If it’s in the pantry, you’ll eat it.

I know it sounds like common sense, but it’s true! If we shop well and keep tempting treats out of our reach, it makes it far easier to make healthier choices every day.

It’s a fact that one in three cancer cases is preventable through simple lifestyle adjustments, including eating healthier and maintaining a healthy weight, so it’s important we get our dietary habits right for every meal.

Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five main food groups every day — grain foods, vegetables and legumes/beans, lean meats and poultry, fruit and dairy.

Sticking to a healthy eating plan actually starts at the supermarket — here are Cancer Council Queensland’s top tips for shopping well and staying well!

1. Plan! Create a meal plan for the week based on the recommended dietary guidelines. Plan for healthy snacks too, so you can always grab something nutritious on the go!
2. Make a list! We all get tempted by weekly specials and 2-for-1 deals in the supermarket, but if you use a list and stick to it, it’s easier to make better choices.
3. Don’t shop hungry – you may find yourself adding more unhealthy and unnecessary products to the trolley on an empty tummy!
4. Read the label – understanding food labels and interpreting them quickly is important. Use the ‘per 100g column’ on the nutrition information panel to compare products.

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Originally published at Mum Daily. Photo by Gustavo Fring.