Gift Shape Magazine as a Gift
Shape Magazine

Supermarket Slimdown

Save Review Print
Rate This: 
 Avg: 0.00
1|2|3   |  
PRODUCE SECTION
It's hard to go wrong in the nutrition-rich produce section, but here are a few suggestions to make the most of it:
  • The more color, the more nutrients. Blue, green, orange and red fruits and veggies are rich in phytochemicals that may fight heart disease and cancer.
  • Use pre-washed and pre-cut fruits and vegetables. While these may cost a little more, the time you'll save on preparing them will encourage you to eat more.

    Add to your cart
    Blueberries are an excellent source of anthocyanins, phytochemicals that protect the body from disease; 1 cup contains nearly 4 grams of fiber and just 56 calories.

    Red bell peppers boost both flavor and nutrients when added to salads: One cup contains one-third of your entire RDA for vitamin A and almost four times your RDA for vitamin C (twice as much as the same amount of green bell peppers).

    Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, an antioxidant that can help prevent cancer.

    Leave these behind
    Caesar salad kits One bag contains 3.5 servings, each of which provides 170 calories and 15 grams of fat (2.5 grams saturated). And if you're ever tempted to eat the entire bag, thinking it's a "healthy" lunch, remember: One bag contains as much total fat as a McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese.

    Banana chips One-half cup contains 180 calories and 10 grams of fat (9 grams saturated) -- akin to eating a serving of fruit with a dollop of butter on top. Sugary fruit-juice drinks Sugar-laden, high-calorie fruit-juice drinks don't provide the same feeling of fullness that whole fruit does. So you're likely to end up eating just as many calories after you've downed a 15-ounce mango-flavored drink, which has about 300 calories and almost 60 grams of sugar, as if you'd had a zero-calorie glass of water or diet soda.

    MEAT, FISH & POULTRY
    Some of the best sources of protein are found at the meat and fish counters. Protein is digested slowly, so foods high in this macronutrient help to prolong feelings of fullness. The downside is that the same foods can be high in artery-clogging saturated fat. Here are some guidelines to help keep your recommended daily intake of saturated fat below 20 grams (on an 1,800-calorie-a-day diet) -- and to help you stay healthy:
  • Incorporate seafood into your diet a few times a week. Fish and shellfish are generally the leanest sources of protein -- and blood-building iron -- you can find. Avoid fish that contain high levels of toxins. Certain types of fish -- namely shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish -- should be limited or avoided entirely because they contain high levels of mercury (which can harm an unborn baby or a young child's developing nervous system, as well as your own). In addition, farmed salmon should be limited to no more than 1 serving per month because of the high levels of cancer-causing toxins it can contain. Your best choice is wild salmon, which has lower levels of these toxins and can be eaten more frequently.
  • Choose white-meat chicken over dark. Chicken breast is lower in calories and fat (including saturated fat) than is the dark meat found in thighs and legs. (In fact, a 3-ounce serving of skinless white meat has 100 fewer calories and 12 fewer fat grams than the same serving of dark meat with skin.)
  • Choose 95 percent lean ground beef. A 3-ounce serving contains 132 calories and 5 grams of fat (2 grams saturated), while the same amount of 80 percent lean beef will cost you 96 more calories and another 7 grams of fat (including 4 more grams of the saturated kind).

    Add to your cart
    Pork tenderloin Unlike fattier cuts of "the other white meat," a 3-ounce serving of this fillet, taken from the rear two-thirds of the pig's loin section, contains 116 calories, 4.5 grams of fat (2 grams saturated) and 17 grams of protein.
    Soy bacon This meatless version of the perennial breakfast meat has a much healthier nutritional profile: Two slices typically contain 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat (none saturated); compare these stats to two slices of real bacon, which have 80 calories and 6 grams of fat (2 grams saturated).
    Shrimp For a lowfat source of protein, shrimp is hard to beat: Three ounces (about 12 large shrimp) provides 90 calories and a modest 1.5 grams of fat (less than 1 gram saturated).

    Leave these behind
    High-fat, high-sodium sausages Just one link of bratwurst, for example, contains 281 calories, 25 grams of fat (9 grams saturated) and a heart-stopping 719 milligrams of sodium. Better to avoid the temptation.
    Beef short ribs Three ounces -- the size of a deck of cards -- of this barbecue favorite has 330 calories and 31 grams of fat (13 grams saturated).

    • Related Items

    Healthy Dinner

    Make a Healthy Dinner in a Snap
    Shave time and effort off your meal prep by stocking your pantry with these 5 must-have ingredients.

    4 Rules for Resisting Temptation at the Supermarket
    Play the market right with these simple strategies.

    Easy Ways to Spend Less at the Grocery Store
    Resist the urge to cut corners at the supermarket.

    Email:
    Name:
    Address:
    Address 2:
    City:
    State:
    Zip:
     

    Ratings & Reviews

    Rate This: 
    Avg 0.00
    Showing 1 of 1   

    2 Reviews
    I really appreciate this article. I have really had a problem finding out what is good to buy and what is not good to buy and this article really helped me. I am trying to revamp my lifestyle and how I and my family eat isn't that great. Anyway, thanks for all the helpful advice.

    Report Abuse

    I really appreciate this article. I have really had a problem finding out what is good to buy and what is not good to buy and this article really helped me. I am trying to revamp my lifestyle and how I and my family eat isn't that great. Anyway, thanks for all the helpful advice.

    Report Abuse

    Write a Review
    Loading

    Exercise and Routine Search.

    Enter key words and select exercise options to create your search. You can remove options by clicking the [x] in the search string.

    RESULTS:

    0

    • Balance/Functional