Healthy Family Grocery List

Families that desire to eat healthier need a healthy foods grocery list. It’s easier to resist unhealthy snacks and poor choices if you don’t put these foods into your shopping cart.

Start with Great Recipes

It’s easier to write out a healthy grocery list if you’ve collected a few tasty recipes. For example, search cookbooks for recipes for grilled chicken, baked fish, vegetable soups, brown rice and salads that look pleasing. Start your shopping list with ingredients for these recipes.

Write Down Healthy Snacks

Get inventive to list snack foods that support real nutritional needs. Fruit, whole-grain crackers, lowfat cheese, yogurt and baked potato chips are a good start. Ask your children to offer suggestions for healthy snacks. Teach them about healthy foods as you compose your list.

Incorporate Changes Slowly

Think in terms of substituting a few foods until your family can adjust. At first, for example, your kids may grumble over buying baked potato chips versus fried ones. But, over time, they’ll come to like the baked chips.

Create a Salad Bar That Never Closes

Put various salad ingredients on your grocery list. Place items like lettuce, carrots, nuts, radishes and slices of low-fat meats in separate zipper-type bags. Keep these bags on a tray in the fridge. Encourage your family to create salads they like from the choices.

Make Sure Your List Avoids Fats

Your family will adapt to low-fat snacks, bread and rolls with no butter, and eggs fried in non-stick spray versus oil. Keep buying low-fat cheeses, meats and salad dressings until your family adjusts.