Produce
- This is the key missing ingredient in the American diet, especially the very nutritious dark, leafy greens. Fill your cart up with a rainbow of produce for good health! The darker the color the more nutritional value.
- Organically grown means it was grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms.
- Look for locally grown, seasonal produce for the best value and nutrition.
- Healthiest to least: organic and fresh > fresh > frozen and organic > frozen > canned
Deli / Salad Bar:
Great way to try a new vegetable if it’s chopped up at the salad bar or make a healthy pizza
topped with a variety of produce items at the salad bar.
- Fresh nuts and seeds.
- Great “fast food” option – read ingredients.
- If purchasing deli meat, ask for natural brands that are MSG, gluten, antibiotic / hormone-free
- and nitrate/nitrite free
Meat/Fish Seafood:
- Meats— Look for grass—fed or pasture raised beef.
- Avoid nitrates Watch salt in cured meats
- Look for ground beef that is at least 90% lean.
- Fish—Watch for fish high in mercury (swordfish, tilefish, mackerel)
- Fatty fish are higher in omega 3s (salmon, tuna)
- American Heart Association recommends at least 2 fish meals per week
- Poultry and eggs – organic, free –range, antibiotic/ hormone free, vegetarian fed, cage free
Dairy:
- Cheese: organic, whole fat, pastured, and grass fed
- Butter: grass—fed, rBGHandrBST hormone free
- Sour cream/ cottage cheese: organic and whole fat
- Yogurt: plain, whole fat, organic, and grass fed
- Milk/ Cream: grass fed and organic
- If choosing non organic dairy, choose low fat since pesticides bio accumulate in the fat tissues
Freezer:
- Natural and gluten free bread
- Fruit – choose organic with no added sugars
- Vegetables – choose organic with no sauces
- Frozen food products— many contain large amount of salt and are highly processed
Bakery
- Homemade whole grain breads, gluten-free baked goods are available. Look for “whole-grain” as the first ingredient, at least 2-3 grams of fiber per serving and less than 140 mg sodium per serving.
- Prepackaged bread has been sitting out for a long time without mold because they are filled with preservatives and often contain high fructose corn syrup
Inner Aisles:
Can be hard to navigate and filled with foods that are full of chemicals and preservatives. To navigate, stick to the these items:
- Olive oil and coconut oil
- Balsamic and other vinegars
- Olives
- Organic condiments without added sugars
- Packaged tuna and salmon (wild caught)
- Organic cooking products like sauces and broth (no added sugars)
- Pasta alternatives like quinoa pasta, wild rice, brown rice
- Nuts and seeds
- Coffee and tea
- Sea Salt and spices