Do you shop for groceries? If so, you’re the gatekeeper who decides which foods come into your pantry. Decision-making at the supermarket impacts your family’s health and budget.

Here are a few tips for packing your grocery cart full of nutritious eats:

1) Never go to the supermarket hungry. Your rumbling tummy will impact your decisions and you may toss extras into your cart because they appeal to you at the moment. Guess what most of us reach for when we’re impulse buying? Junk food!

2) Stock mostly items from the perimeter of the store: fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and meats. Venture into the interior aisles for staples such as nuts, pasta, legumes, brown rice, cereal, and whole grain bread.

3) Check what coupons you have in your stash and skim the store flyers to see what’s on sale. But try to avoid convenience foods, even if you do have a coupon or they’re on sale. Processed foods are laced with salt, additives and colorings – yuck.

In today’s economy, using our food dollars wisely is critical. Bringing wholesome foods home feels good, plus it’s an investment in your family’s health. So … what’s on your grocery list this week?

Blessings to you,

Beth Bence Reinke, MS, RD