Buckeye Sports Nutrition

Winning Strategies for Shopping Smart

1. Shop from a list. Keep an ongoing list on your refrigerator.

2. Check new recipes you plan to try and add needed ingredients to your list. Try to incorporate one new recipe every 2 weeks.

3. Shop when you are not hungry or after a meal or snack. If you shop when you are hungry, you may be amazed at the items which jump into your cart.

4. Shop the perimeter of the store first for fresh produce, grains, dairy, meats and poultry. Then enter the middle aisles only for specific items.

5. Shop only in the aisles where you need specific items. Walking up and down every aisle increases the likelihood you will make impulse purchases.

6. Buy foods that require preparation. Your ingredients will be fresher, less expensive in the long run and you'll be less inclined to snack.

7. Some convenience foods can be helpful--salads in a bag, pre-washed and cut up vegetables, salad bar items and deli meats and cheeses.

8. Be a coupon clipper, but only with items you commonly use. Coupons can backfire if they lead you to buy a high fat/high calorie item because it's such a good deal.

9. Shop from a basket rather than a cart if you only plan to pick up a few items. Less room in a basket means less room for impulse purchases.

10. Read labels--to compare fat, calories, and nutrients of products.

Nutrition Facts 

1. Look for the Nutrition Facts label. The January 1993 labeling regulations require food manufactures to include this new title and label format.

2. Serving Sizes:  Similar foods now have the same serving size. This allows the consumer to compare foods more easily.

3. Total Fat:  Most people need to cut back on fat. Too much fat may contribute to heart disease and cancer.

4. Saturated Fat:  This fat is listed separately because it is associated with raising blood cholesterol and your risk of heart diseases. Saturated fats should be eaten in moderation. These fats are usually solid at room temperature. Animal products( meat, milk, eggs, cheese, butter) and palm and coconut oils are sources of saturated fats.

5. Cholesterol:  Dietary cholesterol can contribute to heart disease. Animal products contain cholesterol (meat, milk, cheese, eggs and butter).

   General Rule:  300 mg each day is the maximum recommended for a heart healthy diet.

6. Sodium: Sodium is a mineral. Table salt and processed foods have a lot of sodium. Keeping your sodium intake low decreases high blood pressure in some individuals. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 3,000mg sodium per day for healthy adults.

7. Total Carbohydrates:  Carbohydrates are in foods like bread, pasta, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. These foods should make up the largest portion of your diet. Foods high in simple carbohydrates or sugar, like candy and regular pop, should be eaten less often since they do not provide many nutrients.

8. Dietary Fiber:  Fiber is the bulk part of grains, fruits, and vegetables. The human body cannot fully digest fiber. Fiber helps the body's digestive system work well. A high fiber diet contains 25-35 gms of dietary fiber per day.

   General Rule:  Foods that have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving are considered good sources.

9. % Daily Value:  This is the most significant tool of the new food label. This allows you to evaluate how a food fits into a healthful daily diet and to make product comparisons. To use, add up the percentages of the specific nutrients you are watching from all the foods you have eaten throughout the day. When you reach 100%, you have met your daily allowance for this nutrient. Remember that daily values reflect the percentage of nutrients the product provides based on a diet of 2,000 calories per day.

   Calories	Adjusted %DV
   1500	75%
   1800	90%
   2000	100%
   2400	120%
   2600	130%
   3000	150%

    

   *Nutrients affected:  Fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and protein. All healthy adults need 100% DV for the listed vitamins and minerals.

10. Vitamins and Minerals:  Only two vitamins, A and C and two minerals, calcium and iron, are required on the food label. Your goal is to reach 100% of each for the day.

11. Daily Values:  Daily values are the new label reference amounts which indicate the minimum or maximum recommended intake of certain nutrients. These numbers are based on current nutrition recommendations. Daily values on the label are listed for people who eat 2,000 or 2,500 calories each day. Your nutrient needs many be less or more than the Daily Values on the label.