Grocery Store Cheat Sheet for Buying Convenience Foods

As you know, if you have read any of my blogs, I enjoy cooking from scratch.  I truly feel that food just tastes better when it's homemade rather than when it's bought in a package from the store.  Not to mention it is much more cost effective to make it yourself.  With that being said, there are some of you that just plain don't have time to cook many things from scratch.  And I totally get that.  Less than 2 years ago, I had 2 kids and I worked full time.  Most days I was off to work at 8 am and didn't get home until after 7 pm.

So, although homemade is always best, here are some tips for buying healthy/clean convenience items in the grocery store and some items I recommend.

• First, you may want to check out my blog on how to read an ingredient list.  This can be very confusing and requires a lot of research to find out exactly what all the ingredients are.  

• Immediately flip box over and look at ingredient list.  Strive for 5 ingredients or less.  It should not have a huge list of ingredients.  The more ingredients, the more processed it is.  

• Download the "fooducate" app for your iphone (not sure if it's available for other types of phones).  When you're trying to pick out a type of food, scan the barcodes.  This app gives each food item a grade from A - F, depending on nutrient density, level of sugar, fat, and how processed it is.  It also defines some of the ingredients you may have never heard of.  
• Download the True Food app to help avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).  Health effects of ingesting GMO's include higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression, and cancer.  As ingredients change in products all the time, the best thing is to check the ingredients list of the products you buy often. Keep a look out for:
  
  Corn: corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn meal
  Soy: soy protein, soy lecithin, soy oil, soy sauce, soy isolates
  Canola: canola oil
  Cotton: cottonseed oil

So, with those things in mind, here are some convenient substitutions you can make if you just don't have time for homemade:

Snacks

• Bars - most protein bars are not clean.  Just flip over the package and check out the HUGE list of ingredients!  That is not real food!  And have you looked at the sugar in most granola bars?  Most of them are worse than a candy bar!  The one brand of bars I would recommend is Lara Bars:

They are clean, just a couple ingredients.  

• Crackers -   When I first started with clean eating, the first box of food I flipped over to check ingredients was a box of crackers I had been buying for years (thinking I was making a smart choice):  whole wheat Ritz. 

Trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup, and GMO's, OH MY!! My head was spinning!  Most crackers on the market contain high fructose corn syrup, tons of sodium, preservatives, and chemicals.

I started making my own crackers:

And they are AMAZING but time consuming and messy to make.  So, I buy a box from time to time.  

The fewer ingredients the better, and check for 100% whole wheat flour.  These crackers are great and my kiddos love them with hummus or cheese as a snack!

• Chips - This is one thing we had to give up when we started eating clean.  We could go through a whole bag of chips in a day!  And let me be clear, there is NOTHING healthy about chips!  They literally have no nutritional value.  Usually, I toast my own clean whole wheat/corn tortillas or whole wheat pita bread as a nice substitute for chips.  But, when we are having a lot of people over for a party or cookout, I usually get a bag of chips for my guests (to be served with my salsa, guacamole, or hummus).  Here is what I opt for:

These only have a couple ingredients:  organic yellow corn, sunflower oil, and a touch of sea salt.  

Another option is Beanitos:

These really taste delicious!  Here is my disclaimer again:  do not buy these and consume thinking you are making a "healthy" snack choice!  I would choose some fresh, real foods instead of these.  OR, serve these (in moderation) with a real food, such as guacamole or hummus.  The reason I'm being so strict about this is because if you're like me, you could easily (mindlessly) eat multiple servings (if not the whole bag) unless you have a lot of self control.  

• Hummus - I personally will never buy store-bought hummus again after tasting my homemade hummus.  BUT, if making it is not an option for you, make sure it only has a couple ingredients.  Go for original or plain if possible.  The more flavors the manufacturer adds, the more likely it is to contain GMO's, chemicals, artificial flavors, etc.  Ingredients should include garbanzo beans (chick peas), garlic, tahini, lemon juice, water, and a little sodium.  Watch sodium content!  Check the % daily value. 

Also, many brands, such as Sabra, add sodium benzoate (a preservative, which in combination with ascorbic acid, can create a carcinogen).  

I recommend organic or Whole Foods/Trader Joe's organic store brand hummus

• Salsa - watch sodium content here and the use of chemicals/preservatives.  

Brands I recommend:

Trader Joe's Fresh Salsa

Marketside (Walmart brand) fresh garden salsa 

Tostitos Salsa - this only has a couple ingredients and can be found at any grocery chain!  Also, it is pretty cheap.  The only thing I'm not 100% about is that one ingredient is "natural flavors".  I would have to contact the manufacturer to find out exactly what that means. 

• Trail Mix - I love making my own trail mix because I can use my favorite nuts/seeds/fruits without just having to choose from what the stores offer me in their pre-packaged containers.  This is one "health" food which can easily be bad for you if you choose poorly.  

