Grocery Shopping for Your Health!

Debra B. Reed, PhD, RD, LDMindy K. Diller, Nutritional Sciences Graduate Student

Shopping can be confusing

Have a game plan Know Before You Go….

Customer Benefits & Rewards• Websites• Nutritional Programs (Stores that encourage health)

- Tagging Programs for smart phones and Healthy Number Programs such as Nuval

Make a menu for the week• Shop off a list• Use coupons or Budget Sales ads• Eat before you shop• Leave the kids at home

Retrain your brain When planning menus, remember

national nutrition guidelines to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains• First- Pick Produce, add lots of colors

• Next- Protein and Starches/Carbohydrates

Shoppers increase produce purchases by 102% in study conducted by New Mexico

State University

Fruits and Veggies

http://newscenter.nmsu.edu/news/article/?action=show&id=5255 article review

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s1690079.shtml?cat=504 video link

Processed Foods

Tips for Success

Is Fresh Produce Best?Fresh is Great

• Nutritious (if can be used quickly)

• Low Cost, Often on Sale• Convenient, pre-cut• Portable• Fast and Fresh Fixes• Seasonal Variety

BUT…Nutrients Degrade • On the counter • In the refrigerator

http://www.eatright.org/kids/article.aspx?id=6442462212&terms=Fresh+foods

Benefits of Canned • Nutritious• Low Cost, Often on

Sale• Long Shelf Life• Convenient• Portable• Fast Fixes• Variety• Look for:-Low Sodium, No Sugar

added, Low Fat, In own juice and Unsweetened

Benefits of Frozen Produce

Fruits and veggies chosen for freezing tend to be processed at their peak ripeness with optimal nutrients.

• Nutritious• Convenient• Longer shelf life • Year round availability• Fast Fixes• Variety

What’s in your Wallet? May depend on what's in your in

basket.

Healthy foods do not have to be pricey.

Convenient can be healthy• Fresh, Frozen, Canned or Dried

Healthy & Affordable

• Whole Grains: Rice, Pasta, Cereal

• Fruits & Veggies: Fresh, Frozen,

Canned

• Proteins (Affordable):

Beans, Eggs, Tuna, Tofu

• Dairy: Low Fat Milk &

Cheese

Money Saving Tips Add nutritious low-cost foods such as

vegetables, beans, brown rice, whole grain pastas to chili, soups, casseroles (this adds nutritional value and decreases food cost)

Have a ‘meatless’ meal 1 or more days a week

Other resources: 16 Simple Supermarket Tips to Save

over $2,000 Yearly• Alice Henneman MS RD with the University

of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster Countyhttp://www.youtube.com/alicehenneman#p/u/5/ALEP8WPv0Jc  

Texas Tech UniversityCollege of Human Sciences

Department of Nutrition, Hospitality, and Retailing806-742-3068 Ext. 251