🛒 The Do’s and Don’ts of Shopping Healthy at the Grocery Store

By Travis Calanoc | WorkinOnMySavage.com

Shopping healthy sounds simple until you actually step foot in a grocery store.

Bright packaging, buzzwords, and “healthy” labels are everywhere… and most of them are built to confuse you, not help you.

The truth? Grocery stores are strategically designed to make you buy more processed food and less of what your body actually needs. So let’s cut through the noise.

Here are the do’s and don’ts of shopping healthy straight, simple, and savage.

🥦 DO: Stick to the Perimeter

Here’s the biggest grocery store secret no one tells you:

the healthiest foods are around the edges.

That’s where you’ll find:

• Fresh produce

• Lean meats and seafood

• Eggs and dairy

• Simple, real ingredients

Most stores are set up this way on purpose. The middle aisles are loaded with products designed to keep you hooked high in sugar, low in nutrition, and often marketed as “healthy.”

When you build your cart mostly from the perimeter, you’re already ahead of 90% of shoppers.

⚠️ DON’T: Get Lost in the Middle Aisles

The middle aisles are where things get tricky.

That’s where the boxes, bags, and brightly colored packaging live.

This is the processed food jungle and navigating it requires serious label-reading skills.

Even foods that look clean granola bars, protein snacks, or veggie chips often hide added sugars, seed oils, and artificial ingredients behind clever names.

🧾 DO: Learn to Read Labels (the Right Way)

Labels are where companies play their dirtiest tricks.

They know people are getting smarter so they rename ingredients to sound more natural.

Here’s a few quick things to watch for:

• Short ingredient lists = good. If you need a chemistry degree to read it, put it back.

• Avoid hidden sugars. Watch for names like maltodextrin, evaporated cane juice, or syrup blends.

• Watch out for seed oils. Common offenders: soybean, canola, and sunflower oil.

Two certifications actually mean something:

• ✅ USDA Organic – No synthetic pesticides or artificial additives.

• ✅ Non-GMO Project Verified – Even stricter; companies must prove compliance with higher standards.

🍎 DON’T: Fall for Marketing Buzzwords

Words like “natural,” “gluten-free,” “keto-friendly,” or “heart healthy” can all be marketing traps.

They make you feel like you’re choosing better even when the food inside is ultra-processed.

Always flip the box over and read what’s actually in it.

If the ingredients don’t match the front label’s promises, you’ve got your answer.

🥩 DO: Build Meals Around Whole Foods

If it comes from the ground or has a face, it’s probably good fuel.

Focus your grocery list on:

• Lean proteins (chicken, beef, fish, eggs)

• Fresh produce (the more color, the better)

• Quality carbs (rice, oats, potatoes)

• Healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds)

Real food doesn’t need a label to prove it’s healthy.

It’s clean, simple, and gives your body what it was designed to run on.

🧠 DON’T: Overcomplicate It

You don’t need to turn grocery shopping into a science experiment.

The goal isn’t to eat perfectly it’s to eat consistently clean.

The best nutrition plans are built on discipline and awareness, not fear or restriction.

Keep it simple. Stick to the perimeter. Read your labels.

That one shift alone will level up your energy, performance, and overall health.

⚔️ Final Thought

Shopping healthy doesn’t have to be scary but it does take awareness.

Once you understand how grocery stores are designed, you stop being a target and start being in control.

Because savages don’t just train hard they fuel smarter.

Ready to level up your health game?

Stay tuned at WorkinOnMySavage.com for upcoming guides, meal strategies, and training programs designed to help you sharpen your edge inside and outside the gym.