Gold Medal Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping can be a difficult task for many athletes. With so many options available, it’s easy to get confused! Follow this guide to ensure healthy, balanced and cost effective purchases are made.

Golden Rules of Grocery Shopping:

• Never shop when you are hungry – You will spend more money and you will buy more ‘snack’ and ‘junk’ food.
• Always shop with a list. It will keep you on track. A sale or a new product may de-rail you from just getting what you need and can afford.
• The healthiest and freshest foods are found in the outside parameters of the store. You should be buying 80-90% of your items from this area.
• Read labels. Not only the nutrition facts panel, but also the ingredient panel. As a general rule, buy products with the least amount of ingredients and with ingredient names that you can identify as real foods!

Here are some quick tips for each “section” of the grocery store:

Fruits and Vegetables

• Choose a variety of colours for a variety of vitamins and minerals. Dark green and yellow-orange vegetables are a must.
• If buying juice, choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit ‘drinks’ or ‘beverages’
• Buying local supports Canadian farmers and the economy.

Grain Products

When buying breads, crackers, granola bars and cereals, follow these tips:

• Check the ingredient list for the words ‘whole wheat’ or ‘whole grain’
• Look for more than 3-4g fibre
• Choose products with the highest % daily value (%DV) for iron

Meat and Alternatives

• Choose lean cuts of meat– round steak, sirloin tip, pork loin chops, chicken and turkey breast, ground turkey
• Beans and lentils are excellent sources of fibre, protein and are low in fat

Milk and Alternatives

• Look for the % milk fat (%MF) on the label and choose products with less than 2%; however, for children (currently at a healthy weight), there is no need to worry about MF
• If buying soy beverages check the label to ensure they are fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

Convenience Products

• Frozen dinners are expensive for what you get, are high in sodium (salt) and usually have poor nutrition quality. If buying, there are many “healthier” options with lower fat and sodium content.
• Canned soups, sauces and other products are generally high in sodium, which is used as a preservative. Choose low sodium options if you are consuming a large quantity of these items.

Many grocery stores are starting to offer ‘guided tours’ with Registered Dietitians. For more information about health grocery shopping, including a virtual tour, visit the

Dietitians of Canada website:

http://www.dietitians.ca/public/content/eat_well_live_well/english/vgs/index.asp