Low Carb Magic

10 Diet Tips for the Grocery Store

August 4th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Ever dread making that trek to the supermarket to buy your groceries? All the temptation with snacks and cookies staring you right in the face as you traverse the isles of your favorite store. And don’t forget the friendly folks at the end of what seems like every other isle handing out tastes of free samples — mmmmmmm good! Well, these temptations can be a real diet “buster” if you are not prepared to combat them.

Preparation for your shopping experience is the key tool you have to keep you on track and buying healthy, low carb diet foods. We have put together these 10 diet tips to help you stay in control of your diet. They will help you shop for weight loss foods, and we hope you will find something of use to you. These tips are just thought-starters and with just a little creativity, you should be able to come up with several more tips yourself.

1. Always use a list when you shop, and stick to it

Almost any other food item you put in the buggy will be something that does NOT fit in to your weight loss plan.

2. Plan ahead

Decide what your meals are going to be, and what ingredients you will need. Include portion sizes in this planning. If you just buy a pack of steaks, you will probably cook all those steaks at once and there is a chance they may be eaten all at once. Planning your meals will help you prepare your shopping list. Plan also for meals such as lunches you carry to work.

3. Take someone with you who you can trust to be on your side

By “on your side”, I mean, of course, someone who understands and supports your weight loss goals. While this person should be aware of what you are trying to accomplish, YOU must understand that they ARE trying to help you, and YOU must give them permission to express their honest thoughts about purchases you are making…especially if you are deviating from your list.

4. Have this trusted friend or family member HELP you draw up your shopping list

5. Always eat before shopping - REPEAT - Always eat before shopping

This cannot be emphasized enough! It is a fact that shopping when hungry increases your tendency to put extra items in your shopping cart.

6. Learn to read the labels

Almost every food you buy has a label outlining nutritional content and levels. Knowledge of nutritional needs is important, but does not need to be daunting. Basic information is easy to obtain.

7. Avoid convenience foods

Most have additional calories, fats, or carbohydrates. Although they may taste great, this is often a direct result of those very attributes.

8. Plan PREPARED meals

Cook from scratch. Not only will you probably enjoy the meals more, but having to prepare a meal helps prevent you from indulging yourself with a quick and easy snack or meal.

9. Avoid buying “empty” foods

These are foods such as chips, cookies, or candy. An apple may have as many calories as a piece of candy, but it contains a much higher level of nutrition, and provides factors such as fiber, for example.

10. Buy foods you really like

Eating in a healthy manner does NOT have to be a boring or unrewarding experience. Types of meals enjoyed in Japan, for example, can be tasty and a different and inviting experience, but they can also be very good for you. Again, be aware of portion sizes. Just because it is “good for you” doesn’t mean you ought to go back for seconds or thirds.

There you have it, 10 tips for grocery shopping for weight loss. Since portion sizes was mentioned twice, let me leave you with this thought. Most Americans eat portions much larger than what is recommended. However, individuals in countries like France tend to eat very rich, fatty foods, but don’t have the same obesity problems that are found in the United States. The Japanese tend to eat a more traditional diet and also don’t have an obesity problem. As diverse as these two cultures and their diet are, a common factor is portion size. So, why not cut down on your portion sizes and see if your weight loss program isn’t given an added boost and you lose those extra pounds even faster?