This last weekend I took a number of my clients and boot campers through Sunflower Market for a grocery store tour and nutrition seminar. Even though it was early for a Saturday morning we had a great turnout. If you missed the tour we will be doing another tour next month which is free for all current clients and campers.
Most people recognize that nutrition is the key to good health, maximum performance and ideal body composition. No matter your fitness or health goal it all starts in the grocery store. If you fail to buy the correct foods you will fail to achieve your goal. You’re fooling yourself if you think you can eat healthy and not buy and prepare your own food. Even though it is possible to eat healthy while on the run, you can only eat so many grilled chicken breasts from Wendy’s before you go postal. Take responsibility for your health and nutrition, make it a priority, not an after thought.
Look familiar?
During the grocery store tour we covered a myriad of tips and tricks including the 3 rules for grocery shopping.
- Quick: Your weekly stop at the grocery store should be a target event. Drive directly to your local grocery store of choice, get in and get out! I recommend making your trip to the grocery store it’s own event. Meaning, don’t tag it onto a long list of errands so by the time you finish your other errands and finally get to the store you’re ready to chew your fingers off because you’re so hungry. Speaking of shopping hungry, have you ever been to Costco on sample day? You can practically get a full course meal of junk with all the samples available (great marketing on their part, not so good for your waistline). Choose a store that you are familiar with and that is conveneint. Women commonly do the food shopping in a household, so choose a store that is already in your existing routine. If it’s not convenient it will become a headache which when it doesn’t get done makes it more challenging to forfend the drive-thru. While at the store stick to the periphery where you will find the produce, meats and dairy sections. Venture into the aisles to get things like lentils, nuts, oils as well as whole grain products. Enter and exit the same end of the aisle to avoid wandering through the entire aisle and be tempeted to throw extras in the cart. Don’t linger, if you made an accurate list then the whole shopping experience should take less than 45 minutes.
You don't need to be a super hero shopping for alligator to get your shopping done quickly.
- Efficient: MAKE A LIST!!!! In reality healthy eating starts before you even get to the store. It starts with the list you make before you step foot in the store. Plan out your meals, and your week. Think of things like: How many people are you cooking for? How much and what kind of exercising will you do this week? How active are you at work? Are you a desk jockey or a construction monkey? Will you be entertaining this week or eating out? Write down your weekly menu or use the done-for-you meal plans from the Carb Rotation Diet or Precision Nutrition and construct your shopping list. Don’t forget non-food items things like cooking spray, spices and baggies.
- Once a week: If you plan out your meals and make a complete list then you only need one trip to the store per week. It’s the “quick trip” to the store to get the random carton of eggs where the covert pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream finds its way into your cart. Plus, if you wait till your cupboards are bare before you shop you’re most likely not planning out your meals and probably not eating the freshest food. Commit time each week to shop, just like committing to working out…it’s just part of your routine.
Stay Fit
Mat “the trainer”
PS- Please add a comment on grocery store tour or add a shopping tip.
PPS- Pass this post on to anyone looking to improve their health, energy and physique.
PPPS- Word of the Day: forfend (for-FEND) transitive verb. 1a. (Archaic) To prohibit; to forbid. 1b. To ward off; to prevent; to avert.
Mat Gover BS, CSCS and Pam Gover CPT are Orem fitness boot camp instructors, personal trainers, and real world fat loss experts. They also own EXL Fitness & Performance, a personal and group training studio. To book Mat to speak at your Utah Valley company, club, or organization please contact him by email at matthetrainer@me.com or by phone at (801) 836.7185. For a free two-week trial to boot camp and experience the best personal training in Utah Valley please call Mat or drop by the gym (1623 N State St, Orem right next to Costa Vida).
I stopped buying bottled water for good. We now have our own personal water bottles, Im just doing my part. A little planning on my end may just save an acre of waste, or a unrepairable hole in our atmosphere?! Thanks Mat for the example of doing things better!