Whether you’re living in a dorm, sorority, apartment or house, everyone has experienced the delicious temptations of the grocery store. How many times do you find yourself drooling over the cookie aisle or 20 feet of ice cream options? Oh, and that candy aisle – you have millions of options to choose from. What will just one bag of M&M’s do? No matter how hard I try, whenever I find myself roaming through Country Market, Wal-Mart, or Meijer, these foods always seem to call my name. Over the past three years, however, I’ve discovered some ways to deny the cravings and to avoid breaking away from my list or healthy eating goals.
Always bring a list
Wandering between aisles thinking that the foods you need will jump out at you will only lead to a fattening, carb-filled and expensive tab. Once you run out of something, write it down immediately. It is impossible to rely solely on your memory when faced with thousands of options at the store. Having a list will help you avoid temptation foods, guarantee that you don’t forget any essentials and it will keep you within your budget.
Plan ahead
I always have trouble preparing a meal based off of what is in my apartment. Sometimes I will have too many frozen vegetables, but not enough meat to make with them. Other times I will only have pasta sauce, but no pasta. Planning meals ahead of time will make sure you eat healthy and have the correct foods to make a complete meal. Trying to plan a week or two worth of meals while in the store only creates a time-consuming trip. Planning ahead and adding necessary items to your list will ensure a speedy grocery store trip.
Ride the perimeter
Have you every noticed that the healthy foods are always against the walls of a grocery store? Think about it – fresh fruits and veggies, the deli counter, the dairy section and meat are all found in one long line along the wall. Once you stroll into the middle section you hit all the processed, unhealthy foods. Staying on the perimeter of grocery stores will keep you from running into temptation zones and will usually guarantee that everything in your cart will make a good meal.
Remember easy meals
We’re college students – we are constantly on the run and don’t always have time to make an extravagant meal. Remembering that adding easy, healthy and quick meals to your list will help you avoid ordering Jimmy Johns or running to Chipotle. Lean Cuisines can be expensive, but will save you both calories and money compared to ordering out. You can also try some pre-made, on-the-go salads under 300 calories found in the veggie aisle. Everything comes in one container, so all you have to do is top the salad off with dressing and you’re ready to go. Campbell’s Soup at Hand is also easy, but remember to get reduced sodium – a lot of soups are loaded with salt.
Don’t forget portion control
Many foods come with multiple servings in one container or bag, but it doesn’t mean you have to eat all of it. When preparing meals, put only what can fit on a medium sized plate and put the rest immediately in the fridge for later. Also, when your eating snacks out of the bag or box, remember to put only one serving on a separate plate or bowl and put the rest back into the fridge or cabinet. I find this method to be very successful because not only will I not want to get back up and refill my dish, but it also stops me from eating an entire bag of Cheetos in one sitting.
Following these tips will help you stick to your budget, plan healthy meals and make sure you never forget anything. Say bye-bye to grocery store temptation and hello to healthy eating!