
Grocery Store Shopping Guide
​
Overview
Before diving into the details, I want to first discuss why knowing how to shop properly at the grocery store is so important. The single most important strategy to eating optimally for your health is to not ‘eat out’ as often as we do. The vast majority of restaurants and eateries use cheap/toxic/conventional/processed ingredients that are prepared for the sole purpose of taste and appearances, not health. Even if you think you’ve found a relatively healthy establishment to get ready made food, think again because the devil is always in the details. So limiting your eating out to special occasions with good company (1-2x / month) is step one. Remember, “eating out” includes things you get to grab and go, not just sit downs at restaurants. There are ways to do it right but you just have to be careful.
Step two is to prioritize the learning and enjoyment of going to your local grocery store/market, buying fresh ingredients, and taking the time to prepare these ingredients to create healthy meals. There’s almost no way around this unless you have the money to spend on someone to shop and cook for you the correct way. Having said this, I don’t expect anyone to cook 3 times a day, 7 days a week. There are strategies to make the food prep more efficient which we’ll get into in another guide. Everyone can and should prioritize this in their lives, no matter how busy they say they are. So for now, let’s talk about how to grocery shop for health.
Consider this.. if you’ve managed to successfully limit the amount of food you eat outside your kitchen (which is no easy task), the only opportunity to make poor choices is when you’re actually at the store shopping. Once you’re at home and digging around in the fridge or pantry, you’re left with only the choices you’ve already made about what to bring home with you. So when you’re at the grocery store, it’s important to stay focused, be efficient, and exercise restraint when temptations arise.
Strategies for Success
Make a list and stick with it
It’s always a good idea to arrive at the grocery store with a list of what you need and stick with it. That means taking the time to create this list before you even get into the car. Some prefer an ongoing list stuck to the refrigerator that gets updated throughout the week. Another fun way is to look up recipes beforehand and add the ingredients to your list. This way it won’t be a free-for-all and you won’t be tempted to buy things just because they appeal to your base senses. Even if you want ice cream or some other treat, put it on the list first. This way you are in the driver seat and are making decisions from a more conscious place. Initially you will forget some items and only be reminded once you see them at the store, and that’s okay. We’re aiming for progress not perfection. The intention here is to minimize those impulse decisions.
Conversely, be impulsive!
I know, I just suggested that you be more structured with your shopping right? Well here I’m strictly referring to non-packaged, whole foods (produce, meats, dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, etc). Aka real food. People have a tendency to stay in their lane and only eat what is familiar to them. But your body enjoys diversity, especially when it’s local and in sync with the seasons (more on that later). Each food has a unique macronutrient, micronutrient, vitamin, and mineral profile, in addition to unique fibers that feed and promote a diverse gut microbiome. So the advice here is to pick at minimum one new fruit, vegetable, meat, etc that you’ve never tried before (or rarely have) each time you shop. Some even suggest to “eat the rainbow”, because fruits and vegetables with different colors have uniquely different nutrients and fibers. You’ll figure out how to prepare it when you get home (and make a commitment to actually do so before it goes bad). But at the store, no need to worry about what you’re going to do with it. Just put it in your cart and move on!
Note: if you have a specific condition such as cancer and have been given a particular diet to follow (ex: low carb/sugar), you obviously don’t want to be loading up your cart with mangoes, cherries and potatoes just because you’re trying to be diverse. So be discerning with this tip.
Organic
Here’s the deal with organic food. Only in the US (for the most part) do we have this special designation, for which we pay a premium. Most other countries have better standards and regulations when it comes to the practices allowed in farming. But because we don’t, it is not a good idea to continue consuming most conventionally grown foods. They are genetically modified, laced with chemical pesticides, and grown in soils that are depleted. These are sick foods, similar to factory-farmed meat. There are lists such as the “dirty dozen” that help identify the higher risk foods that definitely contain more pesticides. But that is too simple a list to rely on. It’s also not just about the chemical residues. Organic foods are typically grown in healthier soils, and this means their nutrient profile is far superior than their conventional counterparts. So even though the price premium is a bit of a racket, it is worth buying organic produce as much as you can afford it. In terms of packaged foods, don’t assume they are healthy just because it says organic. This is a trap. Use the tips mentioned in this guide to discern what is truly an acceptable packaged food.
