Why One Should Revise Their GrocerY List For The Sake Of Their Health? Well, sugar-packed food can cause obesity, oral health problems, and high blood pressure. Salt can also cause hypertension, a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest. In order to avoid these negative effects, it is imperative to shop for healthier food and limit the amount of sugar and salt in your grocery cart.
Dietitians share healthy foods to buy at the grocery store
Shopping at the grocery store can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. A Registered Dietitian can help you avoid confusion about nutritional labels and make your trip to the store stress-free. Here are some foods to consider buying at the grocery store:
Healthy foods to buy at the grocery store
Purchasing whole, unsweetened oat milk may be a good way to avoid the saturated fats in cow’s milk, but you may find yourself missing out on other nutrients. Look for fortified varieties that have the same micronutrient profile as cow’s milk. Adding oat milk to your daily routine is a great way to get the beta-glucans in your diet, which may help to reduce cholesterol and boost the immune system. Whether you use it in baking, smoothies, coffee, or cereal, oat milk makes a great addition to your daily regimen.
Making a list will also help you stay on track while grocery shopping. Organizing your list by aisle can make it easy to pick out the healthiest items from each section. For example, when purchasing bread, choose whole grain bread with 3-4 grams of fiber and fewer than 100 calories per slice. Creating a list will also keep you from buying unhealthy snacks, which may be tempting, while compromising your health.
Reducing sugar
The World Health Organization recommends that we consume 5% to 10% of our daily caloric intake from free sugars. Generally, most of us could do with cutting down on the sugar in our grocery lists. But how do we know what to cut out? First, let’s consider what added sugars are. These are the processed, added sugars that are often hidden in food. For example, a 16-ounce orange juice can contain nearly 40 grams of sugar!
Researchers have found a strong link between sugary foods and cardiovascular disease. In the U.S. alone, cardiovascular disease accounts for one-third of all deaths, and two-thirds of adult Americans are obese. According to the National Institutes of Health, about one-third of the population is diabetic or prediabetic. The research suggests that cutting sugar from our grocery lists could prevent at least two million new cases of cardiovascular disease and four hundred thousand deaths from diabetes.
Reducing salty drinks at the grocery store
One recent effort to lower sodium intake is the “Healthy Heart-Cut the Salt” initiative, which has gained momentum nationwide. This effort partners with the food industry to develop a voluntary framework for lowering sodium in products. This effort also created a market for low-sodium and trans-fat-free foods. Recently, a new director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Thomas R. Frieden, has been a leading advocate for lowering sodium levels in food and drinks.
The HSPH Department of Nutrition is leading the charge to create healthier consumer fare. In fact, it recently challenged beverage makers to develop beverages with 70 percent less sugar than current versions. Faculty members estimate that reducing sugar by half could reduce obesity and diabetes rates in the United States. They also estimate that reducing sodium by half could prevent 150,000 deaths a year. So, the next time you shop at the grocery store, make it a point to reduce salty drinks.