Check out my guest post over at Organizing Your Way.  I write about 5 easy ways you can spring clean your family’s diet.  These are simple things you can do to boost nutrition without giving up taste. And while you’re there, read some of Mandi’s advice about organizing your home. I know I need all the help I can get!

In part 3 of this series we talked about planning a weeks’ worth of healthy meals to save time. But I think the most challenging part of the whole meal planning process is translating that plan into a readable grocery list — getting all the food you need and storing that food in an organized fashion.

I have been known, on occasion, to forget an ingredient or two and not discover it until it’s too late. My husband comes home, I cry, and he’s off to El Pollo Loco. Not fun.

Learning what leads to those bad weeks has helped me figure out what’s needed to make this process run smoothly. And I care because the better job I do meal planning and shopping, the better my whole week goes, and the less time I spend running back to the grocery store. So without further ado, here are some tips on how to maximize efficiency when grocery shopping:

1. Healthy Grocery Checklist: I’ve been using a pad of blank paper to write my grocery list on. The problem with this is food is listed randomly on the paper. So when I’m in the store, I’m more likely to miss something or have to backtrack to another department (not a good thing with kids in tow!).

So I devised a printable grocery list that also contains helpful nutrition tips. The idea is to hang it on your fridge and check off items as they run low so there are no fun surprises later. Then finish filling it out before your big shopping trip. This dowload is only available to subscribers so sign up today.

2. An organized kitchen: I often write about my lack of organization skills. But I know that having an organized kitchen is key to minimizing mistakes. Because when it comes time to write up your grocery list, you need to check and see if there’s anything you need. And if you have a pantry or fridge that looks like mine, that’s going to make life difficult (see “before” picture of cereal pantry below).

(I often blame my disorganized fridge on its small size but that’s just an excuse –even though a bigger fridge would help….)

To show you I’m serious about getting organized, I decided to revamp my food storage areas. So I cleaned out the pantry and fridge, labeling everything so even my husband knows where things go. I have decided to give it a touch up each week so it stays nice all week long. This blog is helping me to become accountable!

Before

After

After (sorry, accidently deleted the before pic)

3. Designate which ingredients are meal/recipe items: After figuring out which everyday items you need, you’ll have to list ingredients needed for your meals/recipes. I either highlight or circle them so they stand out from the other grocery items.

Why?

Because if you like how the week turns out, you can use the meal planning chart and grocery list again. Simply save the “good” weeks and soon you’ll have a collection to pull from. I’ve done this a couple of times and it was a lifesaver, especially for those super-busy weeks.

4. Going to The Grocery Store:I wish that there was one grocery store that had it all. I seem to need three of them (Trader Joe’s, Vons or Ralphs, Whole Foods), make that four if you count the farmer’s market. But going to each of them weekly is not realistic for a busy mom like me. So here’s what I do:

As I said in 5 Secrets to the Perfect Weekly Meal Plan, every Sunday is my big trip to get the bulk of groceries for the week. I do this big trip solo, during the kids nap, but sometimes my daughter will come with me if I do it earlier in the day.

I first go to Trader Joes and get all I can there and then head to the Ralphs next door to get the things Trader Joe’s doesn’t have. I usually have to go grocery shopping again sometime before the following weekend to get more fruits and veggies and little items for the weekend. This would also be the time I try and go to a farmers’ market, but I’m not always successful.

I also try to make it to Whole Foods once a month because there isn’t one near me. Whole Foods has some items the other stores don’t have like homemade baby food and frozen food items for kids (they have salmon fish sticks that are pretty good — too bad Anna won’t touch them!). I almost forgot about Costco. Luckily my husband works close to it so he gets the bulk items as we need them.

So what do you do? Any master grocery plan or do you just wing it? Do you think my fridge is small?

Next: 12 Tips for Getting Meals on the Table Fast.

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You’re in the grocery store selecting food for your family and you see a product claiming to have a certain nutrition benefit. Are you confused by it? Skeptical? Not sure exactly what the claim means?

Join the club.

