If You Don’t Buy It, You Won’t Eat It

Is this you?

* When you buy fruit, you head for the canned-fruit aisle, not the fresh produce section.

* Your freezer is packed with boxes of vegetables frozen in butter or cream. You buy food based on how it looks on the box, not because of its nutrition label.

* To you, “bread” means sweet rolls, doughnuts and cinnamon bread.

* Dessert is bakery cakes or ice cream.

Shopping for food can be frustrating if you want to eat a healthier diet but don’t know how to get started. Here are some tips on how to stock your kitchen with foods that are low in fat, salt and sugar, and high in fiber. The end result: You should feel better and have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight.

* Buy white-meat poultry and lean cuts of meat, such as round or sirloin. Eat more fish and dried beans.

* When buying bread, go for whole wheat. For cereal, eat oatmeal and high-fiber cold cereals. If you’re a rice eater, try eating brown rice instead of white.

* If you eat dairy products, look for low-fat or nonfat milk and cheese and nonfat yogurt. Avoid or limit your intake of cream, whole milk and whole eggs (try egg substitutes or just egg whites). And ice cream lovers might try substituting ice milk or nonfat frozen yogurt.

* With cooking oils, use even the healthier choices, such as canola and olive, sparingly.

* As Mom always implored, eat your veggies, fresh or frozen, plain. This goes for fruit, too. Avoid or limit your intake of fruit canned in heavy syrup and vegetables packed in sauce or with added salt.

Also, become an avid reader of food labels. This will help you choose the healthier varieties. Don’t overwhelm yourself and try to change everything at once. Once you’ve switched from, say, whole milk to low-fat milk and are comfortable with that, try moving on to the next phase in your plan to clean up your diet.

Source: StayWell Co.