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Grocery shopping is a household task that many people dread. Whether it's navigating through the crowds, lugging over-packed bags to and from your car, or dealing with your impatient youngsters, grocery shopping is not always a very pleasurable experience.

This is especially true when you're trying to lose weight. Not only is it nearly impossible to resist Ben and Jerry when you feel like you've been surviving on carrot sticks, but shopping for healthy fare can also be expensive if you're not careful.

Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to help keep costs down while also keeping those diet-sabotaging snacks and sweets where they belong: on the grocery store shelves.

Tip #1: Don't go shopping on an empty stomach. This one is pretty obvious, but it's an easy mistake to make when your kitchen cupboards are barren or you're crunched for time. No need to eat a five-course meal before you head to the store, but at least make sure to grab a healthy, filling snack that will help prevent you from piling every tempting item you see into your cart.

Tip #2: Make a list. They may seem old-fashioned, but making a grocery list is one practice that will never go out of style. Unfortunately, it is estimated that over two-thirds of shoppers who make a list actually forget to bring it with them to the store. To help avoid this frustrating mishap, keep your list in your purse or car so that it is with you at all times. Or, if you're tech-savvy, try making an electronic list using a website such as tadalist.com and then downloading it to your phone or PDA for easy access from the supermarket.

Tip #3: Learn to read food labels. Don't assume that just because an item is labeled "reduced fat" or "light" that it is necessarily a good choice for your weight loss goals. Pay attention to calories, fat grams, sugar, fiber and other nutrient content rather than relying on diet claims. Also remember that many lowfat snacks are actually very high in sugar and calories, which can be just as devastating to your diet efforts as foods that are high in fat.

Tip #4: Don't be a slave to packaging. Prime shelf-space and colorful, eye-catching packaging is often reserved for unhealthy snack trends. Some of the healthiest foods have the most boring packaging and are more likely to be shelved out of your direct eye-line. Take a few moments to search out the very bottom and top shelves for healthy classics and don't let yourself get sucked in by flashy displays and packaging.

Tip #5: Take

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