Food for thought: Make your grocery store run a healthy one

Fittest Loser contestants recently took a tour of a Jewel-Osco in Schaumburg to learn what foods they should be putting in their shopping carts for the next few months.

Competitors are following an eating plan developed by Push Fitness to help them maximize their weight loss over the 12-week challenge. The emphasis is on eating as many natural and whole foods as possible with the bulk of their diet being fresh fish and meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy snacks.

“Healthy eating starts at the grocery store. If you can have a clean mindset and buy foods to support your health, you're much more likely to stay on track because the kitchen will be stocked with healthy options,” said Josh Steckler, owner of Push Fitness in Schaumburg where the contestants attend boot camp and personal training sessions.

Steckler began his healthy eating tour at Jewel-Osco in the produce section, where he advises contestants to spend most of their time shopping. He recommended buying organic when possible and selecting produce that is fresh, ripe, in season, and locally grown. Steckler encouraged contestants to eat an array of produce, not only for taste, but to consume a variety of nutrients as well.

“Be aware that the greater variety of vegetables you eat, the greater variety of nutrients you're getting as well,” he said.

Steckler acknowledged that plain vegetables can become boring and bland after a while, so he encouraged competitors to experiment with ways to prepare their produce to make these vital vegetables more palatable, such as seasoning them with coconut oil, a little sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, and pepper, and roasting them in the oven.

Upping their vegetable intake is a large part of Push's program, but fruits are also an important component. While eating fruit is encouraged, Steckler said it's important to be mindful of portion size because some fruits contain quite a bit of sugar — something contestants are trying to avoid.

“For example, blueberries are healthy, but don't eat an entire container in one sitting. Split it up into the correct portions for your snacks,” said Steckler.

During the tour, Steckler also explained different nut options available to contestants. He said nuts can be a healthy snack, but, because they are high in calories, it's important to pay attention to portion size when enjoying them. He recommended contestants choose unsalted almonds, pecans, walnuts or pistachios and add their own seasoning if they need to improve the flavor. To add more flavor, nuts can be seasoned with a pinch of sea salt and coconut oil and then be lightly roasted.

“One ounce to one-fourth of a cup is the typical serving size, depending on the nut,” said Steckler. “Divide nuts into these portions ahead of time so you have the right snack size available during the week.”

From the produce section, Steckler led contestants to the meat counter, where they learned which meat options would be best for their meal plan. Steckler recommended buying organic or free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats whenever possible.

Steckler said the unseasoned meats at the counter are the healthiest options, followed by seasoned fresh meats. Contestants can incorporate a variety of meats as well as fish into their eating plan. When it comes to choosing fish, Steckler told the group to look for wild-caught seafood and to play around with how they prepare fish to make it more tasty.

The group also spent time learning about different nut butters and oils that are nutritious as well palatable. While looking at these options, Steckler walked contestants through how to read food labels and emphasized that the fewer ingredients a label lists, the more natural and whole the food is.

“Look for foods that contain only one ingredient,” said Steckler.

Aside from heading into aisles to shop for nut butters, oils, and spices, Steckler intentionally kept contestants shopping around the perimeter of the store, where the healthier food options are located. By sticking to the outside sections of the store, contestants, or anyone looking to eat healthy, can bypass many of the less nutritious food options such as cookies, chips, and packaged foods.

Each contestant took something different away from the grocery store tour. Rick Meyers, who isn't too fond of fish, plans to add salmon into his diet this week. Bob Sinclair and Annamarie McMurray both intend to add more variety to their diets and pay more attention to what's in their food by looking for foods with labels that list very few or one ingredient.

The grocery store can be an overwhelming place, but with a little planning and research, selecting healthy and tasty options is possible.

5 quick tips for successfully navigating the grocery store

<span class="fact box text bold">1. Go to the store with a plan.</span> Make a list and stick to it when shopping. Not only does this help your pocketbook, knowing what you're going to buy ahead of time allows you to meal prep for the week, which is key to eating healthy when your cooking time is limited. “If you know you have limited time to cook every day, set time aside two or three days per week to prep and cook several meals ahead of time. This could be as simple as making several chicken thighs to be divided up and put in the fridge or freezer,” said Steckler.

<span class="fact box text bold">2. Stick to your list. </span>Avoid buying foods that were not on your original list. “Don't go to the store hungry,” said Steckler. You're more likely to add items you don't need or unhealthy items when shopping on an empty stomach, so make a list, stick to it, and make sure you're fueled before you shop.

<span class="fact box text bold">3. Shop the perimeter. </span>The healthiest foods are located on the perimeter of the store. Fill your cart with a variety of fruits, vegetables, fresh meat and fish, and healthy snacks like unsalted nuts, hard boiled eggs, or fresh fruit.

<span class="fact box text bold">4. Know your ingredients.</span> Steckler said it's important to know what's in your food and how it was raised or grown. “Pay attention to the quality of your food — what has been sprayed on it, how was it raised (meat and fish), and know where it is coming from.”

<span class="fact box text bold">5. Always add variety</span>. Even the healthiest eaters tire of consuming plain steamed vegetables multiple days in a row. Make it a goal to incorporate different fruits, vegetables, and meats into your diet each week.