How to Shop Healthy and Cheaply | Bites

Since arriving in Minneapolis it has occurred me that I can’t rely on my parents to make me dinner and buy groceries (I knew it was going to happen obviously but I didn’t think of the logistics). So after an unorganised shopping trip where we managed to squish the loaf of bread, I have decided to set myself the challenge to 1. Becoming better at grocery shopping and 2. Making healthy meals without spending a fortune (leaving more money for exciting adventures). As a newbie to fending for myself I have done a bit of research and together with everything I have learn about nutrition come up with a few tips I am going to try and stick to.

1.   Buy whole unprocessed foods. Most of the time it is less expensive. For example it is cheaper to buy a bag of oats and jazz them up yourself (with fruit, nuts, or cinnamon) than it is to buy a flavoured sachet of oats.
2.   Buy frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables where possible. For obvious reasons these last longer meaning you can buy them in bulk without the worry of spoilage (providing you have room in the freezer). A common misconception with frozen fruit and veg is that they have less nutrients compared to their fresh counter parts. This is not true they can actually have more nutrients because they have been frozen close to harvesting and haven’t been sitting on a shelf where nutrients can seep out. When choosing tinned products make sure there is no added salt in the vegetables and that fruit is canned in natural fruit juice or water to avoid excess sugar.
3.   Buy generic brands. A lot of the time the food product is the same without a fancy label. This doesn’t mean you have to buy everything generic even just getting the basics like rice and flour from these brands can make a difference.
4.  Drink tap water rather than buying beverages (I'm pretty good at this already but it is still a good tip).
5. Buy vegetables in season. They are less expensive and a lot of the time better quality because they are fresher.
6.  Look to buy cheaper proteins (meats, eggs, legumes) and make them more exciting by adding flavours yourself. Less expensive meats such as beef mince or tinned tuna. You can make mince go further by adding lentils or beans to bulk it out a bit.
7.  Making a shopping list and sticking to it. It is easy to impulse buy when shopping (I have found it especially tempting shopping in the US because of all the different products. I want to try everything). By doing this the shopping trip will be quick and more focused.

Something else to consider for us is that it can be cheaper to eat at a restaurant than it is to buy food at the grocery store. The aim is to find a healthy balance in life and just enjoy meal times.

There you have it the 7 little things to try and stick by over the next few months. I might do another post in the future about how practical these tips were and anything else I have learnt.

Hopefully this post is helpful for anyone who has recently started doing their own grocery shopping.

Enjoy!

Carbohydrates Are Not The Enemy

I feel like over the last few weeks I have been spending my time reading blogs and neglecting my own blog so here is a little nutrition bite to set me back on track.

Eliminating Carbohydrates from the diet has been a trend in fad diets for years. The misconception when it comes to weight loss and carbohydrates is that they are all bad and will make you gain weight. The truth of the matter is that you need carbohydrates to live. The only food your brain can live off is blood glucose which you get from carbohydrates. Many people don’t realise carbohydrates aren't just in bread and sugary products but they can also be found in fruit and most vegetables.

Grains and carbohydrates provide a vital source of energy that is easily accessible to the body. This makes them effective for fuelling physical activity. Carbohydrates from grains also provide vital nutrients such as vitamins and fibre.

I think when it comes to the grains food group it is all about making smart choices.

-Choose Healthy forms of Carbohydrates. If there is a multigrain option available choose that over the processed white bread or pasta. Wholemeal is the next best alternative. The more refined the flour is (white flour is most refined) the more nutrients are lost. High fibre cereals are also smart choices because they fill you up for longer. Cakes, donuts, and pastries do not fit in the carbohydrate category they are often high in sugar and saturated fat.

-Be aware of portion size. The Australian Dietary Guidelines say that men between the age of 19-70 years should be having 6 serves of grains per day, for females between 19-50 years 6 serves, and for females 51-70 years 4 serves. An example of a serve of grains is 1 slice of bread, 1/2 a medium roll or flat bread, 1/2 cup of rice, pasta or noodles. If you compare these serving sizes of the food you prepare at home or buy at a restaurant it will give you an idea of if you are over consuming carbohydrates.

-Don't be afraid to try something new. There are many different types of grains to choose from. As the saying goes variety is the spice of life. Some you might like to try could be quinoa, buckwheat or barley. 

-Timing of carbohydrate rich meals. Meals that have lots of carbohydrates are best eaten at the time of day where you are most active. For example before or after physical activity or at meals during the day. If carbohydrates are not used as energy they will eventually be stored as fat.

Reducing sugar can be beneficial but it is a different thing to cutting out carbohydrates completely.

When it comes to making food choices I like to use the theory everything in moderation.

Food Labels Explained

Food labels are a useful tool when it comes to choosing which products to buy. The majority of food products have nutrition panels. The only exceptions are foods that don’t come in packaging such as fruit and vegetables, food that is packaged at the point of sale or foods that carry little nutritional value such as tea. My aim of this post is to give a brief overview of how to use these food labels most effectively. So go to your pantry now and find any food product with a label and have a look for these things.

The ingredients list

The ingredients are arranged with the most predominant used in the product to the ingredient with the least amount used. This includes any additives and preservatives. Each preservative and additive has a number written next to it, these numbers can be used to look up and reference what that particular additive does in the food additives list provided by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. The ingredients list is a quick reference for what the product is made up of and in what proportions. This is also vitally important for people with food allergies.

Allergies

Food companies are required to make the consumer aware of any allergy causing ingredients used in their products. This statement can usually be found near the ingredients list. In addition to this the phrase ‘May contain traces of…’ is used when the manufacturer thinks that there is a chance that small amounts of an allergy causing food could be present.

The Nutrition Information Panel

This is made up of a number of things. 

- Average serving size= This number is decided on by the manufacturer of the food product. It is what they recommend is what one adult would eat in one meal. it can often be unrealistic (I’m not aware of anyone who only eats 3 chocolate malt balls at a time).

-Serving per package= The number of the nominated servings that you can get out of a pack.

-In the nutrition information table there are at least 3 columns. The first column lists the nutrients that contribute to the total energy measured in kilojoules (kJ), as well as other significant nutrients measured generally in grams (g) or milligrams (mg). The second column is ‘quantity per serve’ these are the numerical values that correspond to the nutrients in the first column. They are based on the nominated serving size. The third column is ‘quantity per 100g’ and this also contains the numerical values corresponding to how much of each nutrient is in 100g of product. The per serve column is useful to determine home many kilojoules you are consuming. The per 100g column is a helpful tool when comparing similar products from different brands.

-Some packaging contains a % daily intake per serving and this can be deceiving because it is calculated for a specific height, weight and activity level. I don’t think I have ever based a product selection on this information because only being not very tall and female the information if irrelevant to me.

This is only a brief post and I think I will have to write another one like this with more detail in the future.

I hope you have found this helpful,

Bridget x