Grocery Store Showdown There are tons of healthy, family-friendly recipes to be found but good nutrition starts before that in the grocery store. Having the right ingredients and a variety of healthy foods to choose from allows you to create healthy meals while also viding your family with many healthy choices. However, with all the other things on your to-do list, spending a large amount of your time in the grocery aisle is bably not in the top ten. It is for that reason that we created this guide taking a closer look at some common foods you buy when creating family meals. It is important to know that the nutritional information may vary from brand to brand, but this guide uses the most common measures, makes comparisons, and offers insight to which foods should land in your grocery basket. General guidelines: Fill your cart with colorful fruits and vegetables Limit sweet items, including drinks/juice Avoid highly cessed foods aim to choose foods with 5 ingredients or less Add at least 2 servings of fish each week to boost your omega-3 fatty acid intake (the good type of fat!). If you are pregnant you want to avoid fish with high levels of mercury, such as wild caught salmon. Try a new food each week to expand your healthy choices this is a great way to get your kids involved too! When making changes, start with a food that will have the greatest impact. For example, if your family doesn t eat a lot of beef choosing grass-fed or conventional may not matter. Organic greens VS Bagged, pre-washed greens 1 cup, raw = 7 cals; 0g fat; 1g carbs; 1g fiber; 0g sugar; 1g 1 cup, raw = 7 cals; 0g fat; 1g carbs; 1g fiber; 0g sugar; 1g Winner: Organic, sort of While organic duce may not vide superior nutrition, greens such as spinach and kale top the dirty dozen list. Foods on the dirty dozen have the highest levels of pesticides. Bagged, pre-washed greens will still contain some pesticide residue. Lean Ground Turkey VS Lean Ground Beef 40 cals; 1g fat; 0g carbs; 0g fiber; 5g 51 cals; 3g fat; 0g carbs; 0g fiber; 7g Winner: It s a toss up! When choosing between ground turkey and ground beef you should consider your goals. If you desire to cut more fat and calories from your diet then go for the turkey. However, if you want a little more go for the ground beef which give you 6 additional grams of in a 3 ounce serving. Nutrition information based on 93/7 lean.
Grass-fed Beef VS Conventional Beef 1 ounce, raw = 54 cals; 4g fat; 0g carbs; 0g fiber; 0g sugar; 5g 1 ounce, raw = 61 cals; 4.3g fat; 0g sugar; 5.3g Winner: Grass-fed beef! This is a food that you get what you pay for. Grass-fed beef has twice the vitamin E and is also high in omega-3 fatty acids. There are also fewer calories per ounce in a 83% lean cut. These meats tend to be pricey so if it s not in your budget you can also opt for Organic beef which have been raised without hormones or antibiotics. Conventional Eggs VS Organic eggs 1 large egg (2oz)= 72 cals; 4.8g fat; 0.4g sugar; 6.3g 1 large egg (2oz) = 72 cals; 4.8g fat; 0g sugar; 0g fiber; 7.2g ein Winner: Conventional! Nutritionally speaking these eggs are the same. However, organic eggs come from hens that were fed feed that was free from arsenic, antibiotics, pesticides, animal byducts, and GMOs. Keep in mind ONLY the organic label is enforced by the USDA, others such as cage-free or free-range have no regulating body to ensure you are actually purchasing eggs from chickens who were allowed to live outside of cages. Save your money and choose conventional. White Rice VS Brown Rice 267 cals; 0.4g fat; 58.9g carbs; <1g fiber; 4.8g 216 cals; 1.8g fat; 44g carbs; 3.5g fiber; 5g Winner: Brown rice! Not only will you save on calories but you will boost your fiber intake as well. This is bably no surprise, but another take away from this comparison is that calories can add up quickly in starchy foods pull out those measuring cups and enjoy some brown rice! Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 can = 160 cals; 11g fat; 12g carbs; 4g sugar; 3g fiber; 2g ; 45mg sodium VS Cream of mushroom soup 1 can = 200 cals; 12g fat; 12g carbs; 1g sugar; 2g fiber; 1g ; 1740mg sodium Winner: Low sodium cream of mushroom soup! Many times recipes call for a creamy soup to boost the flavor and texture. However, a quick look at the nutrition information shows you may be loading up on sodium too! For all soup choices, grab the low sodium version.
