Having worked for several years in the only certified organic and Fortune 500 grocery store in the U.S., I have an intimate knowledge of grocery shopping that few get to have.

I’ve not only made every mistake you can make while shopping, I’ve also learned how to budget for healthy food, where to save and what foods to always avoid. Health Food Stores are not the only place to find healthy food, so remember to apply what you learn here to any shopping you do!

OK, so when you first walk into a grocery store you’re most likely going to hit the Produce Department (my favorite)! Here you can find a wide range of foods to choose from. Here are a couple of useful tips when shopping in Produce.

Produce

The #1 missing food group in the American diet is produce! This means fresh fruits and vegetables. These raw foods are rich in essential phytochemicals, nutrients and vitamins.

If fresh produce is the number one missing food group, then leafy greens are certainly the number one missing vegetable in the American diet. Sadly, this is the most important food group. The lack of fresh produce in the diet is the leading factor in the health crisis America is facing today.

In fact, if we as a country simply consumed 51% of our daily food intake as fresh and raw produce we would see a staggering improvement in overall health.

Things to look for when buying produce:

#1: Look for 100% certified USDA organic.

This means that the foods you’re buying are made without persistent pesticides, toxic fertilizers, synthetic ingredients, absolutely no bioengineering (no GMO’s) and no radiation! Be sure to double check the PLU which will always begin with a 9 if it is organic.

#2: Look for a rainbow of colors.

Red, orange, yellow, blue, purple and lots of greens. Even look for white foods. Make sure that your shopping cart has a wide array of colors included. Did you know that each color signifies a unique health benefit?

• GREEN: Kale, collard greens and dark leafy greens are the #1 missing food in the American diet. They include calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamins A, C and E, fiber, folic acid and loads of blood cleansing chlorophyll. These support the immune system, lungs, and are also strengthening and uplifting to the mood and spirit.
• RED: Bell peppers, tomatoes, apples, cherries and cranberries are rich in phytochemicals that reduce free radical damage, and are good for the heart and improve memory!
• ORANGE: Oranges, carrots, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers support the eyes and are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. Dark orange foods specifically support night vision so eat lots of these!
• YELLOW: Lemons, onions, zucchini and squash are great at improving circulation and support the immune system.
• WHITE: White foods are nature’s pharmacy! They’re great at reducing blood pressure and lowering LDL cholesterol. Garlic is a powerful antiviral and antibacterial food. It has rich phytochemicals that can help to treat infection and has over 50 naturally occurring antibiotics. Mushrooms, onions, garlic, radishes and jicama are awesome white foods to keep on hand!
• BLUE/PURPLE: Blue and purple foods are very rare in the food color spectrum. For this reason they are super important to include. Blue is the most rare food color to find and incorporating more blue foods into your diet is crucial for the best health possible. They are rich in very powerful antioxidants that prevent early signs of aging and heart disease.

This is just one of the many things I teach my clients during a Health Food Store Tour which is included as a bonus in Clean Slate group program. If you’re ready to make 2016 your healthiest year yet, then you should check out Clean Slate.