If you instead of keeping junk-food and snacks that are bad for you at home fill your kitchen with vibrant, healthy food that’s alive and abundant in nutrients, you are setting yourself up for success! To make this easier, we need to arm ourself with the information we need to make sure that we make the right pick for us and our dear Gaia (mother earth).
Here are my top tips to make your next grocery trip a green and empowering one!
First and foremost, all grocery stores are not equal.
Check if there’s a market close to you, or an all vegan or organic store. If there’s not, a lot of places do weekly boxes and offer delivery services. It’s time that you check if there’s a zero waste store close to you 🙂 Less plastic = a must! Plus you can usually save money on buying bulk food! Time’s are catching up fast and usually there’s at least an organic section in most stores.
Don’t go to the store hungry.
Ask yourself, do I really need/want this? Will I regret buying it and feel guilty after eating it? If you instead of keeping junk-food and snacks that are bad for you at home fill your kitchen with vibrant, healthy food that’s alive and abundant in nutrients, you are setting yourself up for success!
Real food = 5 ingredients or less.
If it comes with names you cant pronouns or read, usually its no bueno my friend. When you are reading an ingredient list, it’s good to know that the first ingredient is the most abundant. So if it says sugar in the first three, maybe not the best choice?
On that same note, beware of theses BUZZ WORDS on front of the labels:
- Natural
- All natural
- Sugar-free
- Fat-free
- Superfood
- [Anything]-friendly (insert trendy diet here)
- Gluten-free
- Multi Grain
Check for NON-GMO food.
Here’s an additional post I wrote about what GMO’s are and how to avoid them for your if you are not familiar with the subject and want to know more. Currently these are the only crops in the U.S. that are approved to be grown with genetic modification:
- Soybeans
- Corn
- Cotton
- Canola
- Sugar beets
- Alfalfa
- Papaya
- Yellow “crook neck” squash
- Zucchini
- “Artic” apple
- “Innate” potato
Go for greens, fruits, herbs and veggies.
Don’t be afraid of the frozen veggies and fruits, but be sure to read the nutrition facts label on the back of the package. If you are looking for frozen cauliflower the label should say “cauliflower” and cauliflower alone. MAJOR KEY: When it’s summer, buy what’s in season in bulk and freeze for the winter 🙂
Don’t drink your calories.
There, I said it. Drinking juice concentrate is like drinking 4 watermelons in one glass and almost all soft drinks and such drinks contain a lot of sugar and chemicals. Drink water, tea, rose water and coffee instead. Ps: Keep it sustainable with these filters and bottles.
Don’t be scared of fat, but know what oils to use and for what.
Olive, avocado, grape, walnut and sesame seed oils are golden for dressing and cooking under very low heat. Coconut oil is my favorite for cooking. Stay clear from refinded oils or anything that says Anything That’s “Partially Hydrogenated”. Also avoid corn, sunflower, palm oil (seriosuly, dont), safflower, cottonseed.
I seriously enjoy going to the grocery store and bring my own bags. Its like i’m buying myself gifts!
