Shop the perimeter

1. Write down your grocery list and take a look at the most important things:

• milk
• eggs
• apples
• celery
• lettuce
• bananas
• fresh chicken
• yogurt
• orange juice
• nuts
• onion
• garlic
• tomatoes
• whole wheat bread
• cereal
• oats
• boxed rice
• frozen dinners
• ice cream

Now, think about where in the grocery store these items are located. 97% of these items are located on the PERIMETER and if you notice the "not-so-healthy" items are located in the middle. This my friends is simple psychology. The grocery stores want to get you in the middle aisles to buy all of the crap that is there. A good tip is to organize your list with the layout of the store. You know you will be walking in to produce, fruits and veggies, this is a place where you should be loading up your cart. Then make your way around to your meats and dairy and fill up your cart so that when you have to tackle the middle aisles, you don't have much room left for 4 bags of chips and pop and candy etc. Once you have your few items from the "middle" go straight to check out and do not stroll around. If you dilly dally down the aisles, the more likely you are to grab junk!!!

Also, DO NOT SHOP WHILE HUNGRY! If you are going to the grocery store to do your weekly shopping, make sure it's after you have had breakfast or lunch. We tend to over-spend and over-buy when we are hungry, because we are looking for that insta-gratification. "Oh, if I buy these potato chips now, I can start munching on them when I get in the car, because I am starving from not eating all day". NO, BAD! Put the potato chips down!

Going to the store on a full belly guarantees you will stick to your list 99% of the time and not stray from what you went there to get. If you are full, a bag of potato chips won't sound as appetizing and you are more likely to pass them up.

Focus on your list and filling your cart all the way with healthy options. That way you won't have any extra room for junk.

The more you focus on eating better, the less important the middle aisles will become :)