Healthy Numbers Module 10
After this lesson you will be able to: 1. Feel more comfortable choosing healthy foods while grocery shopping. 2. Use tips and tricks to make meal prep faster. 3. Use the food label to make a healthy choice.
At this point you have learned which foods fall into macronutrient categories, how to create a healthy plate and developing a meal plan. Now it’s time to get out of the house and head to the grocery store! While it is easy to understand where whole foods - such as apples, whole grain bread, and chicken – are categorized some struggle with packaged or combination foods. This is where label reading comes in and this session will give you the basic tools to become a savvy shopper.
In the last session you created a meal plan and shopping list to match. If you are planning only dinners, don’t forget to add food for your breakfast, lunch and snack ideas.
Stocking up There are many lists you can find for staples of a well-stocked kitchen. But sometimes having too much “stock” in your kitchen can be a problem. Try to focus on just the food your family will need for that week. The reason this practice can be dangerous is because when you buy from bulk stores or have excess food you are more likely to overeat. It is easy to fall into the mentality of mindless munching and large portions. When you eat food from a large container you perceive that you have not eaten as much as you really have, the same is true when you have a large amount of food available. Large containers = larger portions = mindless calories consumed = weight gain. If you do shop at a bulk food store, there are some healthy food finds such as cheese, frozen vegetables, frozen fruit and some meats. Since you are not going to use these items all at once, immediately place them in smaller plastic bags and freeze them. This allows you to pull out a smaller amount of these foods in the refrigerator to use while the rest remains frozen. For example split a large bag of frozen fruit into smaller bags and return them to the freezer. When you are ready to eat, place one bag in the refrigerator before bed time and in the morning toss it in the blender with some yogurt for a fast smoothie.
Find your focus at the store and go alone This may be a laughable point to many, especially when juggling a full-time job, kids hanging from the cart and all the other things we have going on. However, it is really important even if it is just once or twice. This allows you time to really look at the food you are purchasing. Using your shopping list can be efficient but to make the most of your list, try to visualize how you travel through the store. Typically when you enter a store the first thing you encounter is the produce section. Use this to your advantage by grouping all the produce you need to purchase in one place on your list. Continue this way throughout the store. HealthyClip.com
It is recommended to choose as many whole foods as possible. Instead of canned green beans, choose fresh or frozen. Check out the ingredient list on these frozen packages and be sure it only lists the produce itself… no salt! Common advice is to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store but there are also healthy finds in the aisles. At first don’t get too wrapped up in the myriad of options out there. Start will foods you eat most commonly and aim to choose the best option there. For example, if you purchase a loaf of bread each week, take time to pick the best bread (high in fiber, fewer ingredients, no high fructose corn syrup, etc.). However, if you only buy granola bars a few times a year pick which ones you enjoy and focus your time someplace else. You will find more information about label reading in the next section.
Shopping Organic “Organic” is a designation used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program to certify food that was produced without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers, genetic engineering, radiation or sewage sludge. So is buying organic foods best for you? Bottom Line: Buy organic produce whenever, possible and only when your budget allows. Beyond the produce aisle choosing “organic” or “natural” foods can get challenging so be sure to read the label. There is no nutritional difference between organically grown and conventionally grown items. However, organically grown foods will reduce your exposure to pesticides. It also can help support environmentally friendly farming practices that minimize soil erosion, safeguard workers and protect water quality and wildlife. For a quick reference the EWG (Environmental Working Group) has created a Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in ProduceTM. Dirty Dozen Plus: These foods have the most pesticides and should be bought organically grown when possible Apples Peaches Celery Potatoes Cherry Spinach Tomatoes Strawberries Cucumbers Sweet bell peppers Grapes Collards & kale Hot peppers Summer squash Nectarines (imported) Zucchini Clean Fifteen: These foods have the fewest pesticides and can be bought conventionally grown. Asparagus Mangos Avocado Mushrooms Cabbage Onions Cantaloupe Papayas Corn Pineapples Eggplant Sweet peas (frozen) Grapefruit Sweet potatoes Kiwi
HealthyClip.com
From Grocery Cart to Pantry You have your food and your meal plan, now time to get organized. This is a step people sometimes overlook because they are too busy or feel like it can wait. Doing a little extra work on the front end will save time and a headache on the other end.
