How the Supermarket is Important

Going to the Market with a Plan If you have a hobby, you’ve probably developed a series of steps by which you can accomplish your hobby in the most efficient manner, whether it’s painting pictures or raising tomatoes.

 If you paint pictures, you certainly wouldn’t start painting without deciding on a subject and buying the right paints, brushes, and canvas. 

If you raise tomatoes, you prepare the soil, add amendments such as manure, and buy the seeds or, more likely, the plants. You use a watering system as well as tomato cages to hold up your crop.

 You should plan your excursion to the market in the same careful manner. Decide in advance what you need that complies with your nutritional plan.

 we give you a list of recommendations for the staples you should have at home. You can use those suggestions to make a shopping list to make sure that you purchase what you need.

 To that list, add the perishables that you’ll use immediately, such as meat and poultry or fish, milk and other dairy products, and, of course, fruits and vegetables. 

Eat something before you go to the market so that you aren’t hungry as you walk down the aisles. 

A market is like a huge menu set up to entice you. Most markets are set up in the same way. This setup is not by accident. It’s arranged to encourage you to buy. What people buy on the impulse of the moment is often the most calorie-concentrated and expensive food that is least appropriate for them. 

You’ll find that all the perishable food is arranged around the perimeter of the market. 

The high-calorie foods are in the aisles in the middle of the store. Unless you want to take the long way around, you must go through those aisles to get to the meat, milk, fruit, and vegetables.

 You pass the loose candies, the cookies, the high-sugar cereals, and all the other no-nos. If you prepare a list and buy only from the list, you won’t purchase any of those foods. 

Walking into the market hungry and without a list is dangerous for your health.

Sometimes the market employs a person who is trained to help people with medical conditions avoid bad choices. Check with your market to find out whether such a person is on staff, and spend some time touring the aisles with him or her. 

You’ll get some valuable insights that will make handling a shopping trip easier. 

Some keys to shopping the market most effectively include the following:

 ✓ Shop at the same market each time. 

✓ Shop as seldom as you can. 

✓ Go to the market when it is not crowded. 

✓ Don’t walk every aisle. 

✓ Don’t be tempted by free samples. They’re usually high in calories to appeal to your taste buds.

 ✓ If you bring your kids (not advisable) to the store, make sure that they aren’t hungry. 

✓ Be especially careful in the checkout lane, where stores force you to run through a gauntlet of goodies — none of which are good for you. 

Most markets offer a variety of sections. Each one presents a different challenge and requires a different strategy. 

You should probably work your way around the market from the bottom of the food pyramid to the top, choosing lots of grains, fewer fruits, vegetables, and dairy and meat products, and fats and sweets least of all.

The supermarket isn’t the only place where you can find good food. Check out your local farmer’s market. Most areas have these markets, and many are open all year. 

And be sure to look into specialty food stores where you can find some of the more exotic ingredients.

The bakery 

You can really make a dent in your diet in the bakery section, where all the desserts are on display. These foods usually contain too much fat and carbohydrate; however, you don’t have to give up all your “treats.”

 The key is to figure a rich dessert into your meal plan, but only on an occasional basis. Remember to keep the portion small, in any case. 

Muffins and pastries are usually high in fat, but in deference to the popular belief that fat makes us fat, stores now sell low fat muffins and pastries. The problem is that these still contain many calories, so don’t overdo it. 

Try a smaller portion or share your muffin with a friend. A popular choice is angel food cake, but watch out because, even though it’s totally fat-free, it’s filled with calories. You can enjoy a small portion.

 Select breads that have at least 2 grams of fiber per slice and whole-grain breads. Bagels and English muffins should be whole-grain as well.

 Don’t forget that they’re usually too large, so plan on eating a serving of half or less. (That goes for any bread.) If you eat too much, you’ll consume too many calories.

Produce 

Fruits and vegetables are in the produce section. Stores continue to offer the usual apples, pears, and bananas, but today they stock more fruits and vegetables that you may never have seen before. 

Here is where you can add some real variety to your diet. Try some of these new items, and you may discover that you can substitute them for the cakes, pies, and other concentrated calorie foods that you now eat. 

For example, you may find that you like some of the new varieties of melons, which are sweet and have a great texture.

 The other benefit to trying new fruits and vegetables is that you get a variety of vitamins and minerals from the different sources. 

Each differently colored vegetable provides different vitamins, so pick out a variety of colors To prolong their season, you can freeze some of the fruits, especially the berries, and use them as you need them. 

Remember that dried fruits have very concentrated carbohydrate and should be used sparingly. Root vegetables need no refrigeration but must be kept in a cool, dry place. Most of the other vegetables must go in the refrigerator.

The dairy case At the dairy case, you can make some very positive diet modifications. Go for the lowest fat content you can eat, but don’t neglect the dairy part of the food guide pyramid. That’s where you get calcium.

 

Try to find low fat cheeses, yogurt, and cottage cheese. You can even buy cheeses that aren’t low fat if you use them sparingly. Go for 1 percent or even skim milk if possible.

The deli counter

 A deli counter offers luncheon meats and prepared foods. Recent studies show that these processed meats are dangerous to your health. These foods often contain a lot of salt and fat.

 You probably want to avoid most of the foods in this area (with the exception of prepared chicken, which is often spitroasted and very tasty). 

Even the lowfat meats in this section are rich in salt. The pickled foods may also contain a great deal of salt, despite being low in calories and free of fat. 

If you choose salads from this area, pick out those that contain oil instead of cream. Don’t be afraid to ask a deli employee about the exact ingredients in these prepared foods.

