Make these 5 Healthier Food Swaps at the Grocery Store!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Activate and ShopRite. 

Do you think of your supermarket as a “local” store? I didn’t either until I visited with the owner and dietitians of my local ShopRite. On my tour I saw the heart and mission of their store, and what sets ShopRite apart as a truly “neighborhood” store! Plus, the dietitians gave me great healthy eating tips! I’m making these five healthier swaps at the grocery store to improve our eating habits!

5 healthier swaps at the grocery store!

Okay, confessional: I have a late night cereal habit! Now, cereal might be better than some snacks, but probably not the most nutritious late night snack. Still, I find myself working late on the blog, and grabbing a quick bowl of crunchy cereal to get me through the work. I asked SaraBeth and Lindsey, dietitians at my local ShopRite, how I could change my snacking habits. They gave me many ideas for healthier food swaps!

Avocado vs. Butter – Cut the fat and salt (and lactose) from your diet with a quick swap of creamy, cool avocado instead of butter. Slather it on toast (or you can use it in baking!). Avocado toast is all the rage right now!

Nuts or Snack Mixes vs. Chips – You just want that crunch, right? A portion of nuts (use a measuring cup!) will be crunchy and give you protein and fiber that baked or fried chips don’t provide. A snack mix like the Wholesome Pantry Southwest Tex-Mex Trail Mix or Wholesome Pantry raw almonds and cashews adds various flavors and treats without as much fat or salt as well. Just remember portion control here!

Greek Yogurt vs. Ranch dressing or Mayo – Fat content takes a nosedive when you swap out dressings and mayonnaise in favor of thick and creamy Greek yogurt. Add seasonings to make a dip, or use in place of sour cream.

Oatmeal vs. Cereal – Okay, my personal nemesis – cereal – is going to have to make way for healthier oatmeal with berries! Tasty, warm, and full of fiber. Kinda cozy for a late night work sesh, right?

Quinoa vs. Pasta or Rice – Reduce the carbs and gluten by cooking up a quinoa side dish instead of pasta or rice. I’ve got a few tasty quinoa recipes for you: try this quinoa recipe for breakfast, and this quinoa recipe for lunch (or picnics!).

Get on track with healthier eating habits

Food swaps aren’t the only healthy choices to make at the grocery store! Ask a ShopRite Dietician for ideas about healthier eating choices. Yes! The ShopRite of East Hartford has TWO registered dietitians on staff to help customers.

• Bring your shopping list and have them review and help you improve your choices. They’ll show you how to shop for your plan!
• If you’ve recently gotten a new medical diagnosis that requires a diet change, they will tailor a customized food plan to boost your wellness.
• Get diabetes counseling or schedule weekly meetings to encourage you to follow your healthy eating plan.
• Kids classes and tours inspire a love of good food, culinary skills, and teach little ones how to be passionate about food!

All these services are totally free to the community! Yep! Because the core mission of ShopRite is to care deeply about people and help them feel healthy and live healthy!

ShopRite’s new Well Everyday program is a helpful way to shop healthy if you don’t have time for a visit with the dietitians. I loved checking out the fun signage around the store showcase Top 10 Dietician food pics (I even got a sticker! YAY!). Well Everyday picks help you discover new foods, make healthier food swaps, and expand your family’s diet.

Check out the signs where you can Snap a Pic of recipe ideas – easy-peasy, right!? No more lost papers of a new recipe you want to try out. Simply SNAP! then shop!

Hassle-free shopping with Wholesome Pantry items!

Caring deeply about people motivates store owner/operator Jordan Coe (and might I add, she’s a fellow local mom of three as well!) to introduce the Wholesome Pantry line to ShopRite. Because she personally owns and operates our local ShopRite, she’s able to cater to our local community in ways that a chain store just can’t do. Need a special product? She’ll find it for you!

In fact, 10-12 years ago when gluten-free dietary needs grew, ShopRite was one of the first grocers to make gluten-free foods available and accessible!

And, to help out with all the little decisions, look for the new Wholesome Pantry line, a private label natural and organic brand!

With all we juggle as parents, a trip to the store can be overwhelming and items end up in the cart that aren’t the best choices. I’ve been there (hello? cereal habit!?).

The Wholesome Pantry brand simplifies your shopping by getting back to basics. I am SO all about keeping it simple!

Wholesome Pantry products are free from 110 artificial ingredients (colors, flavors, and preservatives). So while you should always read labels, the Wholesome Pantry line means you can actually pronounce the ingredients on the label (and probably the list isn’t quite so long!?). This simple approach to food means less hassle during grocery shopping. When you pick up a Wholesome Pantry item, you already know what WON’T be in there – half the battle!

And, the Wholesome Pantry Organic line is… just that. Not organic-ish, where you have to sort through the ingredient list, but 100% USDA-certified organic. What does that mean? Wholesome Pantry Organic products contain approved ingredients and protect natural resources and practice conservation of biodiversity in production. Simple, right?

There are literally hundreds of items available in the Wholesome Pantry line, so it’s easy to grab a healthy option when you’re shopping. You’ll find eggs, meats, dairy, snacks, frozen foods, oats, beans… even a “greens” line of produce in Wholesome Pantry! Homemade Kale Chips, here we come!

Make a visit to your local ShopRite this week and check out all the fun and yummy products that will help you eat healthier on a budget.

Make healthier food swaps with the Wholesome Pantry line, snap a pic of a new recipe, and share it with me! I’ll reshare your post and we can all encourage each other to eat healthy!

Share with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by tagging me!

This post was created in partnership with ShopRite and Activate and I was compensated for sharing this message. All opinions are my own.