by Pamela Kay

Created on: July 08, 2009

With so much information and misinformation out there it gets harder and harder to know what really healthy food is and what isn't. One good rule of thumb is: The closer a food is to its natural state, the healthier it is, which means the healthiest foods are those that have not been processed because less processing means less additives. Here are some tips for finding healthy foods at the grocery store.

*Learn To Read Labels

In one afternoon, at this site, you can learn to recognize the harmful additives by their various names. The healthiest foods are those that list the food item first, followed by few if any additives such as salt, fats, food coloring, chemical stabilizers and things you can't even pronounce. If you don't know what it is, odds are your body won't either.

*Vegetables

Buy fresh produce when it's in season and serve fruits and vegetables at every meal. You can even buy some extra and freeze or can it for later. All fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy food and eating a wide variety as they come into season will help you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

When the price of fresh produce starts to rise, buy it canned or frozen but be sure to read the label and choose a brand that has no additives in the frozen and only a little salt in the canned. Choose fruits canned in their natural juice instead of a heavy syrup.

*Cereal, Bread and Pasta

Always choose whole grain cereal, bread and pasta, which means the good parts of the grain have not been removed. Avoid surgery cereals and choose oatmeal, raisin bran, cheerios or shredded wheat and add a little honey for sweetness or some fresh fruit.

*Meats

Skip that frozen package of fried chicken breasts and buy raw chicken either frozen or in the meat department. Yes, it will require cooking rather than warming it up but not only does it cost less, you have the option of removing the unhealthy skin and preparing it in various ways that are much healthier.

The same holds true for prepared barbecue, beef tips, roasts and so on. There is a lot of fat and sodium in these foods plus every single one of them has at least one additive to prolong shelf life and many have additives to improve and maintain texture and appearance.

*Dairy

Though whole milk seems like it would be so healthy, it isn't. There is too much fat in it and skim or 1% is a much healthier choice. Likewise with milk products such as cottage cheese, ice cream and cheese; choose those made with low-fat milk.

*Beverages

Carbonated drinks are not a good buy and they are not healthy, even the diet ones. Choose juices that are 100% juice and tea. There are many flavored teas on the market now that are delicious hot or cold and almost all tea has antioxidants. Another good choice is water with a little lemon juice or a few mint leaves.

*Snacks

If you could separate the oil from the potato in a potato chip, you'd be so surprised at how much oil and how little potato you are eating. A much better choice for snacks are fruits, granola, yogurt, dark chocolate, vegetables chips and baked tortilla chips.

Following these tips for finding healthy foods at the grocery store will make it easier to choose the foods that are best for your family. It may take a little research at first to learn about the unhealthy additives manufacturers use but once you know, shopping will no longer be a hassle.

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