Buy local and in-season
This is not something you do merely for ideological reasons like lowering your carbon footprint or supporting local business. When you buy from the supermarket, you could be getting kiwi’s from New Zealand, garlic from China or blueberries from Peru. There are many issues with this. The further away the source is from you, the longer the transit time. This means that farmers pick the vegetable/fruit early well before it is naturally ripened off its vine, and that means it has not had the chance to fully develop its nutrient profile. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference looking at the vegetable, but the changes are significant and well-studied. Another reason is that different countries have different laws, so just because the US bans something like DDT, doesn’t mean your banana from Guatemala won’t have some level of the toxic chemical. The third reason is that many local farmers, especially those at farmer’s markets, are using less chemicals with healthier, more diverse soil than the larger more industrial producers, even if they aren’t certified organic. If you’re buying at a farmer’s market, make sure you always ask if they use chemical pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers.
Independent health stores + farmers markets
It’s easy to default to shopping at supermarkets, especially when they tend to be more affordable. However, consider doing a Google search in your area to discover smaller, independent health food stores. These usually source their ingredients better than the big chain stores (yes even Whole Foods), and also tend to have more knowledgeable staff.
To take it one step further, search your area for farmer’s markets, as they are the absolute gold standard for healthy produce (apart from growing your own). This is where you find truly fresh, local and in-season produce and other foods that can make all the difference in your health. Remember, a head of spinach is not the same just because it looks the same. It’s highly dependent on the way it was grown. You’ll also get to talk directly with the farmers and ask them about what chemicals they use and how the food was grown. As long as they’re using natural pesticides and fertilizers, they don’t need to be certified organic (many of the smaller farms often aren’t certified organic because of the cost associated with that label, and that’s okay).
Remember just because it’s at a farmer’s market, doesn’t mean it’s not automatically healthy or chemical free. So always ask discerning questions.
Tip: Don’t believe it's worth it? Try organically growing your own tomato (or get it from a farmer's market) and compare it to a store bought organic tomato and tell me what tastes better. You better believe that better taste translates to more nutrients in the food!
Shop the perimeter and minimize packaged/processed foods
The perimeter of the grocery store is usually where they keep the whole foods. It’s in the center where you have aisle after aisle of packaged foods. And if it’s in a package, box, can or jar.. it’s processed. It’s only a matter of what degree it’s processed. Processed foods are unhealthy not just for their non-fresh and often toxic ingredients, but the way they manufacture, extract and heat the ingredients can create toxic byproducts that you’ll never find on the label. You’ll have to decide for yourself what level of health you’re trying to achieve and determine how much fresh foods you’re eating every day. But just know that this is the #1 problem with our modern diet that creates disease. It's processed and not fresh. Switch it to fresh as much as you’re willing to and watch your health transform!
Never shop when you’re hungry
I think it’s a well-known fact if you shop when you’re hungry, you’ll be more impulsive, less patient, and make poorer decisions. One strategy, apart from eating beforehand, is to bring something to eat to munch on while you’re at the store. Most stores wouldn’t even mind if you picked something off the shelf and ate it as you shopped, as long as you eventually pay for it.
Look for sales/discounts
If you’re going to start buying higher quality foods, it’s a good idea to have a strategy to save money wherever you can so you can reinvest it in your health. A good way to do this at the grocery store is to look for sales and purchase high quality items when they are on sale, even if you don’t need them immediately. If they store well, keep them in your pantry and over time you can pull upon your store when you’re hungry and need something good to keep you from eating something quick and unhealthy. Some examples of good sale items that store well are canned fish, frozen fruits/veggies/meats, and spices. Another way you could save is to buy from the bulk bins, which many health food stores now have.
Always read ingredient & nutrition labels
Many people put too much trust into brands and appearances when selecting their packaged foods. But don’t simply look at the front of the box when making your decisions; that’s how they get you with labels. Always always always read the ingredients and nutrition facts on the back. Make it a habit and you’ll see the differences and automatically start making better decisions.
