October Masterclass Recap: Grocery Game Plan with Marianna

Candace Wagner
Nov 1 · 3 min read

Do you know if you are grocery shopping the right way? Last Thursday, we had Holistic Nutritionist, Marianna Duba from Sage Wellness Clinic in Kitchener visit the Supperworks kitchen to share her ultimate grocery game plan with us! Read our 5 takeaways from Supperworks’ October Masterclass led by Marianna!

Holistic Nutritionist Marianna from Sage Naturopathic Clinic leading Grocery Game Plan Masterclass

1. Shop Along The Perimeter of Your Grocery Store

Marianna finds 70% of her food from the perimeter of the store. While most grocery shoppers usually spend the most time shopping in the center aisles, you should be shopping along the outside perimeter of the store. Here you’ll find the freshest foods (produce, meat and dairy.) The center aisles are full of processed foods and foods that contain preservatives. By purchasing the fresh food from the perimeter, you’ll have more control of your fat and sodium intake.

2. How to Increase the Nutritional Content of Your Meals

Stay away from eating GMO foods
Avoid eating processed and pre-packaged ready-to-eat food
Select foods with no artificial additives
Choose wholesome nutrient-dense foods that can grow in your backyard
Eat-locally grown food (in peak season). Check out the Availability Guide by Foodland Ontario each month to know what’s in season in Ontario!

3. Familiarize yourself with the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list of foods

Do you know what the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen are? Being conscious of these two phrases can benefit your personal health.The Dirty Dozen = 12 “dirty” crops that farmers use the most pesticides on. The Clean Fifteen, as you probably guessed = the fifteen crops that use the least amount of pesticides.

List of Dirty Dozen Foods: Because these crops have the highest levels of contamination, the Environmental Working Group urges shoppers to buy these 12 crops organic!

  1. Strawberries
  2. Spinach
  3. Nectarines
  4. Apples
  5. Grapes
  6. Peaches
  7. Cherries
  8. Pears
  9. Tomatoes
  10. Celery
  11. Potatoes
  12. Sweet Bell Peppers

List of Clean Fifteen Foods: Because these crops have the lowest levels of pesticide contamination, they do not need to be purchased organic!

  1. Avocados
  2. Sweet corn
  3. Pineapples
  4. Cabbages
  5. Onions
  6. Sweet peas
  7. Papayas
  8. Asparagus
  9. Mangoes
  10. Eggplants
  11. Honeydews
  12. Kiwis
  13. Cantaloupes
  14. Cauliflower
  15. Broccoli

4. How to Eat Healthy Without Reach Deep Into Your Pocket

  1. Prepare your meals at home
  2. Have your shopping list ready with you before you leave for the grocery store. Include an idea of what you’re going to cook, how many people you’re going to feed and how many servings before you shop!! You don’t want to overbuy.

5. Which Supplements You Should Be Taking

  1. Fish Oils are fantastic for inflammation, your nervous and circulatory system as well as getting your proper dose of fatty acids.
  2. Vitamin D has numerous health benefits! Taking this vitamin maintains the health of bones and teeth, supports the brain, immune and nervous system, regulates insulin levels and aids diabetes management to name a few!
  3. Vitamin K2 is necessary for proper blood clotting and bone health. Some foods that contain vitamin K are broccoli, soybeans, kale, collards, greens and spinach!
  4. Vitamin B2 helps with energy production in your body!

TIPS:

When you’re making your smoothies, they should be based on fresh produce and include a vegetable source.

Try to have at least 1 vegetable with each meal.

ALWAYS look into the ingredients! You shouldn’t go for products with a laundry list of ingredients. 4 or 5 ingredients only!

Thank you to Marianna and all of our attendees! We had so much fun, and learned so much!

Mark your calendars, our next masterclass “Is This Really Healthy? Exploring Nutritional Myths” is on November 13th from 2–3PM! For meal ideas, Supperworks features and masterclass info, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Candace Wagner

Written by

Quick, healthy meals for you and your family. Helping busy people take the work out of supper in Kitchener-Waterloo!

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