Quick Grocery Shopping Tips

Getting lean and fit doesn’t mean you hire a personal trainer and suddenly look and feel great. It takes discipline – a lot of it, particularly when it comes to eating. However, you can set yourself up for success by following a few tips. Here are a few to get you going.

Ever go to the supermarket and check out the other person’s grocery cart to see what they’ve bought? Do it next time you go shopping. Now look at yours. Look at what you have in your grocery cart. If your cart is filled with pop tarts, cookies, chips, pop and other high carb foods destined to make you look like the Goodyear blimp, then start thinking ahead.

When you walk into the grocery store, plan your attack.

Rule #1 – Look for food in the areas surrounding the inner aisles. Why? Most processed foods are located within these aisles, so skip them and move on to the outer reaches of the store. Luckily, here in Ottawa we have some quality independent stores that provide a great selection of meats and produce. While not every store is the same, most produce and meats are located in these areas and offer a great base for your nutritional battle plan.

Rule #2 – Shop on a full stomach. Places such as Costco sell to people based on their levels of satiety at that moment and do it well. If you’re hungry, chances are you’ll want to buy everything you smell, taste and see.

If you can start with these two simple tips, they will definitely help you in keeping your body fat levels low and energy levels (and bank account) high.

If you’re looking to overhaul your body or fine tune it for your sport or aesthetic reasons, check out the Precision Nutrition System.