One of the biggest struggles that people have is knowing how to shop and choose the right foods when visiting the grocery store. And while there are SO many choices and a TON of confusion at your local grocer, they’ve actually made it really EASY for you to shop, if you know what sections to visit, and which to avoid.
In fact, you can get in and out of the grocery store with a full cart of fat-burning groceries in just 15 mins nowadays, simply because we know we’ll NEVER even visit 90% of the store aisles.
So, before I get into the exact grocery list, here’s the EASIEST grocery store tip EVER:
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid the middle aisles. That’s it!
Here’s why it works:
With few exceptions, the middle aisles of the grocery store are full of processed, packaged foods while the perimeter contains almost all of the whole, natural foods you’ll need to stock up your fat-burning kitchen.
Here’s our usual routine when visiting our local grocery store, and I am sure your store is set up in a similar way.
When walking in the door make sure to walk right on past the bakery!
Did you know that nearly every grocery store puts the bakery right at the entrance intentionally? If they can get your saliva glands working right away, it’s very likely you’ll spend more as you travel through the store… nothing in a grocery store’s layout is by accident, which is why I know your store is probably laid out the same way.
So, quickly pass by the bakery and head straight to the produce section… this is where wholesome goodness starts… fresh fruits & veggies.
Here are the items I grab from the produce section:
- Apples
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Cherries
- Berries
- Green Beans
- Brocolli
- Snap Peas
- Carrots
- Red Potatoes
- Spinach
- Romaine Lettuce
Of course there are a ton of other great choices lying around the produce section… pretty much any vegetable and/or fruit would be a great fat-burning, nutrient-rich choice.
Then walk 5 steps from the produce section to the fresh meats and poultry. Some stores even have an “all natural” section of the meat department where you can get all-natural and organic meats that are sourced from animals not treated with hormones and antibiotics… your store probably has something like this as well. Just ask if you aren’t sure.
From this section we grabbed:
- Grass Fed Ground Beef
- Grass Fed Chuck Roast (for pot roast)
- Organic Chicken Breast
- Grass Fed NY Strip Steaks
Next up is the eggs section, again right on that back wall (still haven’t ventured into the aisles at all). From here I picked up:
- Organic Large Eggs
- Organic Butter
- Along the very last aisle in the store are some more dairy items where we grabbed:
- Organic Greek Yogurt
- All-Natural Cheddar Cheese
Also in that last aisle is water, so I grabbed a case or two and that essentially took me back to the front of the store to check out. A full cart of fat-burning groceries all while NEVER visiting the center aisles where I am sure I would have been tempted to toss in a bunch of processed garbage like cookies, crackers, chips, ice cream, cereal, stove top pasta “mixes”… and the list goes on.
If I do ever make a strategic trip into the middle of the store, it’s almost always just to get these items:
- Beans
- Spices
- Tomato Puree
- Nuts
- Stevia
And that’s about it.
Follow that simple advice next time you’re at the grocery store and you’ll be in and out in no time while avoiding all those processed items that wind up ruining your diet once you get them home.
Happy, healthy shopping!
