A Dietician's Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping can be daunting because there are so many choices.  So when I had the opportunity to tour the Livingston ShopRite with dietician Christine Patorniti, I jumped along with my fellow “Biggest Improver” teammates, Laurie Jung and Susan Meyers, to get an insider’s view of the grocery store shelves. 

We met Patorniti when she and Jung, the school nurse, recently organized a “Biggest Improver” competition for Burnet Hill Elementary School staff, and Patorniti visited every two weeks with information, samples, recipes, and inspiration. She educated us on the breadth of the healthy, low-cal food scene.

Even more questions – and solutions – arose at the grocery store. Patorniti understands that it is a never-ending challenge to keep the fridge and pantry stocked with the right things and with a little variety.  So here are her tactics for smart, delicious and healthy shopping.

1. To make pasta healthier, use whole wheat or even white whole wheat. Patorniti suggested trying Luigi Vitelli. I bought the capellini and it was delicious and healthful. The veggie pastas, however, are not as healthful as they seem.  “Eat a whole fruit or vegetable rather than a puree,” Patorniti advised.
2. Near the pasta were the grains. Besides barley, corn, oats, and rice, Patorniti encouraged adding variety by including some “ancient grains” such as farro, wheat berries, millet, and quinoa. Most cook in about 15 minutes and can be served as a side dish or added to soups and salads. “They offer great health benefits, such as helping to prevent cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure. And when eaten as a whole grain, most are high in fiber,” said Patorniti.
3. Start your shopping in produce.  Fruits and veggies are low calorie and high in fiber. Half your plate should be veggies. When you get butternut squash, look for a long neck rather than a large base (more flesh, less seeds), said Patorniti, or buy it already diced.  And have fun with spaghetti squash – look for ones that are round, cut them open and steam.
4. The second stop – for protein – should be the meat, seafood and deli counters.  Buy lean, no skin, no breading.  And remember that a portion size is three ounces, the size of a deck of cards. It’s OK to eat pork or beef, Patorniti said, as long as you choose lean.   
5. The American Heart Association recommends limiting salt intake to
   1,500 milligrams per day, and most of us average more than twice that. A single teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 milligrams of sodium. Try low-salt and no salt added products, Patorniti advised, then add a bit of your own seasoning to taste. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables over canned. 
6. Always read ingredients. Choose canned items with no added sugar or salt.  Fruits should be packed in water or juice rather than syrup.  
7. Add veggies whenever you can.  Leftover spinach, pre-cut
   or steamed veggies are great additions to prepared soup, making it thicker and richer. Add steamed eggplant, sautéed carrots, minced
   zucchini and/or mushrooms to meatloaf.   
8. Add tofu for protein. The firm kind is good for salads or sandwiches, the soft kind in soup or a smoothie.  Since it is a vegetable-based
   protein, this is one product that you should buy organic so it is not GMO. 
9. Short on prep time? Dietician-approved selections such as grilled vegetables and turkey meatloaf are highlighted in yellow at the hot food takeout section near the pizza.
10. Salad bar smarts: When you make a salad, you want the darker colors for more nutrients; small colorful peppers are “awesome” for crunch and kids love them; add shredded cabbage to egg salad; use Greek yogurt in place of mayo in dips; try the yogurt dressings. 
11. Pass the Burgers, Shakes & Fries kiosk and head for healthier eats at Blueprint Sub and Salads. Patorniti suggested ahi tuna and toppings such as radish sprouts, arugula and avocado.  
12. Think outside the bag of chips and snack on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Check labels and serving size. Patorniti suggested cottage cheese with fruit, lite string cheese, fat free popcorn, plain applesauce, almonds, yogurt. 

After the tour, we stopped by Patorniti's office (near the flower department) and picked up a recipe for Slow Cooker Tropical Oatmeal and a $2 coupon for Qi’a cereal. She has tons of resources, including “Theme Your Weeknight Dinners for Less Stress and Added Variety.”   

Patorniti loves helping people find items they would normally not have chosen. She knows where the healthy and delicious items are in our Livingston ShopRite. We left the store with lots to inspire us at our next meals.