fbpx
July 14, 2020    

Have you ever gone grocery shopping when you were hungry?
Let me guess, you probably bought a ton of junk food that you really didn’t need in the first place!
Don’t worry, even the best have made that mistake before and the problem is that junk food and weight loss don’t go together.  If you’re on a weight loss diet, then it makes sense to plan your grocery shopping trips.

Here are a couple of tips for you if you wanted to go shopping with a weight loss goal in mind:

Be Prepared

Make sure that you have a meal planner with you when you go shopping so that you know exactly what you are looking for. Purchase all your healthy staples first like fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk and your whole grains so that you don’t ‘accidentally’ forget to pick them up later!

Make a List and Check it Twice

It’s easy to think, “I won’t worry with a list, I’ll just remember what I want to buy.” Only problem is that you end up buying everything, except what you actually needed. Make a list and make sure you have included all your healthy weight loss alternatives on it.

By making a list you will be more efficient and get through your shopping a lot quicker, which is something I like! You can use your weight loss menus as a guide and if you are really a nerd you can organise that list even further into the different sections of the store.

Add fresh or dried herbs to your list. You can use herbs in a multitude of ways – in recipes, as a spice mix, in an herbal tea (hot or iced), in a sleep pillow, in a salve or in a bath bag.  When you have some ideas of how you will use these herbs, then you will be surprised at how to include them in your life and will always have them on your grocery list.

Be in the Right Place

Have you noticed that almost anywhere you go the stores are pretty much set up the same way?
In most cases the fresh and healthy food is usually located at the edge of the store so that is where you want to spend most of your time. It is better to have freshly prepared meals because you know exactly what has gone into that meal, no hidden calories to worry about!

If you are Hungry, Stay at Home

Try avoiding the shops when you are hungry as it is easier to buy calorie loaded junk food on impulse. This is how you set yourself up for success, if you don’t have that bag of chips in your cupboard, you won’t eat them and won’t consume the calories! If you can’t avoid going shopping on an empty stomach, drink some water or snack on a fresh fruit.

Read Nutrition Labels

When you read the labels of low-fat and fat-free foods, you might be surprised at how many calories they are actually packing! That’s why it is vital to read all the nutrition labels of the food you buy so that you know exactly what you are buying. Also make sure you are comparing similar foods to each other so that you can be consuming the healthiest product.

Don’t be afraid to treat yourself every now and then. if you have stuck to your weight loss program then it is OK to have that naughty treat once in a while, just don’t go overboard!
Always be prepared with these weight loss shopping tips when you go shopping and constantly learn new dishes so that you always have something new and exciting to buy.

If you are looking for healthy recipes, search this blog and join the Herbal Collective newsletter.