Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey, or you’ve been a workout-fanatic for years, finding the right balance between fitness and nutrition can be a challenge. With endless online recipes, cookbooks, and the abundance of options in the grocery store, it can be intimidating, so we wanted to help with that!

Clean Eating Grocery Guide:

5 Tips to Healthy Grocery Shopping

1. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid the center aisles. On the perimeter you will find fresh produce, protein sources, and dairy. When you look in the center aisles you’re going to find the processed items. Fill your cart with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat from the deli, and grass-fed and organic dairy.
2. Check your labels! When looking at the ingredients on your items, pick the foods that have the least amount of ingredients, and ones that you can actually pronounce. You would be surprised how many ingredients and fillers are in certain foods, especially condiments.
3. Plan your meals beforehand. If you like to meal prep and have a few hours to set aside over the weekend to do so, we would highly encourage it. Make a plan for what you would like to eat for breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner. Make your list and don’t veer from that list when you get to the store.
4. Never grocery shop hungry. We’ve all been there… you’re wandering the aisles with a grumbling stomach and before you know it, you’re filling your cart with items that sound good at the moment, and are likely not on your meal plan. Our brain can play tricks on us when we are hungry, so be prepared before you go to a store filled with delicious food.
5. Lastly, understand that life is all about balance. We don’t expect you to completely drop all of your old habits and eat 100% clean. If you feel like you can’t live without your chocolate, find a dark chocolate bar that is high in cacao and allow yourself a little when you have a craving. If your weakness is chips and dip, opt for a grain-free tortilla chip, and make homemade guacamole. Life is too short to deprive yourself of everything you love, just be conscious of it!

There you have it, 5 tips to help you navigate your next trip to the grocery store. If we missed anything, please feel free to share in the comments below, we love learning from you too! Team Active content is not medical advice; it's inspiration to live actively!