 In some cases, lower-fat versions are available. People often prefer fatty foods — and the grocery obviously wants people to buy the food — so the market caters to those preferences.

The fresh meat and fish counter 

The fresh meat and fish counter provides some good choices for your protein needs. At the meat counter, buy no more than a normal serving for each member of the family.

 Just because the meat attendant has cut a 12-ounce piece of swordfish doesn’t mean that you have to buy the whole thing. You are entitled to get just the piece you want. 

For convenience, you can get two servings at one time if you know you have the willpower to save the second serving for another meal. Ask the attendant to cut the fish in half so you aren’t tempted to eat the whole thing. 

Don’t forget that lentils and other legumes can provide protein as well. 

The same study mentioned above that criticized processed meats found that people who eat meat in general are heavier and have more diabetes than those who don’t. 

Look for low fat cuts of meat. The best choices for you are top round, sirloin, and flank steak. These tend to be the leanest cuts of meat and are also very tasty. When buying chopped meat (for hamburgers, for example), consider how you plan to cook it. 

If you like meat cooked well done, you don’t always have to choose the package with the lowest fat content, because the fat may be cooked out. 

Otherwise, look for lower-fat chopped meat. Try to buy skinless poultry to eliminate a major source of the fat in chicken. You may have to cook it a shorter time, or you can barbecue the chicken using an indirect method (place the coals along the sides of the chicken rather than underneath).

 The chicken will be much juicier and not dried out. 

Try to eat fish at least twice a week because of the positive effect it has on blood fats. Remember that a “fatty” fish such as salmon is good for you but adds extra fat calories. 

The fresh meat and fish counter usually offers breaded or battered fish to make your life easier; you only have to put it in the oven. 

The problem is that the breading or batter often contains too much butter, fat, and salt. Ask the person serving you for a list of the ingredients in the breading or batter.

 Or better yet, skip the prepared fish and head for the fresh. If you notice a very fishy smell, then the fish is not very fresh.

Frozen foods and diet meals 

When the season for your favorite fresh fruits and vegetables is over, the frozen food section may stock these items.

 However, because markets now often bring in more varieties of fresh food from all over the world year-round, you may not need to turn to frozen products as much. 

Food manufacturers are producing a variety of frozen foods, which you can heat in the microwave oven. These meals are often high in fat and salt, however. 

Be sure to read the food label, which we explain later in this chapter. Avoid frozen foods mixed with cream or cheese sauces.

Diet meals can be a good choice if you want to save time in preparation. The frozen diet meals are low in calories and often low in salt and fat as well.

 Most diet meals have no more than 350 kilo calories and usually taste good. If you have type 1 diabetes and need to count carbohydrates, they’re listed on the box. 

Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, and Weight Watchers are the three main makers of diet meals, all of which can be counted on for low calories and good taste.

 Healthy Choice is the lowest in salt. Grocery stores usually have one brand or another on sale, so you can choose the least expensive brand when you shop. Are frozen diet foods a good choice for you?

 Many of our patients complain that they lack time to prepare the “right” foods. For those people, prepared diet meals work very well.

 For the person who likes to involve him or herself in food preparation — for example, people who bought this book for the wonderful recipes — this is not the way to go. 

Low-carbohydrate foods are also being made by many of the food manufacturers. See our discussion of the various types of diets in Chapter 3 for ways that these foods can fit in your nutrition plan.

Canned and bottled foods Canned and bottled foods can be healthful and can help you quickly make recipes calling for ingredients such as tomato sauce. Check the Nutrition Facts label (covered later in this chapter) to determine what kind of liquid a food is canned in.

 Oil adds a lot of fat calories, so look for the same food canned in water. Canned vegetables often contain too much salt, so look for low-salt varieties.

 Canned fruits often contain too much sweetener, so you’re better off with fresh if possible. Watch for this marketing trick: Stores often display higher-priced canned foods at eye level and lower priced products on lower shelves. Also, store brands are often less expensive and just as good as name brands.

 Bottled foods include fruit juice drinks, which are high in sugar and low in nutrition. You’re better off drinking pure fruit juice rather than a juice drink diluted with other ingredients.

 The same principle is true for bottled and canned soda, which has no nutritional value and lots of calories. Substitute water for this expensive and basically worthless food that really doesn’t quench your thirst (soft drinks often leave an aftertaste, especially the diet drinks). 

Try adding lemon or lime to your water or use the flavored calorie-free water drinks. You can find low fat or fat-free salad dressing and mayonnaise in this area. Better yet, try using mustard and some of the other condiments to spice up your salads without adding many calories.

The best choices for snacks

 You probably frequently feel like eating a little something between meals. Your choice of foods may make the difference between weight gain and weight control, between high blood glucose levels and normal levels. 

Here are the best selections to choose as you make your way around the supermarket:

 ✓ Baked chips: Avoid fried chips, which add lots of fat calories. An ounce of baked chips amounts to 110 kilo calories. 

✓ Flavored rice cakes: These items are filling without calories.

 ✓ Fruit and fig bars: These items can satisfy hunger without many kilo calories. A couple of Fig New mans, for example, will set you back only 120 kilo calories. 

✓ Low fat granola: Watch out for regular granola, which is high in calories. Depending on the brand, 1 ⁄2 cup of low fat granola contains 220 to 250 kilo calories. 

✓ Plain popcorn: If you prepare it in an air-popping machine or a microwave oven, it contains only 30 kilo calories per cup and is free of salt and fat.

 ✓ Raisins and other dried fruit: Stick to small portions. A quarter of a cup of raisins is only 130 kilo calories. 

The preceding list should give you enough choices to satisfy your hunger without wrecking your diabetic control.