Many of
us do not have a
lot of time to do
our food
shopping.
With our
other
responsibilities
and our crammed
schedules, we
don’t usually
have enough time
to research our
food well before
we buy. And our
very shopping
trips may feel
rushed.
If that
describes you,
here is an
easy
way to make sure
that your
shopping cart has
the food you need
to stay heart
healthy:
1. Have
as much food in
there as you
think you will
need until your
next shopping
outing. Do not
buy more or you
might end up
overeating.
2. Most
of your cart
should include
fresh fruit and
vegetables. This
will include
fresh
herbs. Yes,
you did read
right. If
you make the most
of your diet
fresh fruits and
vegetables, you
will have lower
cholesterol.
3. You
should have much
less grains than
vegetables and
fruits. They
should be simple,
not prepared,
pre-seasoned or
flavoured, and
whole grain where
possible. Check
the labels on
your bread and
baked products to
make sure that
you are getting
as little fat and
sodium in these
products as
possible. Give
preference to
grains like oat
and barley over
white
bread.
Avoid
bakery products
like biscuits and
sweets entirely.
Or buy very few,
say just one
cookie instead of
a package. And
check that it has
no trans or
saturated
fats. Include
at least some
nuts, unsalted,
unflavoured, and
not
roasted.
4. Check
to make sure that
you have
significantly
less meats and
animal proteins
than you have
grains. Those
meats you have
should be lean
where possible.
Choose fish,
shellfish, and
poultry over
other meats and
choose the
leanest cuts of
meat you can. Buy
less meat than
you usually buy
and try to buy it
as plain as
possible. Avoid
seasoned,
precooked,
prepared, or
processed meats
such as
sausages.
5. You
should have very
little fats at
all, and they
should be
healthy. For
example, choose
extra virgin
olive oil and
refuse to buy
hydrogenated
oils, palm oils,
or any oils high
in saturated or
trans fats.
Remember to read
the
labels.
6. Try
to eliminate as
many packaged
foods as you can.
Anything that has
been cooked,
processed and
prepared for you
ahead of time or
contains
flavourings or
seasonings should
be given a second
look. These
packages are
usually quite
easy to find in
your shopping
cart because they
are usually
brightly coloured
and bear logos
and brand
names. They
should form the
smallest portion
of your shopping
cart. Your
cholesterol will
fall even more
quickly if you
eliminate them
entirely. At
least, read the
levels of these
products to
choose the
products with the
lowest sodium and
fat levels
possible.
Checking
your shopping
cart takes up
only a few
minutes of your
time. And
following
only these 6
simple steps will
put you much
further along
towards attaining
lower
cholesterol.
Now learn
tips for getting the best low cholesterol natural foods
when you're shopping