Frozen Broccoli VS Fresh Broccoli 1 cup, chopped = 41 cals; 0g fat; 7g carbs; 2g sugar; 5g fiber; 4g 1 cup, chopped = 31 cals; 0g fat; 6g sugar; 4g Winner: Tie! Nutritionally speaking, all frozen veggies are similar to fresh ones because they are flash-frozen immediately after being harvested at the peak of their season. When choosing from the frozen aisle be sure to check the ingredients, there should be no added sugar or salt to your duce. For fresh and frozen alike, do not overcook the veggies you will destroy its vitamins and minerals. Peanut Butter VS Natural Peanut Butter 1 Tbsp = 94 cals; 8g fat; 6g carbs; 1g fiber; 3g sugar; 4g 1 Tablespoon= 100 cals; 8g fat; 3g carbs; 1g fiber; 1g sugar; 5g Winner: Tie! These ducts present very similar files but if peanut butter is a staple in your home you may want to choose the natural version. The information here is based on an average of the most popular brands but some regular peanut butters have a significant amount of added sugars. Butter VS Margarine 1 Tablespoon = 100 cals; 11g fat; 0g sugar; 0g 1 Tablespoon = 87 cals; 10g fat; 0g carbs; 0g fiber; 08g sugar; 0g Winner: Margarine! Margarine is a wiser pick because it doesn t contain any cholesterol and has much less saturated fat. You can take it up a notch and pick a margarine with added plant stanols/sterols which naturally reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol the body can absorb. Whole Wheat Bread VS Multigrain Bread 1 slice (28g) = 69 cals; 1g fat; 12g sugar; 4g 1 slice (24g) = 69 cals; 1g fat; 11g sugar; 3g Flour tortilla VS Corn tortilla 7 inch tortilla= 207 cals; 5.5g fat; 34g sugar; 5g 7 inch tortilla = 70 cals; 9g fat; 14g sugar; 2g Winner: Tie! The key to choosing a great bread is to choose one which lists whole wheat as the first ingredient. Second, look at the calories and choose a lower calorie slice this can be the difference between 90 calories from bread and 200 calories from bread. If you really want to boost your bread try some suted grain versions (typically found in the refrigerated section) the texture is pretty hearty so may take some time for the younger crowd to admire. Winner: Corn tortilla! While wraps may make you think healthy they are often packing loads of extra calories and carbs. The next time you create a fiesta choose corn tortillas to cut those extras. Digging deeper into the nutrition will also show that corn tortillas vide more magnesium, which motes healthy muscles.
White Potato VS Sweet Potato 1 large (4 ) = 281 cals; 0g fat; 64g carbs; 6g fiber; 4g sugar; 6g 1 large (4 ) = 162 cals; 0g fat; 37g carbs; 6g fiber; 12g sugar; 4g Winner: Sweet Potato! Potatoes got a bad rap a few years ago, but in moderation they vide their own nutrition punch. Your regular baked potato gives you the same fiber and fat as a sweet potato. A sweet potato is lower in calories and carbs but is higher in sugar (the natural type). The orange gem also boasts more vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and manganese. When possible, use sweet potatoes in a recipe. Regular potatoes are not off limits, simply watch your portions! Fat-free milk VS Organic Fat-Free milk 1 cup = 86 cals; 0g fat; 12g carbs; 0g fiber; 12g sugar; 8g 1 cup = 90 cals; 0g fat; 13g carbs; 0g fiber; 12g sugar; 8g Winner: Organic fat-free milk! Recent studies have shown that organically raised cows duce milk with higher levels of antioxidants and fatty acids. While it may be more expensive, if your family drinks a good share of milk, you should consider going organic. Low-fat, flavored yogurt VS Greek yogurt 6 ounces= 173 cals; 2g fat; 32g carbs; 0g fiber; 32g sugar; 7g 6 ounces = 144 cals; 6g fat; 6g carbs; 0g fiber; 6g sugar; 12g Winner: Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt has just as much calcium as regular yogurt with twice the. If you choose plain greek yogurt you can also use it instead of things like sour cream, mayonnaise, butter, heavy cream, oil, and buttermilk when cooking. Tilapia VS Salmon 36 cals; 1g fat; 0g carbs; 0g fiber; 0g sugar; 7g 58 cals; 3g fat; 0g sugar; 6g Winner: Salmon! This fish is one of the best sources of omega-3s around. Incorporating this fish twice a week will meet your omega-3 needs which help to increase your good cholesterol.
Penne pasta VS Whole Wheat penne pasta 220 cals; 1g fat;43 g carbs; 2.5g fiber; 0g sugar; 5g 174 cals; 1g fat; 37g carbs; 6g fiber; 0g sugar; 7g Winner: Whole wheat! Most likely this is not a surprise, however, it isn t just about fiber. When wheat is cessed to make pasta, white bread, and other refined grains, it loses roughly 60 percent of its grain. This means you get less than half the B vitamins and minerals as the whole grain version. As a bonus, whole grain pasta contains fewer calories, more fiber, and more. Ranch Dressing VS Lite Italian Dressing 2 Tbsp = 146 cals; 16g fat; 1g sugar; 0g 2 Tbsp = 53 cals; 4g fat; 2g sugar; 0g Winner: Lite Italian Dressing! Even if Italian Dressing isn t your favorite flavor, choosing an oilbased dressing is the best choice. It offers a significant cut in calories and fat. No matter what you choose, measure your dressing before coating your greens! If salad s are your thing, you will love this. Generally speaking you want olive oil or canola oil based dressings with short ingredient lists, less than 200mg sodium and no (or limited to less than 2g) sugar. Some good choices are: 1. Annie s Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette 2. Kraft Zesty Italian 3. Newman s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette 4. Lily s Balsamic Vinaigrette 5. Newman s Own Lite Italian 6. Wish-Bone Light Italian 7. Ken s Light Options Olive oil and vinegar 8. Homemade mix: a little olive oil and plain Balsamic Vinaigrette.