For nutrition labels the main thing you want to look out for is sugar. Don’t worry as much about calories or fat; we put too much emphasis on those things and it’s an outdated perspective on health. Sugar and excess carbohydrates, especially when refined, should be kept within limit because they are the #1 most over consumed, problematic ingredients in our modern diet (apart from processed ingredients). So look at the total sugars and carbohydrates and multiply that by the number of servings per box. You’ll want to keep the sugar to under 8g per serving not just according to the box, but according to how much you would actually eat in one sitting. You’ll have to gauge that based on the size of the box and how fast you think you’ll go through it.
For ingredients, remember that products are required to list their ingredients in order by weight. So if you’re assessing what’s really in the package, take special note of the ingredients that appear first because that will make up the majority of the product. You also want this ingredient list to be short, with ingredients you can recognize and pronounce. Ask yourself the question, is this a recipe that I can make at home? Are these ingredients something I would find in my own pantry? If the answer is no, then it’s probably not good for you. Simple.
Also be careful with fortified foods. If you start to see a list of vitamins added to the end of the ingredients list, be wary because they are synthetic and your body does not process or recognize them the same as real food. For some, these fortified ingredients can actually create disorders in the body.
Finally here is a list of common ingredients to avoid. I won’t explain the reasoning behind each ingredient here, and while some are definitely worse than others, if you do see any of these ingredients you can safely put the box down and look for an alternative:
​
Corn, Soy, Carrageenan, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, Vegetable Oil, Soybean Oil, Corn Oil, Any Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Stevia Extract, Rapeseed Oil, MSG, Synthetic Vitamins, Sugar, Salt (Sea Salt is best), Artificial Flavors, Natural Flavors, Aspartame, Sucralose, Any Colorings, Dextrose, Erythritol, Xanthan gum, Citric Acid, Enriched Flour, Saccharin
Note: This is definitely not a complete list, but it’s a simple one to help you choose better options.
​
Supplements
This is a big topic so I won’t go into the details in this guide. However, be careful when doing supplementation on your own. More often than not, you could be doing more harm than good by not doing it correctly (Ex: calcium). Best case is you’re just wasting your money. Most supplements use synthetic analogues to the real, whole food form, and that presents a risk especially when taken in high doses. They can be extremely useful when used correctly, but don’t just grab any multivitamin off the shelf and expect it to cover all your nutritional deficiencies; it’s far more complex than that. When in doubt, spend more on the pricier supplements and take a lower dose vs high.
Hygiene/personal-care products
This is another big topic which I won’t go into depth here. But again, don’t cheap out on these items thinking they don’t have an impact on your health just because you aren’t ingesting them. Your skin is your body’s biggest organ. Anything that goes on your skin can and will absorb into your body and enter your bloodstream. That’s why transdermal medicine patches work as well as they do. So be careful with your cosmetics, toothpastes, lotions, sunscreens, feminine products, etc.
Note: check out the EWG Healthy Living app for help on determining product safety when in doubt.
Specific Foods
Meat
Contrary to the popular notion that meat is bad for you (especially “red” meat), I would actually recommend consuming some meat in the diet for most people, provided it is done right. For one, you don’t want to eat sick factory-farmed meat (99% of meat out there). This is the most important point. Hormone and antibiotic free is just the bare minimum, so don’t fall for these superficial labels alone. Same with “free-range”. What you want is 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised (or pastured) if we’re talking about beef/lamb/bison/goat. If we’re talking about chicken, you want it to say pasture-raised or pastured (they still likely feed them a grain/“vegetarian” diet). And if you can develop the taste for it and learn how to prepare it correctly, organ meats (namely liver) are one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet (from healthy animals).
These meats will be (and should be) significantly more expensive than the alternatives. This is a good thing. We eat too much meat in our diet and it’s not necessary. Spend the same amount of money on meat as you normally do, just eat way less (and make the rest up with fresh vegetables and some healthy grains). Bottom-line, never eat factory-farmed meat again (especially when eating out).
Tip: If you’re finding it difficult or expensive to source high quality meat from your store, consider online delivery options such as this: https://www.butcherbox.com/
Fish
Fish is also good for you when consumed in moderation, keeping in mind these days our oceans are extremely polluted. Still, I would always recommend wild-caught over any farm-raised fish (no matter how sustainable or expensive the farmed fish). Wild-caught is the only way to go and it must say so on the packaging (not just “wild” or “alaskan” or “atlantic”). You want to avoid any larger fish, as they will certainly contain higher mercury and other heavy metals. Stick to wild-caught salmon, tuna, trout, cod, sardines, anchovies, shrimp, and occasionally some properly prepared and sourced clams, scallops, mussels, and oysters.
