Four SIMPLE Healthy Grocery Shopping Switches for 2021

1. Wheat Bread for White Bread (& wheat for white everything!)

Reason Why: Wheat flour, which is what wheat bread is made from, is more nutritious than white flour. Simply put, this is because while wheat flour is made with the entire grain (of wheat), white flour is only made with part of the grain, and this part of the grain does not contain the same level of nutrients as the rest of the grain. Whole grains, though high in carbohydrates, are actually very good for you. You may see advertising on cereals, crackers, and other labels as "containing X% of your daily value of whole grains". Eating wheat bread made from whole wheat flour can help you to achieve your daily value of recommended whole grains. White bread, on the other hand, is also going to be high in carbohydrates but is not going to contain these same nutritious whole grains.

What to look for:

A lot of breads are marketed as "wheat bread" even though they are not actually made with whole wheat. Make sure that whole wheat flour is the first listed ingredient for the bread you are looking to purchase when you make the switch! Extra Recommendations: In addition to changing white bread for wheat bread, if you want to step it up even further, I recommend purchasing whole wheat bread which also contains multi-grains. I know these brands or types of bread can sometimes be more expensive than your standard white grocery bread, but I still believe they are worth it. Hear me out: How many times a week do you eat bread? How many times a week do your kids eat bread? Personally, I probably eat a sandwich for lunch probably 5/7 days a week. That is a LOT of bread, which means this is a great opportunity for me to make a small change to add a LOT more nutrition into my diet! I find that the more expensive brands which carry whole wheat bread with multi-grains are usually only $1-$2 more per loaf of bread. Even if you purchase a whole loaf a week, you are only paying about $4-$8 more a month to add significantly more nutrition to your diet. Small change, big difference! PS: This is also true of whole wheat pasta vs regular pasta as well! I recommend switching these out in addition to your bread. Whole wheat pasta is usually just as affordable as regular pasta, so this is almost definitely a FREE switch!

2. QUIT buying soda! Switch it out for juice/tea.

Reason why: We all know that soda is bad for us. It's loaded with sugar and bad for our teeth. But with some members of the family hating to drink just water, soda is a go-to option. There are a couple of reasons that I recommend switching over to either juice or tea. One reason is that 100% juice almost always contains high amounts of Vitamin C and can contain other antioxidants and vitamins which are good for your health. While juices can be just as high in sugar as soda, the difference is similar to switching white for wheat: You are putting more good things into your body by making the switch. The second primary reason is that each of these things can easily be diluted with water and still taste good. Even though this may sound crazy to some of you reading who have not heard it before, this is sometimes touted as a poor person's trick to making a good thing last longer, and while it certainly can cut down on the amount you are buying, the primary reason I bring this up is because it is a way you can trick yourself into drinking more water. Since so many people really dislike drinking just water, mixing water with something else can allow individuals to stay hydrated while still enjoying the taste of what they are drinking. In diluting juice or tea with water, you are also cutting down on the relative amount of sugar you are consuming.

What to look for: Make sure the juice you are buying is 100% juice. Most "juices" in the stores contain only about 10% real juice. You do not want to purchase juice that contains a lot of added sugars instead of natural sugars coming from natural fruit juice. Added sugars should be always be avoided if possible. Switching from soda to juice also may be a little bit more expensive. Because of this, I make sure to shop off-brands or sales when I purchase juice. Since there are several juice brands in most grocery stores, brands are often looking to run sales to build customer loyalty.

3. Substitute Greek Yogurt for regular yogurt (and if you don't already; start eating yogurt!!)

Reason why: Greek yogurt has more protein, less fat, and often contains less sugar than regular yogurt. Greek yogurt can be purchased in large or small containers and come in many different flavors just as regular yogurt does. This is an easy way to continue to get the excellent probiotics we love from regular yogurt while also adding extra protein and cutting fat from your diet. Greek yogurt, like regular yogurt, is great to eat with fruit, granola, or other toppings. If you don't eat yogurt because of the texture (a common complaint I have heard from friends), try adding one of these! This could be a game-changer and breakthrough in your whole attitude toward yogurt!

What to look for: You should look for Greek yogurt brands that do not contain saturated fat. If you are watching your sugar levels and trying to cut down on this, you can also check the nutrition label for Greek yogurts that contain lower levels of sugar. The good news is that small to-go containers of Greek yogurt are often the same price as regular yogurt! While the bulk cartons can sometimes be a little more expensive, Greek yogurt brands (similar to juice brands) often run sales to boost customer loyalty and to get new customers to try their particular brand.

4. Buy reduced fat milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, etc.

Reason why: Cheese, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, etc., all contain high levels of saturated fats (unhealthy fats). If you intentionally purchase reduced fat products, you could potentially be savings yourself unnecessary fat consumption. I find that for products like sour cream and cream cheese, which I don't eat on their own but usually use in recipes, I can't tell a difference at all!

What you should look for: These products will often be marketed as "reduced fat" or "1/3 less fat". Even if you are a person who just HAS to have whole milk, choosing lower fat cheeses or other dairy products can really help you cut down on your daily value of saturated fat. I haven't mentioned ice cream yet in this section, but looking for great-tasting reduced fat ice cream is another dairy product that you can easily find reduced fat options for.