How to make a healthy grocery list

 


Do you know how to make a healthy grocery list? If not, then keep on reading!

A balanced diet is necessary for a healthy body. So therefore we need:
  • carbohydrates (which include fiber)    
  • proteins
  • fats
  • vitamins
  • mineral salts
  • water


Nutrients that our bodies need


These nutrients come from foods. Additionally, you can also obtain certain vitamins and minerals from supplements and water from the foods that you eat and the drinks that you drink. So you should be leaving the supermarket with foods in all these food groups.

When you're making a healthy grocery list you have to take into account of the number of persons that the food will be feeding, each person's nutritional requirement which will differ from each other because of their age, gender, if they have any deficiency, etc. and also so will the number of calories that they will need.

When we choose these we must always:

- Buy more nutrient dense foods or real whole foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, etc.

- Avoid foods that has empty calories. These foods have very few/no nutrient whatsoever and still contain lots of calories. eg. sugar, processed foods, junk foods. Buy a small quantity of these if you can't leave it out.

- Buy the ingredients to make foods instead of buying the foods already cooked. This will ensure that you're aware of what's in your food.


- Don't stack up on too many unhealthy foods because it's on sale! Once these foods are on sale you'll tend to buy a lot, which will last a long time and hence you'll want to eat more of it just because you have it in your house. Just buy what's on your list and ignore the sale.

So, therefore, your shopping cart must contain vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy lean proteins, healthy fats, and water.

Below are some specific healthy food options in each food group, but there are many more that aren't included in this list.

CARBOHYDRATES

Grains
brown rice
quinoa
couscous
whole wheat pasta
whole wheat bread
barley 
steel cut oatmeal

Fruits and vegetables
bananas
strawberries
lemons
blueberries 
mushrooms
sweet potatoes
cucumbers
tomatoes
carrots
zucchini
eggplant
garlic
onion
ginger
bread fruit
eddo

Seeds
sunflower seeds
flaxseeds
pumpkin seeds

Sweeteners
coconut sugar
molasses
honey
date sugar

You can read more about these healthy options for processed sugar here.


PROTEINS

Legumes
beans
lentils
chickpeas

Fish and meat
low-fat meat- skinless chicken breasts
wild salmon
shrimp
eggs

Soy
Tofu

Dairy
yogurt
cottage cheese


Plant-based milk
almond milk
oat milk
coconut milk
rice milk
flax milk

FATS
avocados- good fat
coconut oil
Olive oil
nuts

VITAMINS AND MINERAL SALTS
These are acquired when you eat foods from the different food groups.

WATER
plain old water
coconut water
lemon water
tea

It's important that you shop healthy foods if you want to eat more healthy!




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