Prepping Your Meals Carving out just an hour or so to prep your food for the week can make a huge difference in your ability to stick with a meal plan and avoid common temptations. You can go as far as you want prepping your meal. Some choose to chops veggies, cook meat, and label storage bags or go a little further by assembling meals and placing some in the freezer. Before you start slicing and dicing, start with a clean kitchen. It sounds silly but it really does help make meal prep run efficiently. If you are freezing some meals for later in the week, clean it out so you have plenty of space to store your meals. Don’t forget an empty dishwasher because it’s no fun to prep for a chunk of time and still have cleaning to do. Next, get your supplies ready. If you choose to assemble meals here are some items to have on hand: a. Recipes in an easy to see location. You may find it useful to place the recipe in a sheet protector and tape them along the cabinets. The sheet protector allows you to cross off steps as it is completed. Taping them to the cabinets keeps them at eye level not lost in the shuffle of ingredients. b. Utensils such as cutting boards, knives, mixing bowls, pans, etc. c. Bags, aluminum pans (if needed), large drinking cup, and labels (optional). You will need both small and large freezer bags. On each bag be sure to include: Recipe, cooking temperature and cooking time. Next, as you put food away prepare it for consumption. This means rinse you blueberries before placing them in the refrigerator, chop the broccoli and place in a container, you can even brown meat you are going to use in the next few days. Even though this adds time, you will be thankful when you are craving a snack and you can quickly reach into the pantry for a healthy option. Or when the clock hits 5pm and you know exactly what is for dinner and all you have to do when you hit the door is pull your prepared ingredients from the kitchen and be ready in a flash.
You are already a few steps ahead by showing up shopping list in hand now take an extra second to really look at the foods you have been buying. Yes, this means label reading. Here’s your Quick Start Guide:
Start at the bottom: Look at the ingredients. When comparing two products the one with the shorter ingredient list usually is the best pick. For example, if you are buying frozen carrots there should be one ingredient, carrots. Look for the one thing: There is a lot of information on a food label and it’s easy to get overwhelmed but choose to focus on one thing. For example, if you have a family history of heart disease it is wise to limit your fat (especially saturated fat intake). Once you have mastered one thing it’s fine to move on to another while keeping the first goal in mind. Don’t forget serving size: Without that information none of the other information makes sense so check in with the serving size when you buy.
HealthyClip.com
Looking Further The entire nutrition label can be overwhelming but knowing what to focus on will make the process easier.
Start here: Without knowing the serving size nothing else on the label matters. This amount does not reflect how much you should eat; it just shows the amount most people actually eat.
Limit These: When looking at saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar be sure to limit your total amount. It is more useful to look at the number of grams listed behind each instead of the percentages. The percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet and you may be eating more or less than this amount.
Total Fat: Less than 3g = low fat Saturated Fat: Limit this as much as possible Sodium: Less than 2,000 mg daily Cholesterol: Less than 200 mg daily Sugar: Limit to 25g for women and 38g for men
Get Enough of These: Increase the following nutrients: Fiber: Aim for 25-35 grams daily Vitamins and Minerals: Aim for 100% of Daily Values. This is one place you can use the percentages as they do not change based on your calorie needs.
Get Familiar: Be familiar with ingredients and look for items with short lists with ingredients you know. Avoid anything hydrogenated. Add whole grains.
Use the food label to help you meet your goals. For some you may be focusing just on calories and serving size, while other may want to lower fat. It doesn’t matter where you look as long as you are looking and making informed, healthy decisions. Bottom Line: Approaching grocery shopping with a strategy and reading labels is a new way of life for you. It is going to take more time in the beginning but then you are going to get in the groove and it just becomes part of your lifestyle. Action Plan: Decide how you are going to approach shopping and meal prep Write your plan in your calendar so you can schedule a certain block of time to complete your food prep Read every label you can this week and get familiar with what you want your goal to be. Use the label to back this up. Attend weekly handout
HealthyClip.com
At this point you have learned which foods fall into macronutrient categories, how to create a healthy plate and developing a meal plan. Now it’s time to get out of the house and head to the grocery store! While it is easy to understand where whole foods - such as apples, whole grain bread, and chicken – are categorized some struggle with packaged or combination foods. This is where label reading comes in and this session will give you the basic tools to become a savvy shopper.
