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
