Grocery shopping can be overwhelming, especially when one is on a budget. Dr. Julia Snyder, a board-certified doctor in family medicine, holistic and integrative medicine, believes that while investing in healthy food is investing in your health, you shouldn’t have to break the bank. 

While there are many controversies on what “healthy” actually means, there are a few key elements of agreement including eating whole, unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables, avoiding empty carbohydrates like sweets and refined flours, avoiding additives like added sugar and salts and having adequate amounts of healthy fat, protein and fiber. 

The next step in healthy shopping is reading and understanding labels. This can take time at first but once you are familiar with the products shopping gets done faster. Be sure to look at the ingredient list, calories, portion size, fiber, additives and fat content, and try to avoid any trans fats. Remember that many of the best choices will not have labels at all. This means you will want to get comfortable exploring the produce section. 

Saving money usually requires planning ahead. Look at circulars for sales and make meal plans for the week. Look online and in magazines for great ideas to satisfy your palate and budget, and don’t be afraid to try new recipes. Review the Environmental Working Group’s 2017 list of organic fruits and vegetables to find which products you should always buy organically and which are safe to buy conventionally. Also, a recent study found that Aldi stores offer twenty percent more savings than larger retail stores, and with healthier products and organic options. 

Resource: R-Health. Location: 1040 Kings Hwy., N. Cherry Hill, NJ. For more information, call 856-528-4323 or visit R-Health.md.