In the last session you created a meal plan and shopping list to match. If you are planning only dinners, don’t forget to add food for your breakfast, lunch and snack ideas.
Stocking up There are many lists you can find for staples of a well-stocked kitchen. But sometimes having too much “stock” in your kitchen can be a problem. Try to focus on just the food your family will need for that week. The reason this practice can be dangerous is because when you buy from bulk stores or have excess food you are more likely to overeat. It is easy to fall into the mentality of mindless munching and large portions. When you eat food from a large container you perceive that you have not eaten as much as you really have, the same is true when you have a large amount of food available. Large containers = larger portions = mindless calories consumed = weight gain. If you do shop at a bulk food store, there are some healthy food finds such as cheese, frozen vegetables, frozen fruit and some meats. Since you are not going to use these items all at once, immediately place them in smaller plastic bags and freeze them. This allows you to pull out a smaller amount of these foods in the refrigerator to use while the rest remains frozen. For example split a large bag of frozen fruit into smaller bags and return them to the freezer. When you are ready to eat, place one bag in the refrigerator before bed time and in the morning toss it in the blender with some yogurt for a fast smoothie.
Find your focus at the store and go alone This may be a laughable point to many, especially when juggling a full-time job, kids hanging from the cart and all the other things we have going on. However, it is really important even if it is just once or twice. This allows you time to really look at the food you are purchasing. Using your shopping list can be efficient but to make the most of your list, try to visualize how you travel through the store. Typically when you enter a store the first thing you encounter is the produce section. Use this to your advantage by grouping all the produce you need to purchase in one place on your list. Continue this way throughout the store. HealthyClip.com
It is recommended to choose as many whole foods as possible. Instead of canned green beans, choose fresh or frozen. Check out the ingredient list on these frozen packages and be sure it only lists the produce itself… no salt! Common advice is to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store but there are also healthy finds in the aisles. At first don’t get too wrapped up in the myriad of options out there. Start will foods you eat most commonly and aim to choose the best option there. For example, if you purchase a loaf of bread each week, take time to pick the best bread (high in fiber, fewer ingredients, no high fructose corn syrup, etc.). However, if you only buy granola bars a few times a year pick which ones you enjoy and focus your time someplace else. You will find more information about label reading in the next section.
Shopping Organic “Organic” is a designation used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program to certify food that was produced without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers, genetic engineering, radiation or sewage sludge. So is buying organic foods best for you? Bottom Line: Buy organic produce whenever, possible and only when your budget allows. Beyond the produce aisle choosing “organic” or “natural” foods can get challenging so be sure to read the label. There is no nutritional difference between organically grown and conventionally grown items. However, organically grown foods will reduce your exposure to pesticides. It also can help support environmentally friendly farming practices that minimize soil erosion, safeguard workers and protect water quality and wildlife. For a quick reference the EWG (Environmental Working Group) has created a Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in ProduceTM. Dirty Dozen Plus: These foods have the most pesticides and should be bought organically grown when possible Apples Peaches Celery Potatoes Cherry Spinach Tomatoes Strawberries Cucumbers Sweet bell peppers Grapes Collards & kale Hot peppers Summer squash Nectarines (imported) Zucchini Clean Fifteen: These foods have the fewest pesticides and can be bought conventionally grown. Asparagus Mangos Avocado Mushrooms Cabbage Onions Cantaloupe Papayas Corn Pineapples Eggplant Sweet peas (frozen) Grapefruit Sweet potatoes Kiwi
HealthyClip.com
From Grocery Cart to Pantry You have your food and your meal plan, now time to get organized. This is a step people sometimes overlook because they are too busy or feel like it can wait. Doing a little extra work on the front end will save time and a headache on the other end.
