The FINANCIAL — Maintaining wellness goals can sometimes be a challenge, but planning before heading down the grocery aisle can lead to success.
Make Your List a Mini Manifesto
Your grocery shopping strategy is important and should begin before setting foot in the store. A shopping list is key. If you have specific wellness goals, evaluate how things went the previous week. For example, if you skipped breakfast every day and devoted your daily calorie intake to three donuts before noon, perhaps instant oatmeal could be a better choice. You can also add “Healthy Breakfast Options” to your list and see what inspiration you find in the store.
Be optimistic yet realistic when making a grocery list. Look for trouble spots and purchase alternatives. Do sweet cravings drive you to a candy binge in the afternoon? A week’s worth of beverage breaks already stocked in the fridge makes it much easier to ward off unhealthy snack sabotage. Knowing there is iced coffee, or a green juice waiting in the fridge can help thwart the afternoon slump and silence that king-sized candy bar calling from the vending machine.
Some great grab and go beverage options include:
The Evolution Fresh Green Grove Smoothie™ contains a medley of fruit and vegetable juices including orange, mango, apple, pineapple, cucumber, spinach, romaine lettuce, and kale – all of which contribute to your daily recommended servings of fruits and veggies. Containing 180 calories, it is also a good source of vitamins A and C. In addition, it is a breakfast option that can be enjoyed while sitting on the subway or bus seat, at a stoplight while driving, and is perhaps safest to enjoy at your desk if you bike to work.
Evolution Fresh™ Emerald Greens is made with juices from cucumbers, apples, spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, lime and lemon, and is a savory green juice with a little zingy sweetness. This 11 fl. oz. bottle has 120% of your daily allowance of vitamin K and 620 mg of Potassium, which helps support maintenance of normal blood pressure.
Starbucks Skinny Iced Espresso Classics are great ready-made coffees with a balance of rich, bold brewed Starbucks espresso (from 100 percent arabica beans) and a hint of creaminess from nonfat milk. The Skinny Caramel Macchiato or Skinny Vanilla Latte flavors satisfy as a sweet treat with 70 calories per 8 fl. oz. serving.
Strawberry Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers® Revitalizing Energy is a sweet and tangy strawberry lemonade-flavored beverage with natural caffeine from green coffee extract for a boost of energy. This beverage contains B vitamins and ginseng and is 90 calories per 12 fl. oz. serving.
Fill Your Belly, Before Your Cart
This is an old strategy, but a good one. Grocery stores see their highest traffic in the afternoon hours, which is prime snack time. Those who shop hungry are more susceptible to an impulse purchase or even to load unnecessary food into the cart. Starbucks offers a solution for this as well. Many grocery stores have a Starbucks location in the front of the store and some carts even have a cup holder.
Handcrafted Evolution Fresh™ Smoothies are a great snack with simple ingredients, handcrafted to taste great and leave you feeling nourished. They are made with cold-pressed, high pressure processed (HPP) fruit and vegetable juice, creamy Greek nonfat Dannon yogurt, plus ice and a shake of nutmeg and ice. That’s it. They have pure ingredients with no added sweeteners, preservatives or flavors and are available at select grocery stores nationwide. A tall iced nonfat latte is another option; it provides 9 grams of protein and is a great choice to brace you for the myriad of tempting food options ahead.
Plan for Portion Control
Buy foods that set you up for success all week long. Evolution Fresh Inspired by Dannon yogurts are now nationally available and make a great snack. Not only are they made with ingredients that are readily recognizable and familiar, (such as the Black Cherry Greek Yogurt, which contains only cultured Grade A nonfat milk, black cherries, cane sugar, water, black cherry puree, rice starch, and lemon puree) but they are also 120 calories each and have at least 11 grams of protein.
Many people use apps to track daily calorie intake and stock up on pre-portioned snacks, like yogurt. This can help address mindless snacking during the week. Establish a ritual of packing snacks for a week in baggies or reusable containers, so you don’t have to find time throughout the week to chop, wash and pack celery or apple slices. Portion while you pack by counting out chips or crackers and measuring appropriate servings of salsa, hummus and trail mix to get through the week with ease.
With a little preparation, grocery trips can not only be rewarding, but can also help set-up a week of wholesome and delicious eating, according to Starbacks.
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