for GLUTEN FREE ~  even your local store can have a great choice**   I wouldn't recommend the RICE CAKES - we laughed so hard as everyone in the family spit it out!!
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 When you think about how many teaspoons of sugar are in things, you make think twice about eating it or buying it for your family!  Example:     ZEBRA CAKES ~                                                                      

**These Zebra Cakes have 32grams of SUGAR = 8teaspoons of SUGAR in 2 cakes!  ZIKES!  Plus 14 grams of FAT.    I am not saying to take away sweets from your children, but homemade is better!  Make rice krispy treats with peanut butter or homemade cookies ~ oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip with dark chocolate.  Even regular rice krispy's or choc chip cookies are better homemade!

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3.  Meat, Fish, and Poultry. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week. Ward recommends salmon because people often like it, and it's widely available, affordable, not too fishy, and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to choose lean cuts of meat (like round, top sirloin, and tenderloin), opt for skinless poultry, and watch your portion sizes.

4.  Dairy. Dairy foods are an excellent source of bone-building calcium and vitamin D. There are plenty of low-fat and nonfat options to help you get three servings a day, including drinkable and single-serve tube yogurts, and pre-portioned cheeses.  **NON FAT Plain Yogurt ~ add alittle truvia and fresh/frozen fruit and it is YUMMY!

5.  Frozen Foods. Frozen fruits and vegetables (without sauce) are a convenient way to help fill in the produce gap, especially in winter.

6.  Canned and Dried Foods. Keep a variety of canned vegetables, fruits, and beans on hand to toss into soups, salads, pasta, or rice dishes. Whenever possible, choose vegetables without added salt, and fruit packed in juice. Tuna packed in water, Healthy Choice soups, nut butters, olive and canola oils, and assorted vinegars should be in every healthy pantry.

Check out a Grocery Store Tour Program in your area!  Live in the Columbus, Ohio area?  Call me to attend one of my Grocery Store Tours!

Take a WALK TODAY!  ENJOY NATURE and enjoy how the SUN makes you feel better!