Pimp My Shopping Cart: A Guide to Healthy Grocery Shopping

Ready to pimp your shopping cart with healthy and tasty eats? Heck ya, you are! Which is why we’re psyched to share this guide to healthy grocery shopping from Alexandra Catalano, the creator of Eat Cute, a company that provides college girls and adults with nutritional counseling, diet and exercise plans, cute eats, eco-chic tips and lots of love and support. Alexandra is also the author of the new book, From Beer Bongs To Broccoli: The College Kid’s Guide To Health and Wellness.

Does grocery shopping stress you out? Have you ever walked confidently into the store to buy healthy treats and ended up with a box of donuts, a six-pack of beer and a random baby when you accidentally switched shopping carts? While you might have good intentions to purchase natural whole foods, it can become a daunting task to make healthy choices amongst all the clever and colorful advertising. But fear not! Here’s a simple list that you can take with you next time you make your way into the big bad supermarket.

Your Guide to Healthy Grocery Shopping

1. Bring a sense of humor! In fact, do that everywhere you go.

• Don’t freak out. It’s just grocery shopping. Food is fun. It’s awesome to plan meals and make things you like to eat.
• Keep it simple. The closer a food is to its natural state the better. For example, brown rice vs. Rice-A-Roni. That way you have more control of what’s actually in your food.
• If you do purchase processed food, read the nutrition facts carefully. Look beyond simply how many calories are in the item and go straight for the ingredients. If it’s a long list of things you can’t pronounce then I would avoid that food at all costs. Also look at the sugar, sodium and fat content on the package as well. You’ll be amazed how much sugar is in everything!
• Be open to new experiences and try new things before telling yourself you don’t like something … unless it’s crack.