Searcy (LP) Good nutrition starts with smart choices in the grocery store. Cooking up healthy meals is a challenge if you don’t have the right ingredients in your kitchen, but who has time to read all the food labels and figure out which items are the most nutritious and the best buys? Grocery shopping can be a daunting task, simply because there are so many choices.

The first step is to PLAN AHEAD!!

The process starts even before you head to the grocery store, experts say. Before you set out for the market, plan your meals for the week, and create a list to shop from. It takes a few minutes, but it saves time in running back to the store for missing ingredients.

When planning your grocery list, consult the guidelines with your physician, nutritionist, or some meat head. The government nutrition web site “mypyramid.gov” is also available to make sure you are including all the foods you need for good health.

To help meet your guidelines, you should be filling your cart with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts.

Most of us tend to eat the same foods over and over again. But variety really is the spice of life, be adventurous; aim to try a new fruit or vegetable each week!

Saving money is also key, who doesn’t want to save money?? Healthy foods can be costly and difficult to prepare.

For most people convenience is often worth the extra cost, especially when you’re packing lunches or are trying to control portions. I recommend to not rely on single-serve packages, examples like precut apples and carrot sticks, foods to go basically. Set the laziness aside and put in the time to prepare whole foods! It can be fun too! So go ahead and plan your next grocery shop trip!