Next time you go to do the food shopping, why not use the healthy shopping list below as a handy guide?

Remember, if your cupboards are full of good, healthy food then there is not so much room for junk food!

Healthy Shopping List

  • Raw and cooked vegetables – all kinds however it is important to check that anything you add to enhance flavour is not full of carbohydrates or sugar. Alfalfa, barley leaf, wheat grass, kale and spinach – indeed any dark green coloured vegetable – can be eaten or juiced. Avocados and olives provide healthy fatty acids for the liver.
  • Raw fruits – most are great for those on a weight control program however it is best to avoid (or go very easy on) bananas, mangoes and grapes. Dried fruits are too high in carbohydrates.
  • Poultry – chicken, turkey, duck etc. (preferably free range) are all a great source of protein.
  • Meat – best to choose fresh red or white meat – choose lean cuts without too much fat. Avoid preserved meat.
  • Eggs and dairy – preferably free range eggs, full fat plain yoghurt, milk, cheeses (cottage, ricotta, vintage, feta, tasty).
  • Seafood – such as oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel), fish fillets, shellfish. Canned seafood is healthy. Avoid smoked or deep-fried seafood or seafood that has been coated with breadcrumbs or batter (even if oven fried).
  • Seeds, Legumes and Sprouts – flaxseed, sunflower, sesame or pumpkin seeds are delicious. Beans of all varieties, lentils and chickpeas can be eaten cooked in soups, stir fries or salads, or sprouted. Alfalfa, mung beans, wheat grass, barley grass are a great addition to your diet.
  • Seaweeds or sea vegetables – varieties include arame, wakame, nori, dulse and kombu.
  • Nuts of all varieties – they must be fresh (and not coated with chocolate!)

If possible, try to buy produce that is fresh and/or in season and free of –

  • Added sugar (read ingredient list on label)
  • Hydrogenated vegetable oils and/or trans-fatty acids
  • The artificial sweetener aspartame (additive 951)
  • Chemical preservatives, colourings and flavourings

Organic food that is free of insecticides is ideal but for some people it’s just too expensive and not always possible to find.

Where possible, buy local produce, as this is the freshest option (and has not had to be transported and stored).

Do the best you can when choosing food for yourself and your family – the old saying “You are what you eat” is very true!