My Supermarket Non-negotiables

I am so excited to share this guest blog post from my all-star Associate Editor, Rebecca Jay! Rebecca is pursuing a Master's of Science Degree in Nutrition Communications at Tufts University and studying to become a registered dietitian at Simmons College. She loves to cook-up healthy recipes and is always brainstorming new ways to make communicating nutrition fun and interesting. Rebecca believes that shopping for healthy foods at the grocery store should not be a bewildering chore. In this post, Rebecca explains how she analyzes a food product's nutritional information before bringing it to the checkout line. 

Some things you should know about me: turkey sandwiches are a staple in my diet, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I absolutely love going to the grocery store. Yes, you heard that last part correctly. I’m a huge fan of supermarket shopping- not just because I enjoy having a stocked refrigerator and pantry, but also because I love browsing through the brightly colored aisles, and comparing the different food products. I know…I admit I’m a bit of a nutrition nerd!

It has taken me some time to understand what makes a particular food product worth purchasing.  Before I embarked on my nutrition career, I used to focus mainly on taste and calories. If I knew a product was tasty (or at least the packaging made it appear that way), and if it didn’t have too many calories, I would place that bag of cookies in my cart without a second thought. Now, as a graduate student pursuing my Masters of Science in Nutrition, I consider other factors before I deem a food item worthy of a spot in my grocery cart. I call these my “supermarket non-negotiables.”

Of course, no food product is perfect, but just as you may have a list of non-negotiables when looking for a job, an apartment, or a boyfriend, why not have a list of non-negotiables when it comes to choosing your food at the grocery store?

My disclaimer: Non-negotiables can vary for different people- it’s perfectly okay if your list looks different from mine! Also, keep in mind that non-negotiables can be negotiable to a certain extent, because it’s important to practice moderation and not deprive yourself of food you enjoy.  Without further ado, I present my comprehensive list that will have you feeling supermarket savvy in no time. 

1.     DO buy if it tastes good.

First and foremost, you have to enjoy what you are eating. A food item can be super healthy, but if it has no flavor, you probably won’t eat it unless there is a blizzard outside, or if it’s the only item still in your fridge at the end of a long week. The bottom line is to be realistic when you see a product on the grocery store shelf and ask yourself the ever important question, “Will I really eat this?”  Be honest!

2.     DON'T buy just because it sounds healthy.

Don’t be fooled…claims like “gluten-free,” “natural” and “organic” do not mean that the product is necessarily healthful. In fact, foods that are gluten-free may sometimes be more processed, contain fewer nutrients, and have more sugar to make up for the lack of gluten. So, don’t judge a product by its “gluten-free” claim. Similarly, don’t be swayed to purchase an item that’s advertised as “organic” or “natural” until you look at the rest of the product’s nutritional quality and the ingredients label. While junk foods can be labeled “organic” or “natural,” the bottom line is that a candy bar is still a candy bar - not something you want to gobble down on a daily basis.

3.     DON'T buy if it contains a lot of scary ingredients.

It can be difficult to avoid food products that have long lists of ingredients these days. I do my best to try and steer clear of products that contain artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients that sound like chemicals that I can’t pronounce.

4.     DO buy if the calories are coming from quality ingredients. Looking at the calorie content on the nutrition label is a great place to start, but don’t stop there. A nutrition label tells you so much more than just calories. While the ideal number of calories varies for each individual, pay close attention to where these calories are distributed. Calories should go toward good things- like protein and healthy fats. I try to avoid items where the calories come mainly from saturated fat or added sugars. Research has shown that a continued diet high in added sugars may increase your risk of developing type II diabetes, while a diet high in saturated fat can raise your risk of heart disease by increasing your “bad” LDL cholesterol. If a product is low in calories, but high in sugar, saturated fat and/or sodium, it might be worth putting the item back on the shelf and moving on.

This is just my personal non-negotiable list, and I encourage you to find what works best for you.  Once you have your own criteria, be sure to go to the supermarket prepared. Make sure you’re armed with a well-planned grocery list, you’re fully fed, and be sure to bring a jacket so you can spend time in the refrigerated produce section.