Having worked in the food industry, I know what’s behind popular food claims. And while I don’t necessarily fault food companies, who basically follow the FDA’s lead, I do think that consumers aren’t always getting what they think they are getting.

Here are 5 nutrition claims that I believe lead consumers to believe something that just isn’t so.

1) All Natural: According to a recent survey of over 1000 consumers, products labeled “natural” were considered more eco-friendly than those labeled “organic.” Basically, people trust the “natural” label more than the “organic” one.

The truth is that there are FDA regulations for the use of the word “organic” in product labeling and advertising and none for “natural” (see organic posts for more details on buying organic). The FDA has not officially defined the term “natural.” In fact, they stick to their 1993 policy: “FDA has not established a formal definition for the term ‘natural’, however the agency has not objected to the use of the term on food labels provided it is used in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and the product does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

So just because a product says it’s “all natural” doesn’t mean it’s more nutritious than any other item. For example, cookies and baked goods contain “natural” sugar and white flour. Your best bet is to check the ingredient line to see what’s actually in the product. “Natural” really doesn’t tell you much.

2) Trans-fat Free: If trans-fat were a celebrity, it would never work in Hollywood again. Its negative publicity and health recommendations coupled with newer mandatory labeling on packages (starting in 2006) has consumers concerned. So when consumers see a “trans-fat free” food label, they feel good about buying it.

What consumers may not know is that most food companies have worked trans-fats out of their products so virtually all packaged goods are trans-fat free. Most often trans-fat is being replaced with saturated fat making the product only marginally better. It’s also important to remember that the FDA allows a trans-fat free claim if a product contains less than 0.5g of trans-fat. So check the ingredient line for key words like “hydrogenated vegetable oil” if you want to stay 100% clear of trans-fats.

3. Made with/good source of: I touched on what a “good source” means in my post about Juicy Juice claims. Basically, when you see that a product claims that it is a “good source” of a specific nutrient you know it contains at least 10% of the Daily Value. If it’s a type of ingredient like whole grains, (the claim is “made with whole grains”) it usually contains at least 10% of the Daily Recommended Value per serving. For example, the packaging on Nutri Grain waffles says that they are made with 5 grams of whole grains. If a consumer doesn’t know this, they might think the waffle is a whole grain product when it’s not. Instead it contains about 1/3rd of a whole grain serving.

Look for the Whole Grains Council’s whole grain stamp which means the product has at least 1/2 a serving of whole grains. The stamp has the grams listed on it (see right).

4. Contains omega-3 fatty acids: If you’ve been reading my posts you already know there are two very different kinds of omega-3 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that comes from plant products like flax, walnuts and canola oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) that come mainly from marine sources like salmon and tuna. While ALA is beneficial for heart health, DHA and EPA provide a multitude of benefits including optimal brain development for children. If someone buys a product claiming to contain omega-3 fatty acids, they might think they are getting all of the beneficial fat that they need when the product really only contains ALA.

So check the label to see if there is DHA in the product. You can also check the ingredient line to see what type of omega-3 fatty acid it is. For more on this topic see What Most Parents Don’t Know About Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

5. No added sugars: Someone buying a product with the claim “no added sugars” might think they are getting a product that doesn’t contain sugar. What the claim really means is that no sugar or sugar-like ingredients are added during processing. If someone desires a product without sugar they should keep their eyes peeled for the “sugar-free” claim which means the product has less than 0.5g of sugar per serving.

Once you understand what nutrition claims really mean, they can actually help you choose food that you want for your family.

Confused about a specific food claim? Leave a comment or submit it through contact us.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters for more product/nutrition claim reviews.

Every time I cruise by the dairy isle of the grocery store my eyes fixate on the high price of organic milk. As a mom always trying to keep the food bill down, I keep asking myself if it’s really worth it to buy organic. So I did what I always do when faced with such a question: I put my research hat on.

But this one isn’t so easy. There aren’t studies showing that kids or adults who drink organic milk are better off than those who don’t. Instead, there are many theories as to why organic might be better. So I take what little is out there and build my case.

What you get with organic
In order for milk to be labeled as USDA Certified Organic, the cows producing the milk cannot be treated with antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones and their diet must be free of pesticides. So when you buy organic milk, you know that the milk is free of these additives.

