what is healthy at the grocery store... 🥘 🍎 🍔 🧀 🍺 🍐 🥗

Question

I used to work for a food marketing company in their research division. I ran a 6mo long project of focus groups about what perceptions of what would qualify as healthy food. 
   
I want to hear from you, how do you determine what is healthy food and what isn't? 
   
What are the qualities that make something healthy? 
     
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UPDATE: bonus question, can you afford the food you think is healthy?

Answer

I consider fresh produce, meat and dairy items healthy. Pretty much things around the outside walls of the grocery store. I look at most items in boxes not healthy food. Pretty much what's in most aisles. Obviously there are items that don't fit into these, but that's how I look at it as a generalized rule.

Answer

I mostly buy food in its most natural state. I basically avoid things in boxes and cans unless I can't avoid it. If I must, I purchase the one with the simplest ingredient list.

Of course day to day this is more nuanced than I've described it.

Answer

Low sugar.
Decent amount of protein
Low "bad" carbs
High fiber 
A lot of vitamins/nutrients

I look at the labels in this order. Although, for a food to qualify as healthy, it doesn't have to meet all of those requirements. Ask yourself, "What does it do for my body?" and "What negative effects could it have on my body?"

To be honest, I've heard a great simple grocery store motto for healthy eating...Stick to the outside isles. The "U" around the isle colums. Dairy, meat, vegetables.

Answer

Well working in the food industry for 10 years at Walmart, I understand very well that process foods contain loads of sodium, and fresh fruits even though they are healthy are high in sugar. I personally only eat frozen vegetables because they are picked immediately and then frozen to preserved it's freshens. Canned vegetables have a corn coding used to preserve the contents. The foods such as beans, rice, sweet potatoes, lettuce, and salads are good foods, but moderation is key. Also, having food allergies does not allow me to eat most processed foods. When reading the ingredients on the back the very first line is a clear indicator that those particular ingredients are the highest concentrated in that food. Organic produce is good, but expensive.

Answer

If you walk the perrimiter of the store it will be your healthier things generally.  Produce and meats and dairy's.   I always do that first then I get the fill in the cracks stuff.   Crackers, nuts, peanut butter ECT.

Answer

My opinion is that the healthiest foods are fresh foods grown without added chemicals and meats without growth hormones. 
Words like natural and locally grown make me "think" that what I'm buying is healthier for me although that may not necessarily be true. Usually free range and organic are a better choice. 
I also try to avoid products containing high fructose corn syrup and other unnecessary sugars. And if it contains a bunch of 18 letter words in the ingredients that are practically unpronounceable I assume that it's probably not as healthy as it could be. 
This picture is an example but there are more to avoid than just the one listed here.

Answer

Fresh produce and truly organic&non gmo products. No high fructose corn syrup or added sugars. Anything with added chemicals or preservatives is a no from me

Answer

Fresh fruits and veggies and complex carbs. No meat, no dairy, no eggs. We rarely eat pre-prepared foods. Sometimes I'll get frozen veggies if there aren't any fresh of what I'm looking for.

Answer

Dairy fresh fruits and fresh veggies... I mostly get my meats from a then butcher shop and seafood from fish markets ( I really don't know how fresh it I cut back on seafood a lot)

Answer

Healthy= Organic, fresh, no added sugar, etc.

Unhealthy= Usually canned goods, non-fresh, processed, added sugar, etc

what is healthy at the grocery store... 🥘 🍎 🍔 🧀 🍺 🍐 🥗

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