Shopping Cheat Sheet
When you go shopping, take the following list along with you to prompt you to make good food choices:
Good Food Bets:
- whole grain cereals, oats, and cereals that have psyllium and flaxseed
- Any types of fruits
- Grains such as quinoa, barley, hominy, millet, amaranth, bulgur, cous cous,
- Nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, soy, also lives - all with no additives like salt and all untoasted)
- Dried legumes, beans, peas, lentils
- Vegetables of all kinds (fresh where possible, but frozen is fine too)
- Soybean products such as tofu and soy milk
- Whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel bread (look for low-salt varieties and check levels of fats first)
- Tortillas
- Whole grain pita breads and crackers (make sure to get low-salt varieties and check fat amounts)
- Fresh garlic and herbs, dried spices and herbs
- Low-sodium salsa or spicy sauce
- Low fat and low sodium soup base or stock
- Low sodium pasta sauce
- Lean meats and chicken
- Fish
- Olive oil
- Low fat dairy products
- Egg whites
- Rice and pastas
- Popcorn that can be air-popped
- Water
- Real fruit juice
Avoid, be wary of, or buy very little of (at the very least find lower-fat alternatives):
- Whole eggs
- Whole milk products
- Red meat that is fatty (looks marbleized)
- Organ meats
- Processed or prepared foods (heat and serve foods or sandwich meats and sausages)
- granola or museli cereals (many contain lots of fats)
- Sports drinks, sodas, fruit “beverages” (many are high in salts as well as sugars)
watch out for these ingredients or food values on food labels:
- Sodium, salt
- Eggs and egg products
- Shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil (these are high in trans fats)
- Fats (especially trans fats, saturated fats, and others)
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