Grocery Shopping Guide
Not sure what your grocery list looks like without mac and cheese, burgers and french bread?
Check out these 10 simple tips for navigating the grocery store for your unprocessed, whole food Experience.
What to know
When you begin your Experience, you're not only learning to eat differently, but learning to prepare, cook and grocery shop in a new way, too. It can be a little overwhelming to go to the grocery store for your first whole food shopping trip. But we will help you navigate the brave new world of unprocessed food shopping here!
Shop the perimeter. Almost all whole food will be located on the perimeter of the grocery store. There are a few exceptions. For the most part, do your best to stay out of the aisles.
Avoid packaged foods. Period. EVEN ones that say ORGANIC or NATURAL. Packaged foods are mostly processed and have sodium, added sugars, and added oils, chemicals, additives, etc.
Read labels! Food marketers are savvy, you must be diligent in reading labels. Foods that contain ingredients other than the food itself, are not your friends. Stay away when there are more than 1-3 ingredients listed or if even one ingredient is not a food you are familiar with.
Produce section is your first stop. All the gorgeous fresh vegetables and fruits are here and you can eat and enjoy them all in abundance, organic when possible. You may discover or rediscover the beauty of the colors and tastes and magic of food that comes from the earth right here in these aisles.
Stock up on whole grains (rice, quinoa, whole oats, etc). Brown rice is a better choice than white rice. Grains are great to have on hand and have a myriad of health benefits.
Organic, fresh meat, chicken, fish and eggs. The Experience is not vegetarian or vegan in nature, but if you are either of these, you can avoid meat, etc. If you do eat meat and fish, continue to do so but choose unprocessed, fresh, organic options. For example, Chicken Parmesan at your grocery store prepared food counter is not unprocessed chicken. But a package of raw chicken that you take home and grill with olive oil and sea salt, is a great whole food option.
Avoid dairy including cheese and milk. Choose nut milk if you need an option for replacing milk. Making your own nut milk is always best.
Nuts! While moderation is key (one handful a day), nuts can provide protein and a hearty addition to an otherwise light meal. All kinds of nuts are great but be sure your nuts are made up of just nuts and possibly a little sea salt.
Some frozen foods are friendly. Frozen fresh fruit can be a good option for smoothies. Ezekiel Bread (sprouted grain “bread”) can be found in the freezer section.
Don’t shop when you are starving! Preparation is key for The Experience and that includes going to the grocery store with a satisfied belly. Studies show that when we are hungry at the grocery store, we are drawn to convenient junk food. Eat a giant apple and unprocessed peanut butter before you go shopping!