Look for no added sugar or salt and buy raw if you can (as to avoid any trans or saturated fats from oils used to roast the nuts).  Only ingredients should be the nuts/seeds/berries in the container with no added chemicals, flavors, colors, etc.  Your best bet is going to be Whole Foods or Trader Joe's store brand packaged trail mix.

Bread

You will not (more than likely) find a clean bread at your major grocery chain, such as walmart or target.  I recommend Whole Foods brand (or other health store food brand, such as Trader Joe's) 100% whole wheat bread:

And same goes for baguettes, french bread, etc.  Look for preservative & chemical free, 100% whole wheat.  Again, should only have a couple ingredients.  

Pizza

I love to make my own pizza...I never realized how good real whole wheat homemade pizza could taste, and my kids (my toughest critics) can vouch for it.  But, it can be time consuming and messy to make!  I love Amy's Organic pizzas.  They are non-GMO and aren't filled with crazy chemicals.  

And they even have different options for crust, like this rice crust!  You can find Amy's literally at any grocery store, such as Walmart or Target.  

Frozen Foods

Be super careful here!  Most frozen meals are FULL of preservatives and chemicals which can make you fat.  Look for organic and/or non-GMO brands, again, such as Amy's:

These are great if you're wanting just a single serving of something without having to make a huge dish.  

Also, frozen fruits and veggies are a good option for money and time's sake.  Just remember, any fruits/veg you would buy organic fresh, also buy organic frozen!  

*Just a side note, when re-heating these frozen meals, use your stove/oven instead of the microwave whenever possible.  Research shows that microwaving your food can reduce or kill the nutrients!  

Spaghetti/Pizza Sauce

My pizza/spaghetti sauce is SUPER easy but if you need to throw a quick meal together and don't have the time to make it, here are a couple options:

Muir Glen Organic

Amy's Organic 

Whole Foods (or Trader Joes) organic store brand pasta sauce

Once again, check the ingredient list.  Make sure there are only a couple ingredients.  And when you can, buy the "classic" or "original" version and add your own spices and garlic/onions.  This will help to make it more tasty and fresh!  

Condiments

Most store-bought condiments are highly processed and full of chemicals.  Making your own condiments is a great way to avoid the extra ingredients, but if you can't, here is what to look for:

• Ketchup - Most ketchup options are FULL of sugar.  Look for organic brand, and preferably Annie's (which is non-GMO).  

Ketchup really doesn't have any nutritional value so if you can substitute it for some other real food option (maybe real tomatoes on your burger instead of ketchup?), it would be advised.  

• Mustard - Yellow mustard is (for the most part) naturally clean and unprocessed. Just watch sodium content.  Try and avoid any honey/sweet mustards as they add quite a bit of sugar.  
• Jam/jelly - Pretty hard to find a clean version at your local grocery store.  
• Look for jams/preserves/jellies with cane sugar, not corn syrup or unspecified "sugar" (as to avoid GMO's).  
• Also, be sure to check for artificial colors (such as Red 40, which has been linked to ADHD in children). 
• Keep sugar in check.
• Buy organic
• Don't be swayed by "sugar free" since that sometimes means the addition of aspartame, which is a known carcinogen.  

Canned Foods

• Soups - Making your own soup is pretty easy and tastes SO much better than the canned stuff!  BUT when you're pressed for time, I recommend Amy's Organic brand (light in sodium).  They are super tasty for a canned soup!

• Beans - I recently started cooking my own dry beans, but here are some great options if you are pressed for time:

Organic beans from Whole Foods.  Look for light in sodium and a BPA-free can is a plus!  Make sure there are no added chemicals.

• Fruit/veg - I can't tell you the last time I bought produce from a can, but I realize that many people look to this as an option for a quick side dish/addition to a recipe versus cleaning/chopping fresh produce.  
• Look for fruit/veg packed in water, NOT corn syrup or sugar.  
• No added flavors, chemicals, etc.  Simply the fruit/veg and water/olive oil.  Period.  
• You may be best off finding this at your local health food store.  Many of the canned fruits/veg at Walmart (or similar large grocery chain) pack fruits in sugar &/or corn syrup. 

I am sure there are some things I forgot about.  But when in doubt, flip that package over and look at the ingredient list.  Look for 5 ingredients or less if possible!  There are so many "rules" out there and it may be confusing and hard to decipher which are myths and which are valid.  Refer to my past blog post on reading ingredient lists as often as you need to.  I still pull it up from time to time!  

I hope this helps those of you that may be overwhelmed with the thought of making your food from scratch.  I know it was a scary thought to me not that long ago!  If you would have told me a year ago that I would be making my own jam, I would have said you're crazy.  But, with these simple rules and tips, I slowly worked my way up to making more homemade foods.  Thanks for reading!