The Truth About Your Grocery Cart - Too Confusing

“Is This Healthy Or Not?”

Do you find yourself staring at food labels in a grocery store aisle more often than you’d like? I know, that sucks. The confusing thing is that every food product under the sun claims to be healthier than the competition. In reality, most of these claims are just a clever amalgam of deception, fancy marketing, shady science and proven graphic design – all designed to make you buy more stuff. The “Truth About…” guides will help you understand the science behind fat burning foods and give you clear recommendations. Here’s the shorter, clearer and more condensed version of what you should buy :


1. Protein

1.1 Beef, Bison, Lamb

Grade

Best    --->  Pasture-raised or 100% grass-fed (verify the farmer tells the truth)
Good  --->  Grass-finished
OK     --->  Lean grain-fed cuts
Avoid  --->  Cheap by-products like hot-dog sausages


Where To Buy

• Visit a local farmer
• Online: US Wellness Meats

Summary

• Learn where your meat is coming from and how it’s raised
• If you have to eat grain-fed meat, stick with the leanest cuts that won’t contain the usual toxins stored in the animal’s fat
• Like everything else, eat beef in moderation and within your daily calorie needs

1.2 Chicken, Pork, Duck, Turkey

 

Grade

Best   --->  Pasture-raised (animals are free and allowed to eat insects or whatever they feel like)
Good --->  Lean organic cuts
OK    --->  Lean grain-fed cuts
Avoid --->  Cheap by-products like hot-dog sausages


Where To Buy

• Visit a local farmer
• Online : US Wellness Meats 

Summary

• Factory raised and grain-fed animals all have a higher risk of containing traces of antibiotics and low levels of omega-3
• Pasture-raised animals give meat that contains more fat-burning nutrients and less toxic chemicals that contribute to belly fat
• If you have to eat these factory meats, stick with the leanest cuts possible
• This idea applies to other animals like lamb, ducks, turkey, etc.

1.3 Fish & Seafood

Grade

Best   --->  Fresh wild-caught
Good --->  Canned wild-caught
OK    --->  Lean farmed cuts
Avoid --->  Cheap by-products like imitation crab meat


Where To Buy

• Visit a local farmer
• Online : vital choice

Summary

• If you choose them wisely, fish and seafood are still good sources of essential fat-burning nutrients
• Wild-caught fish contain less mercury and other dangerous contaminants
• As a general rule, choose smaller fish like salmon, sole or tilapia instead of large species like tuna, shark or swordfish

1.4 Wild Meats

Grade

Best  --->  Any wild meat


Where To Buy

• Visit your butcher
• Online: dartagnan.com (for foodies only)

Summary

• Wild game is a great source of lean meat, perfect to manage your caloric intake
• This meat doesn’t carry the usual contamination and hormone-disrupting toxins that come with commercially-raised beef, pork or chicken
• When hunted with good practices, it’s a sustainable resource

1.5 Eggs

Grade

Best   --->  Organic and pasture-raised
Good --->  Pasture-raised
OK    --->  Regular eggs
Avoid --->  Egg Beaters® and egg replacement products

Where To Buy

• Local farmer or grocery store

Summary

• Eggs from hens that are allowed to roam in open pastures contain a lot more nutrition than eggs from confined hens
• Read the labels closely, and never hesitate to do a quick background check on the manufacturer when in doubt
• Eggs with added omega-3 show little to no benefits
• Look for the claims “organic” and “pastured”, that indicate your eggs contain all the fat-burning nutrition you’re paying for 

This article will be updated :) 

The Truth About Your Grocery Cart - Too Hard To Find

The Groceries Dilemma

Let’s be honest here. No one wants to spend an entire day every single week shopping for food. The grocery store. The Butcher. The fish market. The health food store. The farmer’s market. The local farmer you heard about. Buying food from 10 different places is unproductive, boring and downright insane. To reduce the time it takes you to run the errands, stick with 2-3 places maximum. The good news is – wherever you choose to shop for food, there’s always a way to make the right choices.

