15 Simple Grocery Upgrades for Clean, Colorful Meals

We know what you’re NOT looking for: another list of you-should-eat-this and you-should-avoid-that. Today’s little guide is still connected to health benefits, yes, but we think you’ll like our colorful advice. 

Because around here we believe in tasting rainbows, choosing butter, and simply buying better versions of the foods you already eat. 

Let’s jump into it. 

Eat the Rainbow

Tip. #1. Think less about your calorie intake and more about your color intake. 

There’s a reason our world comes with such a wide variety of shapes and colors when it comes to our food--chemically speaking, those colorful fruits, veggies, and spices are very good for us. 

We can break down our first five simple grocery upgrades with our pal Roy G. Biv:

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Red Foods: Tomatoes, Strawberries, Cherries, Beets, Red Bell Peppers, Watermelon

Orange Foods: Carrots, Pumpkins, Apricots, Sweet Potatoes, Oranges (Of Course)

Yellow Foods: Bananas, Lemons, Yellow Peppers, Mangoes, Squash

Green Foods: Spinach, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Asparagus, Peas, Zucchini 

Blue + Purple Foods: Blueberries, Eggplant, Purple Cabbage, Plums, Beni-imo

The Old Switcheroo

Tip #2. Don’t throw it out--get a better version of it!

There’s more to life than just plain old fruits and vegetables. What about the spices, oils, flavoring, thickenings, and so on and so forth that help make our meals delicious? Here’s ten upgrades for items you already buy on the weekly:

Dairy:

• Margarine -> Butter
  • Why? When it comes to butter, going for lower fat intake isn’t always wise. Not only does butter help us digest fibrous vegetables dishes and work chemically with breaking down their nutrients, it’s kinder to our bodies in the long run.  Margarine, a man-made derivative, packs less punch and ultimately makes up for shaving saturated fat by adding in trans fat--a fat that makes it easy to gain weight but hard to gain health benefits. 
• Yogurt -> Greek Yogurt
  • Why? Greek yogurt is thicker, creamier---and bacteria-er. But we’re not talking about science experiment bacteria--we’re talking about the good guys. Make sure you buy Greek yogurt that features live cultures such as S. thermophilus  and L. bulgaricus. These probiotics are already present in your digestive system, and the extra helping goes a long way in maintaining an upset-free system. In addition, Greek yogurt is lower in sugar than their shelf neighbors, so that’s a plus!
  • Bonus: The next time you go for Taco Tuesday or a baked potato, switch out a dollop of sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. You’ll still get that cool, creamy tanginess--but with the added benefit of extra protein and improved digestion. 

Flavorings:

• Salt -> Sea Salt
  • Why? Sea salt packs all the flavor of table salt, but you can use less of it, maintain that same level of saltiness, and cut down your sodium intake. If you’re worried about the effects of salt on blood pressure but still love some flavor with your fries, consider trading sifty table salt for flaky sea salt. 
• Veggie Oil -> Canola or MCT Oil
  • Why? You’d think an oil made from pressed veggies would retain some of the nutrients, but that’s not the case here. Common veggie oil doesn’t do much in terms of flavor or keeping things light and crispy. If you can go specialty, consider MCT oil--medium triglyceride oil, that is. Though different brands offer different qualities of the product, the best MCT oils provide an instant source of energy said to cut through the thickest of brain fogs. If your local grocery doesn’t carry MCT, consider canola oil as a lighter alternative to the standard vegetable oil. 
• Broth -> Bone Broth
  • Why? Beef and chicken broths are all derived from bones, but bone broth is actually processed in such a way you still get the protein benefits that a good slice of meat can pack. So not only does bone broth boast a richer flavor, it keeps you fuller longer and provides more energy. 

Carbs:

• Soft Bread -> Dense Bread
  • Why? The best way to gauge bread isn’t by the calories, color, or slice thickness---like a firm handshake, a firm loaf of bread tells you it's the real deal. Denser breads, be they white or wheat, have been less processed, thus maintaining the integrity of the bread’s basic ingredients: flour, salt, yeast, water. And the less processed the bread, the more fiber you get. 
  • Bonus: If you don’t like the taste of whole-grain breads, sourdough and oatmeal breads make great alternatives to processed white.
• Oats -> Steel-Cut Oats
  • Why? When it comes to grains, it’s all about how your process it. The oatmeal we’ve come to find as traditional is usually over-sifted, cutting out a significant portion of the fiber and iron you naturally find in oats. With steel-cut oats, you get none of that culling and all of those nutrients. 
  • Bonus: Oatmeal cookies made with steel cut oats still count!

Snacks:

• Dry Fruits -> Whole Fruits
  • Why? The tricky thing about dry fruits is you can end up eating a whole lot more of them than if you were eating their whole counterpart. Of course, certain fruits are good for you--but everything in moderation! Keep to whole or frozen fruits so you get all the flavor and nutrients of fruits without accidentally overdoing it on the fructose sugars. 
• White/Milk Chocolate -> Dark Chocolate
  • Why? The darker the chocolate, the more cacao it actually has. Cacao is a wonderfully tasty (but also naturally bitter) antioxidant. Even if you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, you can always try different degrees of cacao in your chocolate bars. Also consider using straight cacao powder for your hot chocolate--with the right amount of sugar, of course!

And finally, back to the Produce Aisle:

• Iceberg Lettuce -> Deep Green Lettuce
  • Why? Lettuce can be a tricky vegetable--and no variety is more deceiving than iceberg lettuce. The leaf you find as a nutritional peace offering on most fast food sandwiches is, unfortunately, not much of a chlorophyll superstar. The lighter a piece of lettuce, the more water it contains--and thus, the less chlorophyll, that powerhouse pigment that can help fight cancer and keep you feeling and looking healthy. So switch out the iceberg for a darker variety the next time you grill out hamburgers.

The Best Time To Hit The Grocery Store

Tip #3. Don’t fight the crowd!

Now, when’s the best day and time to head out and stock up on your new grocery list? 

According to research, Wednesdays mornings are the least crowded time to head to the grocery. Monday-Thursday are generally better than Friday-Sunday, and as long as you get there before mid-afternoon you’ll avoid much of the crush. 

As an added warning, the busiest time to head to the grocery is Saturday--and it really doesn’t matter what time you get there. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

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