The key to healthy eating is getting the right foods andingredients. Here are my 11 tips for healthy eating:

1. Plan ahead

Have a sit down once per week and decide on what meals youwill be having for the week and write down the ingredients you would need to
prepare those ingredients.
2. Eat before you go 

If you are shopping while hungry you will start cravingfoods and buying things outside of your prepared list!
3. Read the labels

In a previous post I discussed how sometimes food arelabeled for marketing purposes without having additional benefits. So make sure you check the labels for foods making sure they are not high in sodium and saturated fat.
4. Choose "real" foods
Choose food with 100% fruit juice or 100% whole-grain itemswith as little processing and as few additives as possible.
5. Skip the junk food tailored for kids

Stay clear of foods with cartoons on the label that aretargeted to children. If you don't want your kids eating junk foods, don't have them in the house.
6. Skip over-processed foods

Avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients,artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.
7. Skip the center isles

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where fresh foodslike fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and fish are usually located. Avoid the center aisles where junk foods lurk.
8. Buy REAL food

Buy foods that don’t have a nutrition facts label: Thismeans whole foods that are what they are, like broccoli, an egg, an apple, etc. There is no list of ingredients because the item is the ingredient!
9. Buy lean cuts of meat

Generally speaking,the less fat on the cut of meat, the healthier for you. Animals store toxins in
fat tissue, so best to avoid consuming animal fats and those toxins.
10. Beware of processed meat

Limit your consumption of deli meats, hotdogs, salami, spam, corned beef, bacon, smoked
salmon and ham or chicken loaf. These items are usually loaded with sodium and other preservatives like nitrates, nitrates and more. Either go to the deli and get real sliced meat or make your own at home as an alternative.
11. Check the date

Avoid the risk of eating unsafe perishable foods, especiallychilled or frozen items. A “use-by” or expiry date shows the date by which a product should be consumed, but even before that date if it looks or smells off, do not buy it! You want to avoid bacteria and other foodborne illnesses at all costs!