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Plan what foods you will need for the entire week. Choose recipes and snacks for every day. Use the USDA's SuperTracker tool to track the health value of your meal plan.
Make a shopping list – and follow it! Take time to write down the items you need for the week and try your best not to deviate from your list.
Save money by cutting coupons. Clip coupons for items on your list and read the grocery store mailer. This will help you save money and prevent you from being tempted by too many items for sale that aren't on the list.
Don't go to the store hungry, rushed, or after a workout. You've probably heard this one before, but do you follow it? When you shop in any of these situations, you're likely to spend more money and buy less healthy foods.
Shop the scope of the business. Not to say you can't go to those center aisles—many healthy staples can be found there, including whole grains and canned vegetables—but in general, the highly processed foods are kept in the center aisles and the healthier items are located around the perimeter.
Bring the kids. Teach them healthy, balanced nutrition and involve them in choosing, purchasing and preparing food. Each child should choose one fruit and vegetable for the week to increase the likelihood that they will actually eat what you offer them.
Avoid purchasing unhealthy foods marketed to children. Don't give in to requests for junk food items (usually loaded with sugar, salt and/or additives). Avoid tantrums over junk food by shopping at grocery stores or unbranded stores that don't sell the well-known brand products.
Be careful with propaganda! Ignore the front-of-package labels and make it a habit to read the nutrition facts and ingredient lists to ensure you're getting high-quality food. While this isn't exactly propaganda, grocers strategically place perishable items with earlier expiration dates in the most visible areas and fresher items at the back of the shelves.
Avoid impulse purchases at the checkout. Grocery stores deliberately place items like gossip magazines, candy, and chips at the checkout in the hopes that you'll make an impulse purchase.
Put food away strategically. When putting away food, place the healthiest items in easy-to-see and hard-to-reach places and the less healthy items in hard-to-see and hard-to-reach places.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
American Council on Exercise
ACE Fit Life: Read Your Labels – 10 Harmful Food Additives to Avoid