Top 3 shopping tips

It’s hard to know what to buy when you go to the grocery store.  Here are my top 3 shopping tips that will help you to get healthy!

Buying healthy

What does it mean to buy healthy?  We all know fruits and vegetables are good for us but are we buying the best quality?  Buying from the produce section is best but sometimes it’s OK to buy frozen fruits and vegetables – this is especially true if something isn’t in season yet we need it for a dish we are making.

But, buying healthy can sometimes be confusing.  What does it mean?  Well, here are my top 3 shopping tips to help you!

Top 3 shopping tips

Here it is, my top 3 shopping tips:

1. Buy organic and avoid GMO.
2. Buy in season.
3. Lastly, buy local.

Buying organic and non-GMO

Always look for organic and non-GMO.   By definition, organic will always be non-GMO.  Veggies and fruits that are organic do not use chemical pesticides.  These chemicals can mimic our natural hormones and cause all kinds of problems from migraines to heavy menstrual bleeding.  Migraines suck and so does heavy bleeding.  The less chemicals we consume, the healthier our bodies will be.  That means less inflammation too!

What are GMO’s

GMO’s are Genetically Modified Ingredients meaning that the DNA is changed in some way through genetic engineering.  There’s been a lot of talk about GMO’s.  The Organic Authority gives us 8 reasons why they are bad.  Two of the biggest reasons I stay away from GMO’s is because of the possible health issues and they need a lot of pesticides to stay disease free.  The other reasons are just as compelling but I feel that these are the top 2.

If you suffer from allergies or even infertility, you may want to take note.  Hormone disruptors are a huge problem today but few people realize their sicknesses are a result of this.

Did you know that one of the largest, if not THE largest, GMO food is corn?  Who doesn’t love a good ear of corn?  They’re so sweet and delicious.  Find out more about GMO’s and watch The Future of Food.  Eat clean, health food.  Review the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 food lists.

The Dirty Dozen

What is the dirty dozen?  The dirty dozen is a list to help buyers like you and I know which foods retain the pesticides.  If you can’t buy organic, this list will tell you which fruits and vegetables you need to stay away from.  It is best to buy organic from this list and leave the conventional because the conventional produce on this list is contaminated and can make you sick.  And, then there’s the Clean 15…

The Clean 15

The Clean 15 is another list.  This list is helpful because the produce on this list are known to be OK to buy conventional.  Remember, organic is always best but if you can’t always buy organic for whatever reason, you should sleep well at night knowing that the produce on this list is OK.

Here is EWG’s list for 2022.  See the Environmental Working Group website for more information.

Buy in season

The second in my top 3 shopping tips is to buy in season.  Not only is it more affordable because it’s readily available but it also tastes better.  These items have been picked as close to ripeness as possible so the tastes have been able to be developed whereas when you buy in a grocery store, those items were picked before they had a chance to ripen.

Buy local

The 3rd tip in my top 3 shopping tips is to buy local.  This is because, by the time you buy food that is sold in the grocery store, it is already old.  Buying locally means that the produce is freshest.

So, there you have it, my top 3 shopping tips!  1, 2, and 3!!!