We’ve all done it before. We were late. We’ve had a long day at work and there’s no food in the house, so we quickly run through the supermarket like we’re Supermarket Sweep contestants and throw everything we need in the shopping cart and head out.

Well, it is in these reckless binges that we can do harm to our bodies by carelessly tossing whatever comes to hand first into our carts. We usually take foods that are easy to prepare and taste good. Unfortunately, these items tend to be highly processed foods full of sugar and sodium.

Now, if you’re like most people, you probably think you don’t have the time or money to buy healthy food, or you think if you want to eat healthy you need to go to a special health food store to shop. Well, throw all those excuses out the window. Your local grocery store averages around 40,000 items and many of these are healthy alternatives to what’s in your shopping cart.

So brace yourself as we show you 10 ways to easily shop for healthy food without breaking your budget or wasting time looking for a health food store.

1. Shop with a list! Do not wander aimlessly around the store. Know what you need and keep it neatly organized in a list you can easily read while you shop. Spending a little time each day putting together this list will save you time later when you’re at the grocery store. It also helps if you know your grocery store and sort your items by the department they can be found in. This way, you can avoid backing up in the store when you realize you forgot something in the dairy aisle. Keeping a list also prevents you from succumbing to the junk food aisle, saving you from unhealthy foods that are full of empty calories and sugar.
2. Don’t buy on an empty stomach! You know this is a bad idea. Once you hit the halls and your stomach starts growling, you’re likely to pick up anything that moves! By making sure you buy food on a full stomach, you’ll eliminate buying foods that are bad for you, as well as foods you simply don’t need. This saves your body and your wallet. If you can’t shop after a meal, be sure to drink at least a glass of water before you go inside to help ease your hunger a bit.
3. Buy fresh food! It really doesn’t get any simpler than this when it comes to eating healthy. By adding fresh foods like fruits and vegetables to your list, you can easily add the vitamins and minerals you need to maintain a healthy diet. Take a look at what you are currently buying. If more than 50 percent of your purchases come from a box or can, you need to reevaluate your choices and move toward fresh foods.
4. Shop on the perimeter of the store. When you’re looking for the freshest foods, it helps to stay away from the central aisles unless absolutely necessary. At your local grocery store, the perimeter of the store is where they keep all the fresh foods, including produce, dairy, and seafood.
5. Don’t walk through the organics. When it comes to fresh food, quality counts, and your organic produce section should be one of your first stops at the grocery store. It can be a bit more expensive than the regular section, but the added benefit of being chemical and pesticide free is well worth the price. If you shop correctly in these sections, you can head to the items that are on sale and even get your organic groceries for less than your non-organic ones.
6. Stay away from foods and drinks with corn syrup. There is no nutritional value to corn syrup. It’s just an empty sweetener that’s almost as bad as refined sugar. Do not be fooled! Be sure to read labels carefully and if corn syrup is one of the first four ingredients, leave it out and walk away. You’ll be surprised how many foods contain corn syrup, including fruit juices, spaghetti sauces, and even some bread.
7. Fresh is best, but frozen is good too. It is not always feasible to have fresh food all the time. So when fresh food isn’t available, head to the frozen food aisle for backup. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often quick frozen, which retains the nutrients. It’s always a good idea to keep a couple bags of frozen fruit or vegetables in the freezer. You can microwave them for a quick side dish, make fruit smoothies, or mix them into plain yogurt for a fresh fruit flavor.
8. Keep canned tomato products in your pantry. Fresh tomatoes are great, but here’s an exception where fresher isn’t actually better. Studies have shown that tomato sauces, crushed tomatoes, and stewed tomatoes actually have higher amounts of the antioxidant lycopene. That’s because they are focused. Keeping these kitchen gems on hand can help you the next time you’re wondering what’s for dinner. Just pour some chicken and sauce into a crock pot or add crushed tomatoes to a soup, and you’ll have a healthy meal in no time!
9. Avoid processed foods. Remember all those boxes and bags you were throwing away in your cart earlier? Most likely, they were all processed foods like chips, cookies, and frozen pizza. Save your money and your body. Skip the junk food and stock up on fruits, vegetables, and meats. You’ll avoid the sugar rush and feel better in the long run.
10. Try whole grains. The availability of whole grains has increased and it is not uncommon to find whole grain products alongside their processed counterpart. Whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole wheat flour are great alternatives that are not only healthy but also taste great. A word of caution when it comes to whole wheat products. With more and more people opting for whole grains these days, packaging has gotten a bit tricky. For example, wheat bread is a good alternative to white bread, but look carefully the next time you choose a loaf of wheat bread. If the first ingredient is refined wheat flour, put it back. It’s made of the same material as white bread and may very well be tinted brown to make it look healthier. As a general rule, whole grain breads tend to be heavier and denser than white bread.

You don’t have to be a health freak to shop for healthy foods. With just a little discipline and practicing the steps above, you’ll see how easy it is to shop for healthy groceries in the convenience of your own local grocery store.