Weight Loss Help for the Supermarket Shopper

Posted: Feb 19 in Post-Bariatric Diet by Staff

You can never cook a healthy meal without first buying healthy ingredients. Though your meals will be significantly smaller after bariatric surgery, you will still need to fill them with the quality ingredients that provide your body with the nutrition it needs, and this will mean many trips to the grocery store.

Unfortunately, nutritious ingredients are not the only things you’ll find at the store. Down every aisle lurks another tempting and unhealthy treat, and you’ll need to work hard to avoid them as you stay focused on weight loss. Help in achieving this goal can be as simple as learning the best way to navigate your grocery store and fill your cart with only the most beneficial foods.

Ready to make every trip to the supermarket a healthy one? Start by:

• Staying away from the inner aisles. Fresh produce, lean proteins, low-fat dairy—these are the things that should fill your diet and you don’t need to leave the perimeter of the store to find them. The central aisles of the supermarket tend to be where the unhealthiest items are kept, so avoid them whenever possible. Spend most of your time in the produce section and be sure your cart predominantly contains fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Being tenacious about your list. You may already write out a list of necessities before going shopping, but you might also pick up a few impulse buys as you work your way through the store. Make it easier to make the right decisions by writing out absolutely everything you’ll buy and refusing to buy anything that falls outside the confines of your list. Try planning a whole week’s meals in advance and buying everything you’ll need to make them instead of letting sights and smells entice you into purchases you’ll later regret.
• Keeping it simple. Fresh, whole foods are usually the best for you. Do your best to avoid processed foods that contain a long list of unpronounceable ingredients. Look for labels like “100 percent fruit” or “100 percent whole grain” and check the ingredients list to make sure the food backs up its claim. Often it’s a good choice to avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients, while you may also want to limit your consumption of artificial flavors and colorings, preservatives, refined sugar, corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.

The grocery store can be a huge help with weight loss, but only if you go home with the right ingredients. What else has helped you stay healthy at the grocery store in Ft. Myers or Naples? Tell us in the comments below!