Tip: Here’s a good website for low mercury canned fish: https://safecatch.com/
Dairy
This is a trickier one. Conventional dairy is problematic for many people (unless you’re fortunate to have a high quality raw source). With any dairy, you again want to look for pasture-raised (or pastured) and 100% grass-fed (Kalona is one such good brand). You then want to only consume the fermented varieties such as kefir and yogurt. Avoid straight milk and cream unless you know it’s not factory farmed and raised properly. Watch out for any added sugars/flavors. Butter is good as well, and even better ghee (especially for cooking). Cheese only occasionally.
I also want to make a note about alternative milks. Nut milks are actually very nutritious alternatives to dairy milk.. when made fresh. When bought from a store, they often contain inflammatory seed oils, gums and synthetic vitamins, which make them not so healthy when consumed regularly. If you’re fortunate enough to have a high powered blender (such as Vitamix), consider making your own almond milk for the week. If no blender, oat milk is also easy to make with just water and a nut milk bag. It’s much easier than you think!
Beans
Beans are a dense source of vital nutrients, but they need to be prepared correctly. They are high in anti-nutrients such as lectins, which have the potential to create long-term digestive issues (aside from making the nutrients more difficult to digest/absorb). The best way to eat beans is to buy them dry, soak them overnight and boil (or even better pressure cook). If buying in a can, they are typically not prepared like this, and will be harder to digest and less nutritious. It’s worth spending a little extra to buy from a brand that has gone through the trouble to soak and pressure cook for you (such as Eden).
Frozen veggies
A good tip is to keep a variety of organic frozen veggies in your freezer so that you can easily add them to meals when you’re short on time. They usually freeze directly after harvesting which does a good job of preserving the nutrients. Same thing goes with frozen fruits for your smoothies. Always buy organic with these.
Eggs
There is only one type of egg you should be consuming. Pasture-raised organic. Not free-range, cage-free or any other label they put on the box. Yes they will be more expensive, but you don’t want to be eating eggs from sick chickens. You will see and taste the difference and it’s worth it.. because unless you have a specific reaction or allergy, eggs are a superfood in my book. And if you think cholesterol is an issue, consider digging deeper and reading the book “The Cholesterol Myth”.
Tip: If you find store bought pasture-raised organic eggs to be too expensive, find someone local who raises chickens, allows them to roam all day, and feeds them high quality organic feed.
Coffee/tea
Both coffee and tea are highly sprayed with chemical pesticides. Therefore you always want to buy these organic. For coffee, I will always recommend people try to kick the habit and try some alternative/healthier sources such as matcha (ceremonial grade), yerba mate, or cacao-based drinks. It’s a larger discussion, but I find that most people who drink coffee do not have a healthy relationship with it. Teas on the other hand can be extremely healthy and have been used as health tonics for thousands of years. It’s always better to buy loose leaves and use a strainer ball or special mug to filter out the leaves. Get creative while shopping and give yourself multiple options while you’re at home and craving a hot drink.
Cooking & finishing oils
Heating any oil is going to create reactive oxygen species, which is one of the primary causes of aging, inflammation and disease (such as cancer). You want to be careful here. The only oils I would recommend for cooking are coconut oil, real extra-virgin olive oil, ghee/butter and animal fat. Essentially everything else should not be used for cooking: canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, corn oil, etc. These are seed oils and are very damaging to your health (rancid, oxidized, unstable and pro-inflammatory). Finishing oils should be used often on your dishes just after plating them for healthy fats. Extra-virgin olive oil, flax oil and pumpkin seed oil are good for this.
Tip: Always buy a high quality extra virgin olive oil because most of the cheaper store bought brands are cut with cheaper oils and are not labeled as such on the packaging. For flax oil, keep this refrigerated as it is highly susceptible to rancidity with heat/light.
Salt
Don’t buy into the trend that salt/sodium is bad for you (unless you have a very specific/serious condition). What you want to avoid is processed salt (or just “salt”). However real salt like sea salt contains healthy sodium in balance with other trace minerals. Good brands are Celtic, Real Salt, or a high quality Himalayan salt. Also consider using kelp/dulse granules in your cooking (typically found in the same section as salt/spices). These are whole plant sea vegetables that are high in minerals (specifically iodine). It has a very mild fishy flavor, but if you mix a small amount into what you are cooking each time you will not notice it.
