If you want to eat healthy, you'll need to buy healthy foods and this means being careful about your choices especially when in the supermarket.
When you pick out the freshest, healthiest options you'll be on your way to making healthy and delicious meals your family will enjoy.
Typically the fresh and healthy options at the supermarket are at the outside of the store.
This is where you find the fresh fruits and vegetables, the dairy products, and the meats as well.
There are some wholesome items inside the store as well, such as whole grain cereal and breads and canned fruits and vegetables.
And even in these other sections there are better choices you can make as well.
Whole grain cereals are better than sugary cereals.
You may be able to tell the difference because of the packaging but often it's good to read the nutrition labels as well to make sure you're opting for the healthiest items for yourself and your family.
Reading the labels on foods is a skill that any savvy shopper should develop and cultivate.
These labels are a requirement on packaged foods and contain quite a bit of information, if you understand them.
Go beyond just the calorie counts and look at the fat grams, the amount of sodium in items, and the vitamins and minerals they would contain as well.
These are all important details.
And of course you need to understand about portion sized listed on those labels.
If you're reading the calories and fat grams, this is especially important.
If the juice serving says eight ounces, remember that most drinking glasses contain twelve ounces or even sixteen ounces, twice the serving size! So you need to figure out how much you actually would eat or drink of an item or realize that you need to watch what you serve yourself when you get home.
Healthy foods also means fewer process foods.
Go for 100% fruit juice rather than fruit blends or those that add water and sugar with just a small amount of actual juice.
Frozen vegetables on their own are better than packages of vegetables in butter or cheese sauces.
Fresh meat is typically better than canned and even many frozen items, which often have unhealthy ingredients added to them for taste and preserving.
Be careful of dairy products as well.
This means buying low fat and nonfat varieties; the exception to this will be items you get for babies and young children.
When babies and children are growing they need more fat and calories than adults and these are found in milk and dairy products.
Adults can often opt for lower fat versions.
Canned products, especially soups, are also found in low fat or fat free varieties, and many also cut down on the sodium.
Opt for low sodium and lower fat options for your health.
You can even find those that are high in protein, such as bean soup, split pea soup, and so on.
These are healthier for you and contain a large amount of protein, fiber, and other important nutrients.
Many specialty meals such as Mexican or oriental dishes can be very healthy if they're prepared in the traditional sense.
Try to prepare them in an authentic way; this would include Middle Eastern foods, Italian foods, and many other ethnic dishes.
If you make salsa on your own it can be a low calorie, healthy dip and there are other Mexican and Middle Eastern dishes that are typically fat free and low in calories as well.
It also pays to learn how to season foods correctly so that they taste good without added fat and calories.
Try growing a small herb garden in your home and learn which herbs and spices go with what ingredients in a dish.
You can save money by growing them yourself and learn how to cook tasty meals that are healthy.
If you do buy these in the store, watch for a high sodium content.
Again, check the labels since many store-bought herbs and spices add salt for flavor.