The Dieticians of Canada have issued some tips for Nutrition Month 2013. Their theme is Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy!
1. Plan: Before heading out to the store to buy your groceries, plan out your meals in advance. This allows you the opportunity to check what you have already in stock, make a grocery list of items needed and scan the flyers and coupons for specials on those items. Remember, it’s not really a deal if you didn’t need it in the first place.
2. Shop: Take the time to read the food labels and compare to other similar items in that aisle of the store – try to load up on the nutrient rich foods. Fill your cart with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, milk products, lean fresh meat and meat/protein alternatives such as legumes.Try to skip the processed foods that are filled with less nutrient rich alternatives like fat, sugar and salt.
3. Shop in the Bulk Section: you will save money by buying only the amount you need.
4. Shop as a team: Grocery shop with a friend or family member so that you can take advantage of the lower cost of volume discounts.
5. Buy only what you need: if you can’t shop with someone else, break up a bunch of bananas, buy half a dozen eggs and ask the butcher to split packages of meat. If you do buy bigger packages of meat, divide these into single portions and place in your freezer for later,
6. Cook: Prepare your meals from scratch with the nutrient rich foods you have just shopped for. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated; nutritious foods can be convenient as well – frozen fruit, already made salads and pre-prepared fruit and veggies offers a simple shortcut.
7. Enjoy: take the time to sit down with your family and enjoy your meal – talk about your day and their day.
fi rst place.