Nuts/seeds
Nuts and seeds should be part of everyone’s diet and consumed in moderation. Avoid peanut butter and cashews as they are high in mycotoxins (mold). If you can buy sprouted or activated, even better. Technically, all nuts/seeds/beans/legumes should always be activated, which means they are soaked first to release the enzyme inhibitors. Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds are all great choices. Ideally store them in the refrigerator to prevent the delicate oils from going rancid. Avoid any that are candied or salted with just “salt” (remember, sea salt is the good kind).
Spices
Don’t buy cheap spices. Get high quality organic ones because spices are often heavily sprayed with chemicals. But definitely use spices, because they are essential to boosting the nutritional value of your meals while adding flavor and variety.
Some good ideas for meal topper spices include sesame seeds (try Eden Shake), nutritional yeast, and granulated kelp or dulse. These can be kept out on your dining table to encourage frequent use to further boost the nutritional value of your meals.
Tip: Get a nice spice rack and keep it out on your counter so you are encouraged to play with your spices often. Also when you run out of any given spice, consider topping up from bulk organic spice bins they have at many natural health food stores.
Specific foods to avoid/limit:
-
Gluten/Wheat - Here is the deal with the whole “gluten-free” trend. It is both a popular fad, and it is based on something very real. The way we grow and manufacture wheat-based products in this country is problematic for many reasons we won’t get into in this guide. If you go to most other countries, it is fine. Gluten is not evil. It is the way we messed with it. So if you are US based, avoiding gluten (wheat, barley, rye) makes good sense. If you are to buy wheat based products such as pasta, make sure it is imported from somewhere else (such as Italy). If you are to buy bread, fresh-made sourdough is best. But just because it says “gluten-free” does not mean it is healthy. This is another marketing trap. For healthier grain options, try quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, or millet.
-
Oats/oatmeal - Unless you are an extremely active individual with no underlying health issues such as diabetes (known or unknown), eating a bowl of cooked oats in the morning is throwing fuel on the fire (especially considering most add sugar to it). Not that these foods are evil, but we already have a sugar and carbohydrate problem in the Western world. These foods exacerbate the problem and are a poor choice for anyone who is of average health and physical activity.
-
Cereal - Part of a complete breakfast right? I know, I grew up eating and loving cereal as well. It’s quick, easy, crunchy and with cold milk, very refreshing. But it’s the same story as oats. Even worse, most cereal is highly processed and sugary. Even the “healthy grain-free” cereals are too high in sugar and are not a good ratio of essential nutrients to start the day off right.
-
Granola/Bars - If you are finding yourself enjoying the convenience of granola bars, you are probably not having enough health alternatives on hand to replace it. Put more intention into meal prepping your own food and snacks to avoid this trap.
-
Salad dressings - The vast majority of off-the-shelf salad dressings use low quality ingredients, inflammatory seed oils, and excess sugar. Salad dressing is so insanely easy to make, I would highly recommend giving this a try the next time you have salad. An easy recipe to try uses olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt/pepper. That’s it.
-
Condiments - Now I’m not going to suggest to avoid all condiments; but this is another processed product where the ingredients often get out of hand. My only note here is always read the labels/ingredients, avoid seed oils, and avoid high/refined sugars.
-
Ice cream - I know, everyone loves it. But there is something about the combination of high fat and high sugar that wreaks havoc on our bodies (especially when of low quality). I understand everyone needs a little ice cream in their life, so if you’re going to pick up the occasional pint, make sure you compare ingredients and go for the cleanest (simplest) recipe with the least amount of sugar. An avocado based ice cream called “Cado” is a good example of a cleaner ingredient, lower sugar ice cream (I recommend the deep dark chocolate flavor!).
About The Author

Firoze Mehta is a Nutrition Therapist Master and Certified Hippocrates Health Educator® specializing in helping people with cancer. Whatever the health condition, Firoze helps others to learn the truth about health and disease, while providing the guidance and support of a personal coach. If you're interested in learning more, click here.