At The Grocery Store
 

If you only have access to a “regular” grocery store or can’t afford most ingredients sold in fancy health food stores, it doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to eat yourself fat. You should be able to find the following foods at most grocery stores:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Rice
• Beans and lentils
• Eggs
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Seeds
• Fish and shellfish
• Olive oil (try to find extra virgin)
• Avocados
• Meat and poultry (if they’re factory-raised, choose lean cuts)

Also, you’ll probably find the following ingredients if you shop at Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Supertarget, Safeway, Whole Foods Markets and Trader Joe’s:

• Grass-fed and pasture-raised meats
• Coconut oil
• Raw honey
• Stevia, xylitol or erthritol
• Unrefined sea or rock salt
• Coconut products (milk, dried, etc.)
• Fermented veggies (like sauerkraut)
• Organic stock

There’s no way you won’t be able to find healthy foods at your local grocery store. Avoid the center aisles where the crap is, and you’ll automatically make the right choices.

At The Health Food Store

Most health food stores sell some or all of the ingredients I recommend in The Truth About Fat burning Foods, along with supplements, fruits and veggies. The thing you need to be very aware of are the clerks. From my own experience, some of them will make you the wrong recommendations or sell you overpriced products. Use your own judgment and the information in here before taking any decision.

At The Farmers’ Market

Farmers’ markets can be the place where you spend the most money, or where you get the best savings of your entire life. Once you locate a farmers’ market near your area using the list HERE, use these strategies to get the most bang out of your buck:

1. Develop relationships : Farmers often give great deals to regular customers, so fidelity is the key.

2. Try new foods : Very common produce (potatoes, carrots, lettuce) are often more expensive, while other less-known fruits and veggies will be cheaper but as nutritious. Learn to expand your palate and to cook with
new ingredients – you’ll avoid diet boredom.

3. Buy in bulk : Farmers are often stock with surplus in-between seasons and will sell tomatoes, pumpkins or cabbage for next to nothing. Plan a weekend and can those veggies – you’ll save a ton of money during the next year.

4. Shop with friends and family : Farmers usually offer discounted “cases” of food that can be too much for one person, but that might be perfect to share between 3-4 households.

At The Butcher

Butchers are often aware of where the meat they sell comes from, and that’s a big plus for you. Ask your butcher if your beef is fed grass, if the animals are given antibiotics, etc.Buy in bulk and stock up your freezer. You’ll often end up paying 10 to 20% less that way.

At The Fish Market

Another place you can make sure your food has been raised and fed the right way. Ask the sellers if their fish is wildcaught, and where it comes from. You’ll find the freshest fish and seafood around the town, and will probably won’t pay more than what you already pay for products of questionable quality at the supermarket.

At The Exotic Food Store

You’ll find several speciality food stores (Indian, Asian, etc.) in most big cities. Pay those a visit and check out what they sell. You’ll often find hidden treasures like really cheap coconut oil or other products that’ll end up costing you way less than at the health food store.

Online

If you don’t have access to a local health food store or a farmers’ market – or just want to save time and get the best prices available – ordering online is your best choice. You’ll find a lot of online retailers that offer cheap or even free shipping on food products that may be hard to find elsewhere. Here’s my list of the best online retailers:

Amazon

Almost every healthy food can imagine. The free shipping is very interesting if you plan on spending more than $25.

Nuts.com

Nuts, dried fruits, chocolate & sweets, sweeteners, snacks, coffee & teas, baking goods, superfoods.

Teccino

Dozens of herbal teas and teas.
 

Tropical Traditions

Coconut oil, red palm oil, and a ton of organic products (sweeteners, snacks and even cosmetics).

Upgraded Self

High quality products designed for performance.
 

US Wellness Meats

Grass-fed beef, lamb & bison, pasture-raised poultry & pork, wild caught seafood, organic snacks.
 

YouBars

Create your own organic, all natural protein/nutrition bar. You actually get to choose the ingredients and even the name.

The Truth About Your Grocery Cart - Too Expensive

Healthy Foods Cost More

I would love it to be different. But in reality, healthy foods do cost more. The sad fact is – cheap farming practices give us cheap food.

