Finding it hard to eat healthy whole foods? Can’t seem to get a handle on your weight loss efforts? There is one simple secret that will ensure your house is stocked with clean, healthy foods and may even help you drop those unwanted pounds. This little secret is as simple as shopping only the outer perimeter of your local grocery store.
“In most grocery stores, the aisles are filled with canned goods, frozen and boxed dinners that are loaded with fat and extra unnecessary calories,” said Gaye Lynn Hicks, RD, LD, with The Methodist Weight Management Center in Houston. “The perimeter features fruits, vegetables, lean meats and other healthy fair.”
Of course, you will most likely need to venture though the inner aisles to pick up a few other items, so it’s important to learn how to read labels and avoid the flashy marketing on the front of the boxes.
When looking for whole foods in the inner aisles check out the ingredients list. Look for items with only three to four ingredients and without added preservatives and sugars. And be sure to take a quick scan at the nutritional information. Look for items with zero trans fats and that contain low to zero grams of saturated fat, low sodium and low sugar. You get all the nutrients, fats and sugar you need from your daily requirements of fruits/vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and dairy – which are all found in the outer perimeter.