Prepping Your Meals Carving out just an hour or so to prep your food for the week can make a huge difference in your ability to stick with a meal plan and avoid common temptations. You can go as far as you want prepping your meal. Some choose to chops veggies, cook meat, and label storage bags or go a little further by assembling meals and placing some in the freezer. Before you start slicing and dicing, start with a clean kitchen. It sounds silly but it really does help make meal prep run efficiently. If you are freezing some meals for later in the week, clean it out so you have plenty of space to store your meals. Don’t forget an empty dishwasher because it’s no fun to prep for a chunk of time and still have cleaning to do. Next, get your supplies ready. If you choose to assemble meals here are some items to have on hand: a. Recipes in an easy to see location. You may find it useful to place the recipe in a sheet protector and tape them along the cabinets. The sheet protector allows you to cross off steps as it is completed. Taping them to the cabinets keeps them at eye level not lost in the shuffle of ingredients. b. Utensils such as cutting boards, knives, mixing bowls, pans, etc. c. Bags, aluminum pans (if needed), large drinking cup, and labels (optional). You will need both small and large freezer bags. On each bag be sure to include: Recipe, cooking temperature and cooking time. Next, as you put food away prepare it for consumption. This means rinse you blueberries before placing them in the refrigerator, chop the broccoli and place in a container, you can even brown meat you are going to use in the next few days. Even though this adds time, you will be thankful when you are craving a snack and you can quickly reach into the pantry for a healthy option. Or when the clock hits 5pm and you know exactly what is for dinner and all you have to do when you hit the door is pull your prepared ingredients from the kitchen and be ready in a flash.
You are already a few steps ahead by showing up shopping list in hand now take an extra second to really look at the foods you have been buying. Yes, this means label reading. Here’s your Quick Start Guide:
Start at the bottom: Look at the ingredients. When comparing two products the one with the shorter ingredient list usually is the best pick. For example, if you are buying frozen carrots there should be one ingredient, carrots. Look for the one thing: There is a lot of information on a food label and it’s easy to get overwhelmed but choose to focus on one thing. For example, if you have a family history of heart disease it is wise to limit your fat (especially saturated fat intake). Once you have mastered one thing it’s fine to move on to another while keeping the first goal in mind. Don’t forget serving size: Without that information none of the other information makes sense so check in with the serving size when you buy.
HealthyClip.com
Looking Further The entire nutrition label can be overwhelming but knowing what to focus on will make the process easier.
Start here: Without knowing the serving size nothing else on the label matters. This amount does not reflect how much you should eat; it just shows the amount most people actually eat.
Limit These: When looking at saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar be sure to limit your total amount. It is more useful to look at the number of grams listed behind each instead of the percentages. The percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet and you may be eating more or less than this amount.
Total Fat: Less than 3g = low fat Saturated Fat: Limit this as much as possible Sodium: Less than 2,000 mg daily Cholesterol: Less than 200 mg daily Sugar: Limit to 25g for women and 38g for men
Get Enough of These: Increase the following nutrients: Fiber: Aim for 25-35 grams daily Vitamins and Minerals: Aim for 100% of Daily Values. This is one place you can use the percentages as they do not change based on your calorie needs.
Get Familiar: Be familiar with ingredients and look for items with short lists with ingredients you know. Avoid anything hydrogenated. Add whole grains.
Use the food label to help you meet your goals. For some you may be focusing just on calories and serving size, while other may want to lower fat. It doesn’t matter where you look as long as you are looking and making informed, healthy decisions. Bottom Line: Approaching grocery shopping with a strategy and reading labels is a new way of life for you. It is going to take more time in the beginning but then you are going to get in the groove and it just becomes part of your lifestyle. Action Plan: Decide how you are going to approach shopping and meal prep Write your plan in your calendar so you can schedule a certain block of time to complete your food prep Read every label you can this week and get familiar with what you want your goal to be. Use the label to back this up. Attend weekly handout
HealthyClip.com
