7 Reasons Why Shopping the perimeter is Bad nutritional advice

Have you ever heard a health coach tell you that to lose weight and eat healthy you should “Shop only the store perimeter”?

This is actually detrimental advice. It’s true that the store perimeter is where you’ll find fresh produce, dairy, chilled meats, and eggs – all unprocessed foods waiting for your tender loving care in the home kitchen.

However, you are missing out if you don’t make quick targeted forays into the center aisles as well. That’s where you’ll find:

1. Bulk foods – beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, oatmeal, brown rice and such. The prices are usually lower than boxed or bagged. Additionally, foods are often unprocessed – for example, nuts are unroasted and unsalted, maintaining a great nutrition profile.
2. Canned foods – such as tuna, beans, vegetables, and even fruit. Beware of high sodium and sugar content.
3. Frozen foods – many veggies and fruits can be purchased off season in frozen form. Not only are they cheaper than “fresh” imports, they retain most of their nutrients because they are flash frozen at the peak of ripeness.
4. Oils – unless you want to use butter all day, you’ll need to buy oils. We recommend extra virgin olive oil and expeller pressed canola oil.
5. Nut butters – peanut butter or almond butter, made from one ingredient.
6. Condiments such as mustard and dips like hummus or salsa.
7. Spices! You’re getting all these great unprocessed foods, which is step one. Step two is turning them into delicious meals. Add spices to improve flavor and reduce your reliance on salt.