Eating well sounds easy until you are standing in front of shelves and shelves of choices that all promise to be the best. Seriously, food shopping can make anyone want to just grab what looks familiar and call it a day. You hear about Dr. Mercola if you ever go down the rabbit hole of healthy living. Honestly, though, you do not need to follow any big guru plan to get it mostly right. It just comes down to noticing a few things and not getting talked into weird food fads.
Fresh Over Fancy Every Time
Whenever I am lost, I go with the food that looks the most like it did when it grew. Whole veggies, fruit, stuff with dirt on it still, that is usually a good sign. Real eggs, not the boxed liquid kind. Oats that actually look like oats, not tiny mystery flakes in a colored packet. You kind of know in your gut what real food looks like, even if you do not say it out loud.
Read The Label Like You Would A Text From A Friend
You do not have to become a scientist, but just peek at the label. If there are like fifteen things and half of them sound like a science experiment, I skip it. The foods that are better for you usually have the shortest list. My quick check is:
- Can I say all the words out loud?
- Does it have sugar as one of the first things?
- Any weird oils or stuff I do not use at home?
Not perfect, but it works more often than not.
Stick To The Edges Of The Store
Someone told me the good stuff is around the outside walls of the grocery store. That tip kind of stuck with me. That is where you find most of the fresh food, not all the stuff in boxes and bags in the middle. If I get most of my cart filled out there, it usually feels like a win.
If It Is Local, It Is Probably Fresher
Some weeks I do not have time, but when I do, local food from a market or even just eggs from someone with backyard chickens always tastes better. It lasts longer, too. Not everyone can do this every week, but even now and then is better than nothing.
Do what feels realistic. Most of the best advice I found about eating simple came from Dr. Mercola just real food, not a bunch of noise or stress. I keep it super simple. If I want to eat healthier, I just pick one thing at a time. Try a new veggie. Check a label. Add in something with color, like berries or greens.