Grocery Shopping Tactics
We can help.® Healthy shopping at any supermarket can be a cinch! All you need is a little know-how and the right tools – combined with making smart choices! – and you’ll come out on top!
First, the Know-how:
Have a plan!Invest 30 minutes or less in developing a menu plan for the week. Some might think this a boring chore, but make it a game. Check the grocery store fliers – what’s in season or on sale? If chicken is on sale, build it into the menu for the week. We’ve got a number of great, easy recipes here on our website so explore the
Minute® Rice recipe database and find something you’ve never tried before!
Make a list.Use that menu plan you just created to
make a grocery list. Check the ingredients in your recipes against what you already have. Something missing? Put it on the list! Also, make sure you have the basic pantry staples. Remember, a well-stocked healthy pantry and fridge provides you with a solid foundation for eating better. Find our
printable grocery checklist here and use it to make sure you’ve got the basic building blocks of a do-it-all pantry. Be sure to keep a variety of Minute Rice products on hand to help you eat better.
Don't shop hungry.You’ve heard this before – your mother might have mentioned it, or maybe a friend or two. But it’s a truism that really is true. Don’t shop on an empty stomach! Ever notice that essential pantry items are in the far corners of the store? Milk and eggs are never easily found in front and the meat counter is a long walk from the checkout counters. The less healthy foods are closer to the checkout counters… yummy sweets, fresh baked pastries…. If you’re already hungry, you’ll be easily distracted from your healthful goals. You’ll think, “What milk?? Eggs? I don’t need eggs! I need those fresh-baked pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips, cream cheese icing and those cute pink sprinkles! And I need five of them NOW!”
Invest in a rainbow!Brightly colored fresh fruits and vegetables are full of essential vitamins and minerals, so choose produce with a variety of colors like red, orange, yellow and green! These foods are your best health investment. And remember – just buying them is not enough, you’ve got to eat them too! Take the time to learn how to select the best produce by either talking to the stocker or produce manager or doing some research online. Be deliberate – buy what tastes good, not because it’s something you "should do" but because you truly like it. It’s just too easy to buy fruit, get it home, and then have it go bad in the fridge. If what you buy doesn’t taste good, you won’t eat it, no matter how good you’ve been told it is for you!
By categories:- Grains and Carbohydrates: Choose whole grains and complex carbs.
- Meats and proteins: Choose leaner, lower fat meats and get in at least two servings of cold-water fish each week. Experiment with beans and other legumes such as lentils and try other meatless options like tofu!
- Dairy: For adults, choose low-fat or no-fat dairy. If you have trouble digesting dairy products, try other calcium and Vitamin D-rich alternatives such as soy milk, goat milk, rice milk, or almond milk. Check your local grocery store for the full range of choices!
- Vegetables: The darker and brighter the better! Go for a full color assortment: reds, dark greens, bright oranges and yellow… and be sure to experiment with veggies you’ve never tried before!
- Sweets, chips and sodas: You should have only a few of these in your basket. A treat every once in a while is fine, but try to keep these to a minimum!
Second – Get the tools!Minute Rice’s pantry checklist can help you live better by making sure you’ve got the essentials to a healthy diet at your fingertips.