Grocery Shopping Tips for a Clean Eating Diet

The clean eating diet is a simple diet that just takes a little tweaking to your current 
favorite meals. One thing you will need to get used to is how you grocery shop. Here 
are some tips for managing the grocery store and avoiding all those processed goodies 
at the same time. 

Always Bring a List

There is absolutely no avoiding this – you need a list. Your grocery list should be as 
detailed as possible, listing all ingredients for every meal you have planned this week. If 
you have any ingredients that you aren’t 100% sure your store will have, it might be a 
good idea to include some alternatives as well on the list so that meal will be complete. 
With a list in hand, you can be sure you only buy what is on your list and avoid all those 
temptations you might come across.

Start in the Produce Section

Since a good portion of your list is probably fruits and vegetables, you should start 
shopping in the produce section. Get all of your fresh produce here first, including things 
like the healthier salad dressings, hummus, and cheese that is often found in this 
section. If you are picking up nuts and seeds, you might find them in the produce 
section as well, especially if you are looking for the raw, organic varieties. 

Shop the Perimeter

Once you are done in the produce section, which should be at one end of your 
supermarket, it is time to shop the perimeter. This means most of your food is around 
the outer edges of the grocery store. You should only need to go to the middle aisles for 
certain ingredients like grains and oils. The majority of middle aisles have packaged and 
processed foods that you are trying to avoid while clean eating, so it is best to avoid the 
temptation. The perimeter of the store is where you will find your produce, dairy (if you 
eat it), eggs, meat, and seafood.

Only Going to Middle Aisles for Necessities

Lastly, head to those scary middle aisles, but only go to the ones you absolutely need. 
Get out of the habit of walking down every aisle out of curiosity. This is often where you 
get into trouble. If you aren’t getting oatmeal, avoid the cereal aisle. If you don’t need 
any snacks, don’t even bother with the aisle that has chips and crackers. 

