How to Be Diet-Friendly While Shopping For Groceries

Grocery stores are often referred to as 'temples of temptation'. If you're on a diet, or thinking of trying to diet, then these 'diet-friendly' tips will help you negotiate the store aisles with greater peace of mind, and without bowing to temptation.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A detailed, well-planned shopping list
• Horse blinders (optional)

1. The best time to plot out your weekly menus is when you're hungry, believe it or not! If you 'plan while ravenous', your may find your menus quite interesting...then go shopping while you're NOT hungry. This helps you to maintain control.
2. Coupons? Fuhgeddabout'em...they're only helpful to you if you're using them on items you'd usually buy. You're getting a deal, true enough, but the stuff you buy could be a diet-breaker
3. Before you leave, check your cabinets, your freezer, and especially your refrigerator against your list. This helps you to avoid buying duplicate items.
4. Got a map of the store's aisles? Use it to help in writing out your list. Or, resort to that old staple, listing by categories: meat, produce, dairy products, frozen foods, etc.
5. Above all, avoid the biggest obstacle to your self-control: FREE SAMPLES! These will reel you in faster than you know, and are the main weapon of the 'forces of temptation'. Besides, if you shop while you're not hungry, you'll be more apt to say 'no thanks'.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be sure to feed yourself and the kids before rolling out. Hunger does make controlled shopping extremely difficult for you, and a near-impossibility for the kids.