Nothing brings joy, betters your day and brings people together like a good meal. If you’re like us, food is a privilege and a passion you savor each day. When you shop for the best groceries and ingredients for your delicious dishes, you’re looking for choices that will bring the best flavor and variety to every meal, rewarding your tastebuds and delighting your family, friends, guests and, of course, yourself.
In addition to fantastic flavor and diverse dishes, however, it’s also important to incorporate healthy choices into your everyday relationship with food. Not sure where to start? From suggestions for food shopping to nutritious recipes to cook up in the kitchen, here are six tips on how to make healthy choices.
1. Buy Whole Foods
One of the first and most important steps toward healthier eating is being careful about the types of food you select when you’re shopping. Eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to avoid bread and pasta or cut out your favorite meat, but it does mean paying more attention to what kind you consume. Instead of choosing pre-packaged, preserved foods with artificial additives or heftier fat contents, buy whole foods to treat your body better.
2. Choose Fresh Produce
It might be easier and cheaper to buy packaged, pre-cut, pre-peeled fruits and veggies for your cooking endeavors and snacks, but these options can be packed with preservatives, pesticides and other chemicals. Instead, visit your local farmer’s market or stroll down the fresh produce aisle to choose all-natural, delicious fruits and veggies better for your diet.
3. Check the Nutrition Label
When you’re buying snacks, dry and canned goods and other packaged products, pay attention to the nutrition information before throwing it in the cart — you might be surprised at what you find. Foods higher in cholesterol, trans fat, saturated fat and sodium may taste good, but too much can lead to health problems down the line. Look for foods with low daily values in these areas and pay attention to serving size and calories, as well.
4. Check Sell-By Dates
The food you put in your fridge should always be fresh! Before going home with your groceries, check your sell-by dates to make sure your food will last for a decent amount of time — because you don’t want to have to clean out your fridge for spoiled foods or accidentally eat something that’s expired. Products with later sell-by dates are usually stocked toward the back.
5. Observe the Ingredients
To be vigilant about food allergies, dietary restrictions and health in general, you should always double-check the ingredients in packaged or prepared foods. Be on the watch for gluten, nuts and dairy if someone in your family needs to avoid them, and always stay away from foods with MSG, preservatives, artificial ingredients, fillers and other unhealthy additives.
6. Discover Healthy Recipes
When it’s time to get cooking, pick ingredients that are both delicious and nutritious — like Premio’s healthy sweet Italian chicken sausage! Our all-natural, low-fat, high-quality sausages come in a variety of mouthwatering flavors and offer tasty inspiration for all your meals. Explore our healthy sausage recipes to incorporate into your nutritious lifestyle today!