Tips to Help You Navigate the Grocery Store for Bariatric Friendly Options & Reading Nutrition Labels to Make Informed Choices
Written By: Carley Salas MS, RDN, CDN
“What should we have for dinner?” is the infamous conversation had amongst couples and families on what seems like a never-ending loop. It can get old and tiring trying to come up with new meals to make all the time, and many people end up cooking the same few meals over and over again until it gets so boring that they decide to order take out or hit up the drive through just to have something different for once. Unfortunately, this can turn into an unhealthy habit that can contribute to weight gain over time, depending on the food choices made. Even those with good intentions trying to order something healthy can be deceived by restaurant meals as they are usually much higher in calories than if you made it yourself at home.
Learning meal planning skills and practicing them by planning ahead can not only save you from unwanted weight gain, but it can also save your wallet and prevent food waste! Learning how to cook is a basic life skill that everyone should know. It takes lots of practice to become good at it, just like anything else! So if you don’t have a strong culinary back ground, be patient with yourself while you are learning and don’t expect to be a Top Chef overnight! Start out with simple recipes with minimal ingredients until you have mastered those skills and then you can try out more adventurous recipes and cuisines. There will be some failures along the way – don’t get discouraged, every failure is a learning opportunity!
Step 1: Where to Start?
The first step in meal planning is thinking about how much time you will have during the week to prepare meals before you choose any recipes to make. If you get home from work late or have a kids sporting event to attend in the evening, preparing a complicated recipe with a long prep and cook time is not going to be ideal. Those are the nights that you want to plan a simple throw together semi-homemade meal or have leftovers so you’ll want plan to prepare extra portions of the previous night’s dinner, if possible. Thinking ahead will save a lot of stress and time during the week!
Step 2: Create Your Meal Plan for the Week
Once you’ve taken a look at your schedule for the week and determined when you’ll have time to do some kitchen prep work or make a more involved recipe, next is picking out a couple recipes or meals to use to create your shopping list. The first place you want to check is your own pantry, fridge, and freezer. See what you already have on hand and if there is anything that should be used before it expires. Have a half a bag of spinach leftover from last week that is starting to look a little wilty? Plan to make a meal using cooked spinach earlier in the week to use it up. Pull some frozen chicken out of the freezer first before buying more. You get the idea! It can be as simple as this:
- Monday – Pesto chicken with steamed frozen green beans and quinoa
- Tuesday – Taco salads
- Wednesday – Crockpot Turkey chili
- Thursday – leftover chili
- Friday – Cauliflower crust pizza with side salad
Step 3: Grocery Store Game Plan
Do not go to the grocery store when you are hungry. Everything will look and smell extra appetizing and you will end up buying things you don’t need and foods that are less healthy. Get out your shopping list and stick to it! Don’t fall for the sneaky marketing tactics that grocery stores try to use to get you to purchase certain foods that are not part of your healthy eating plan. Start out in the produce department stocking up on those non-starchy veggies listed in your bariatric hand book! Usually the produce that is on sale tends to be what is in season and most nutrient dense and flavorful.
Protein is the priority on your grocery list so this may mean heading to the meat/deli and/or fish counters at your supermarket. Frozen seafood is often a better price than fresh if you are looking to keep costs down. Ask the butcher if they can show you which cuts of beef and pork are considered “lean” if you do not know and need help. Skinless, boneless chicken and turkey are your leanest types of meat to eat.
When thinking of high protein foods, don’t forget about the dairy aisle - Low fat milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, eggs, and egg whites are excellent sources of protein too! With dairy products, 1% and 2% are considered low fat, where as 4% is full fat (whole milk) and 0% is fat free (skim milk). Check out the brand FairLife or SkimPlus which is ultra filtered milk that has had the lactose removed, lowering the carbohydrate count and increasing the amount of protein! There is also lactose free cottage cheese and yogurt on the market now if you have trouble digesting lactose.
If you do not eat meat or dairy, opt for plant-based alternatives that are higher in protein such as Soy milk, pea protein based milk like the brand Ripple or another alternative that has at least 6-8 grams (the equivalent of regular dairy milk) protein per serving. When looking for veggie burgers or other plant based meat alternatives, choose ones that have at least 8-10g protein per serving, and be careful with the carbohydrate amount as many meatless products use grains, potatoes, or corn in them. Look for ones with <20 grams of net carbohydrates. Tofu, tempeh, and seitan have higher amounts of protein than most veggie burgers.
Stick to the perimeter – Right? Wrong!
Don’t avoid the center aisles completely! At this point your cart is stocked with fresh or frozen produce and plenty of protein options. But you still may need some sugar-free beverages, broths, marinades, salad dressings, vinegars, spices, and other condiments. Many sauces have added sugar and high amounts of sodium (BBQ sauces, salad dressings, etc). If you are post-op in maintenance phase, look for higher fiber starches such as quinoa, oats, bean pastas, brown/wild rice, low carb wraps/breads, etc.
Overview of Nutrition Facts Labels
When reviewing and comparing nutrition labels, it’s not just about choosing the option with the least amount of calories. It’s important to also look at what is making up the calories. Are most of the calories coming from added sugar and unhealthy fats? Or is it high in protein and fiber? Instead of trying to memorize gram and milligram ranges on what is considered ‘high’ or ‘low’ for each nutrient, an easier and faster way to interpret a nutrition label is by paying attention to the % Daily Value (% DV) on the right-hand side of the label.
If something is 5% or less, it is LOW in that nutrient. If something is 20% or more, it is HIGH in that nutrient. For example, a food may have 160mg of sodium and the %DV is 7%. 7% is close to 5%, making that a lower sodium item. Another example: a food item has 10 grams of added sugar listed on the label. Doesn’t sound like a lot, right? But it’s 20% of the DV making it high in sugar. Nutrients that you want to limit are added sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Nutrients that you want to be higher are fiber, protein, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and iron. Find a food item in your house that has a nutrition label and see if you can better interpret the numbers now to help you make more informed choices!