• Confining chickens in a space the size of a sheet of paper
• Factory farms creating massive manure lagoons that pollute our water supply
• Giving feedlot beefs 15 million pounds of antibiotics every year just to prevent them from getting sick
• Exposing Americans to more than 4.5 billion pounds of pesticides every year to grow produce faster
• The Government giving 20X more subsidizes to sugary and processed foods than to fruits and veggies

Raising a chicken or beef the way it’s supposed to costs more. So in the end, consumers have to pay more. So if you want to lose more fat, build more lean muscle and transform your health, expect your grocery bill to increase. But if you care about any of the above, food quality should be on your list of priorities, right next to the other essential needs like having a place to live in and appropriate clothing. That being said, I know some people are on really tight budgets and may struggle to even feed their families. If that’s your case, not all hope is lost. There’s a way to make the best choices possible, even if you’re on a very limited “food stamp diet”.

The “Cheap & healthy” Food List

Being on a budget shouldn’t be a reason to grab a $1 burger at your local fast food joint – 365 days a year. If you buy the following cheap yet healthy ingredients, you can pull off miracles at the grocery store:

Fruits

• Apricot
• Banana
• Cantaloupe
• Grapefruit
• Honeydew
• Kiwi
• Nectarines
• Papaya
• Pear
• Starfruit
• Tangerine
• Watermelon

Veggies

• Alfalfa sprouts
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Collards
• Lettuce
• Mustard greens
• Parsley
• Peas
• Onions

Protein

• Tuna (limit to once a week though)
• Eggs
• Beans
• Lentils
• Raw nuts
• Raw seeds
• Non-fat plain yogurt
• Low-fat milk (if you can tolerate it)

Carbs

• Barley
• Brown rice
• Millet
• Oats (groats or steel cut, if possible)
• Organic corn
• Potatoes
• Quinoa
• Most grains bought in bulk

Fats

• Avocado
• Coconut oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ghee 

Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half

Each one of the following strategies will help you reduce your grocery bill by a fraction. The good news is – after they stack up, they will make a HUGE difference on your budget.

1. Avoid wasting food. 

The average American wastes about 1,400 calories per day worth of food – which means they waste half of their money. Plan smarter, and pay less.

2. Use fresh vegetables and fruits that are in season.
They are easy to get, have more flavor, and are usually less expensive.
 

3. Plan out your meals ahead of time and make a grocery list. You will save money by buying only what you need.
 

4. Compare the price and the number of servings from fresh, canned, and frozen forms of the same veggie
or fruit. Canned and frozen items may be less expensive than fresh.
 

5. Buy legumes in bulk, not in cans. 

You may not realize this, but canned beans cost around 45X more than beans in bulk like THIS package.
 

6. Don’t shop when you’re hungry.

Shopping after eating will make it easier to pass on the tempting snack foods. You’ll have more of your food budget for vegetables and fruits.
 

7. Buy vegetables and fruits in their simplest form. 

Pre-cut, pre-washed, ready-to-eat, and processed foods are convenient, but often cost much more than when purchased in their basic forms.
 

8. Ditch processed foods.

Granola bars, microwavable meals and other food products
may be handy, but they have no place on a tight budget. Stick with whole foods and simple recipes.

The Truth About Your Grocery Cart

Is This The Best Grocery Cart You Can Pull Off?

I’m not talking about the occasional treats you put in there. Sugary and refined treats are OK – because I know you don’t eat them all the time and still expect to lose weight, right? I’m talking about the ingredients that are staples in your diet – the ones you eat every single day. Here are the 3 important questions you must ask yourself about your weekly shopping cart:

• Is the price right? Am I investing money on the right foods? (read the “Too expensive” article)
• Am I shopping at the right place? (read the “Too hard To Find” article )
• Am I buying the right foods that contain the rightingredients? (read the “Too Confusing” article)

I know… this gets freaking complicated sometimes. I really wish we could just pack our grocery cart with any random food and be done with it. But we have to play with the cards we’re dealt with.

Hopefully, my articles will help you clear out any confusion and give you the tools necessary to buy smarter, and get the most nutrition out of every buck – even if you’re as broke as a joke.

 

1. The Truth About Your Grocery Cart - Too Expensive

 

 

2.  The Truth About Your Grocery Cart - Too Hard To Find

 

 

3.  The Truth About Your Grocery Cart - Too Confusing