Do you find that whenever you head into the supermarket the plans of being good kind of…go out the window? Don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone and even the best of us find that after a long work week we deserve one (or a handful) of little treats to get us through!
Well, now that your cupboards are empty and you're all set to restock, now’s the time to take control!
Shopping time!
The absolute first step, before setting foot in the shop, or even putting your bags in the car is to EAT!
That’s right, don’t do a food shop when you’re hungry!
You’ll find yourself been called over to the sweet siren sound of the biscuit isles or crisp isles, with a full belly you’ll be far less inclined to make that treacherous journey!
Great stuff, so you’ve got your bags and you’re on your way to the shop of your life!
Once you’ve hit the supermarkets, a great piece of general advice would be to stick to the edges!
This may sound a little strange and obviously there will be exceptions and essentials that you may need, but the edge isles are usually where you’ll find the following:
• Fresh Fruit And Veg
• Fish & Seafood
• Fresh Meats
• Dairy & Eggs
And it’s usually the middle isles that are reserved for:
•
Frozen processed foods
• Canned goods
• Snacks, drinks etc.
Great stuff, now you’ve got your map, it’s time to be efficient! 
We’re all guilty of milling between isles, picking up things that we think we’ll need for some recipe or another at some point…and it’s this mentality which will also lead to you collecting those ‘less beneficial’ foods along the way.
Most people usually use a shopping list to counteract this, and lists are great, but instead of being specific with your foods, we like to use the shopping list as more of an ideas springboard to making fun, informed decisions!
Here’s an example list that we would use, use this as a rough guide so you can create your own examples.
For example:
• 3 veggies: spinach, carrots, broccoli
• 3 fruits: blueberries, oranges, grapes
• 3 proteins: extra-lean ground beef, salmon, lentils
• 3 fats: coconut, avocado, almonds
• 2 grains: oatmeal, wild rice
If there’s something we’ve missed that fits the criteria, please feel free to try it.
Another fun tip that we LOVE to try is to always add at least one food on your list that you have never tried before, never given papaya a go, now’s the time!
Or maybe it’s time to get on board with the avocado hype!
This is a great way to try new healthy foods, create interesting recipes for yourself and get experimental with your meals! If it’s not on the list, you don’t buy it.
That saves you time, money, and having to throw out impulse buys.
So have fun out there and good luck! It’s a confusing world, but with the right method in place, shopping can be efficient, cost effective, healthy and most importantly, super fun!
