Food for Thought: The Grocery Store

For my first nutrition post I couldn't decide what the topic should be, and then it dawned on me. What better place to start then where your first step in the decision making process of what to eat begins: the grocery store.

In general almost all grocery stores in the US are constructed the same way.

From Athletic Advantage Performance Training

If you notice less than 65% of the grocery store is fresh produce and meat. This is a disturbing percentage due to the simple fact that the less processed your food is, the better it is for you.

Before you ever go to the grocery store there are 2 main things you should make sure happens:
1. Create a list of items to pick up. - You can either determine these by creating a weekly meal chart and picking up strictly the ingredients you will need or by writing a list of your favorite foods you know you can consume in one week and figuring out your meal plan later. When creating your list, you should know that ALL FOODS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. Three major guidelines to stick by when creating your list are: 1. When choosing meat - The fewer legs it has, the better it is for you. (fish better than chicken, better than beef) 2. The closer to the ground the better. (Raw potato better than boxed potatoes) 3. The less ingredients the better it is for you. (Watch out for High Fructose Corn Syrup, Modified, Hydrogenated, etc.)

2. Have a snack! - This may sound like a bizarre suggestion. If you enter the grocery store hungry you are more likely to stray from your list, purchasing your wants as opposed to your needs. People also tend to buy more junk food if they are hungry when they enter the grocery store.

When you enter the grocery store having a game plan, your list should guide your way through the store. Along with your list, you should have a "route" through the grocery store. As Americans, we tend to skim through fresh produce, hit up the processed deli counter, and stick to all the middle aisles. BIG MISTAKE!!! The best food for you are located along the perimeter, and you should only stray from the outside of the grocery store to get minimal things. When straying from the perimeter try to stick to organic products or minimally processed products. Remember just because it's organic, doesn't mean you can eat more of it!

In our next post we are going to dive into reading labels and a further discussion about why not all foods are created equal. Enjoy your new look at the grocery store, and remember: NEVER enter those doors without a game plan!


In the future look for labels starting with 'Food for Thought'. I am not a nutritionist, although I have taken a number of nutrition focused courses. Everything I present in these articles will be supported by scholarly journals, so note that I am not prescribing any particular diet only presenting you with advice!