This part of the series is a bit larger than the rest. But I still feel that it belongs as one category instead of being split up. There was a bigger emphasis on the fresher foods (produce, meat, and dairy) because these foods can be way more nutritionally dense than other foods.
Dry foods are easy to shop for because they are long lasting. For this reason, do not feel uncomfortable getting larger sizes to save money. When I think of dry foods, the first thing that comes to mind is pastas, rice, noodles, and breads. With the grain based dry foods, try as hard as you can do get whole grains. Make sure in the ingredients it says whole grain. These pastas and whatnot will add a ton more fiber and longer lasting energy than their counterpart the enriched processed noodle. My problem when it comes to this area is that too many people push whole wheat everything too often. Yes it is healthier than the white/enriched/processed noodles, but from an athlete's perspective pasta is great in many types. For all purposes, you could do half and half whole grain and enriched. A good way to increase your fiber intake! All I'm saying is don't only buy the whole grains and not like the taste/texture/whatever. Normal white rice, white pastas, and white breads are still alright and healthier than other options like chips.
This can look convenient, and even be convenient, but try to avoid the "meal in a box" type foods in dry foods. Look at what it is and ask yourself how hard would this be to make from "scratch?" If the answer to this is so incredibly difficult, then I would look towards the frozen foods isle first before buying a dry meal. A lot of those highly processed meals lose a ton of quality micro-nutrients. Add some fresh veggies at least for me.
When I look at sauces it can be overwhelming. There seems to be too many to choose from. What is nice about this isle is that we have developed quite a few "lower calorie" or "organic" or "lower fat" substitutes for our favorite condiments. Try them out! Or try out healthier options like Italian dressing instead of Ranch or A1 Sauce instead of thick BBQ sauce. Either way you go, remember that hidden saturated fats are everywhere in sauces. So don't find yourself slathering too much on.
In this department is where you will find your snacks: the toughest area of the market. This aisle is specifically designed to drag you in to impulse buying. Knowing this can help you. Snacking is so important for us athletes because we need to keep our energy level high, especially when we have multiple games/practices. On an obvious note, I will say try to avoid chips as much as possible. They really don't provide much and there are other similar tasting options. Go for popcorn or salted nuts instead. With these two you get some high quality fats and some whole grain type energy. Stock up on granola bars and sports bars too. You all know these are great for you; try to find the ones with lower amounts of sugar and higher amounts of fiber, but make it something you would want to eat right before/during/after practice. Dried fruit of all kinds is a plus along with most fruit snacks (find the ones made with real fruit at least!).
Short and sweet: soda doesn't help the athlete. Water is an ingredient, but soda and its makeup do not help much in quenching thirst and replenishing lost nutrients in sweat or daily activities. Most sodas are built around the idea to make you drink more. This is easily the best place to cut calories if you need. Also replacing soda with milk can be the right answer in needing to bulk up. If you must must must have your caffeine/soda/sugar fix...please keep it small. One can a day or switch to a "healthier" choice like diet or tea.
Let's stock up on these!
- Rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa, noodles, oatmeal, cereals, etc.
- Chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, low sodium options
- Salsa, marinara, hummus, applesauce, Italian dressing, olive oil
- Popcorn, crackers, baked chips, trail mixes, nuts, pita chips
- Canned veggies,beans, and fruit (single serve or not)
- Raisins, fiber one bars, nutty granola bars, fruit snacks
- Gatorade, Propel, tea, 100% juices
- Powerbars, Special K bars, whey protein, Muscle Milk (and other similar products)
I could go into detail on many of these areas. I only haven't because this has gotten lengthy already. My solution? Ask me anything you want. Any product, and I'll tell you my thoughts. I can be brutally honest :)
Next section! Frozen foods!
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