We know that good nutrition starts with a good choice of food either it’s from the market or store.  Most of the people think that a successful trip to the grocery store starts with a shopping list.
Throughout the week, we try to keep a list of food and supplies according to our needs, which helps to follow a pre-planned budget as it’s less likely to buy on impulse.

It is very important to choose nutritious and healthy food options, to maintain a healthy lifestyle

While purchasing, check the staples as you might find some departmental stores have long shelf tags or food labels that help to recognize healthier choices.
For example high fiber, no added sugar, less in saturated fat, or whole grain. If the grocery store features healthy choices, this can help to find them quickly but don’t forget to read the nutrition facts label to compare products.

The market claims that food items are commercially made and organically prepared whereas keeping the quality of the food and zero-compromise on nutrition can be an invaluable addition to consumers.

Keep these points in mind while you are buying nutritious food

• Choose from seasonal and locally available food items: Eating seasonal food seems to be healthier—you should eat foods or even fruits that are “in season,” or being grown and harvested at the time of the year. A pleasant benefit of eating what’s in season is that there will be a broader variety of foods in the diet. Must include locally grown in your diet.
• Be suspicious of the ‘’NATURAL FOOD’’ label:
  Natural food doesn’t mean that it may not contain any artificial ingredients or preservatives and the ingredients are only minimally processed. However, they may contain antibiotics, growth hormones, and other similar chemicals. So do read the food labels before buying, to make sure you are having the healthy elements in your diet.
• Check MSG content of food:
  Consumption of MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), especially in large quantities, can raise various side effects and symptoms, including headaches, nausea, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, flushing or excessive sweating and skin rash.
• Don’t confuse cereal hype with facts:
  Ready-to-eat cereal has become increasingly popular in urban households. Checking the ingredient list will clear the truth behind the claims made in the endorsement of the popular cereals in the food market.
• Choose small packets instead of large ones:
  Manufacturing and expiry date depict that the food is no longer in its perfect shape from that date. It may reduce its freshness, taste, aroma or nutrients. It is not like that the food is no longer safe to eat.
• Check the nutritious value of a product:
  It’s wise to know the nutritious value of the food. It’s also a proven way to reduce the risk of disease and to help manage the symptoms of several health issues.
• Check for the sugar content of the product as well as an artificial sweetener:
  The products that claim they have natural sugar or no sugar before taking this kind of product everyone should check the ingredient or sugar content.
• Coloring agents:
  Food colorings have potential health problems, most notably certain types of cancer in animals and attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity in kids.
• Preservatives:
  The harmful effects of preservatives could be a reason for breathing problems asthma, bronchitis. Preservatives can cause obesity in some as it contains fats, especially in processed foods.

It is said that the process of marketing starts before we head towards the grocery store. This is because before we move towards the grocery store, planning weekly meals are important, items that have to be taken, making a list of items and shopping list is also mandatory.
These points need to be considered so that we do not forget to take any of the ingredients which will make our food more nutritious. It also saves time and money from running back to the grocery store for missing items. In a nutshell, it is mandatory to choose the option wisely to have good health and balance in the diet.