Does this make organic milk better?
According to the National Dairy Council’s website,there is no difference between regular milk and organic in terms of quality, safety and nutrition. All milk is tested for antibiotics and is discarded if traces our found. They also state that extensive studies have found no difference between cows treated with rBST (Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin) and those without. And they say tests conclude that milk has the lowest levels of pesticides of all agriculture products.

According to the Organic Center, more sensitive government testing completed in 2004 demonstrates that milk contains more pesticides than previously thought (an average of 2.8 per sample). The good news is the amount of chemicals found was still far below safety levels. But because milk plays such a key role in the diet of growing children whose nervous and immune systems are still developing, there’s the unanswered question of the potential long-term effects.

There has also been speculation (and specific theories as to why that I won’t go into here) about the harmful effects of treating cows with rBST to help boost their milk supply. Even though research to support this is lacking, some conventional milk products have stopped using it (you’ve probably seen the label “milk from cows not treated with rBST”) and countries like Canada and the European Union have banned use of the hormone in dairy farming.

Is all organic milk created equal?
While everyone is focused on the use of antibiotics and hormones on cows, the most important factor nutritionally may be the diet of the cows. Cows fed (outdoors) diets of natural grass and clover (called “pasture feeding”) are superior nutritionally to cows fed (indoors) of grain, soy and other ingredients. A 2008 study published in Journal of the Study of Food and Agriculturefound that “pasture-fed” cows had lower levels of saturated fat and higher levels of monounsaturated fat, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and certain antioxidants. Preliminary evidence shows that CLA may have anti-cancer effects.

While most organic cows are more likely to have been pasture-fed, this may not always be the case. According to The Cornucopia Institute, a national organic watchdog representing family farmers, some of the large companies producing organic milk may not be following through with pasture feeding due to the sheer number of cows they have. The USDA requirements say that cows that produce organic milk should have “access to pasture” but that doesn’t always mean they get it.

In order to helps consumers get the most bang for the organic buck, The Cornucopia Institute rated dairy farmers on various criteria. Check it out.

My Conclusion
I take a conservative stance when it comes to feeding my children, which is why I choose to buy organic milk for my daughter – and will do the same when my son drinks milk after turning one. As for me and my husband who drink fat-free milk, sometimes I buy organic and sometimes I don’t. I have started looking for milk that comes from “pasture-fed” cows. I think this is especially important for babies and toddlers who are drinking whole and reduced fat milk.

I wish there was more data on this subject but I still feel good about my choice. Let other parents know what you have decided.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters to get more on smart shopping for your family.

Reference and Resources
National Dairy Council

Butler G, Nielson JH, Slots T, Seal C, Eyre MD, Sanderson R, Leifer C. Fatty acid and fat-soluble antioxidant concentrations in milk from hi- and low-input conventional and organic systems: seasonal variation. J Sci Food Agric. 2008; 88:1431-44.

USDA Certified Organic

Cornucopia Institute Organic Milk Score Card

Organic Center Q&A

WebMD article

In these tough economic times, many of us are looking for ways to cut spending. My family has already made sacrifices for me to stay at home but there was one aspect of our budget we hadn’t touched: our grocery bill. I admit to being oblivious to the price of food – and because I was buying mostly organic produce and dairy products – our monthly food bills kept gaining momentum.

I originally decided to buy organic fruits and vegetables because there are questions about the effects of pesticides on babies’ and children’s growing immune and nervous systems. And compared to other food products, fresh fruits and vegetables contain much of the pesticides people consume.

But as I did more research, I found smarter, more cost effective ways to shop for organic produce.

Not all produce is created equal. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), some conventional produce contains higher levels of pesticides and chemical residues than others. This list shows you when produce is worth the price of organic and when you might want to consider going conventional. 

In general, produce with thick skins that are only eaten after peeling, like avocados, tends to be lower in chemicals than produce with thinner skins. The top 5 offenders are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and nectarines while the “cleanest” produce includes onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples and mangos.

According to the EWG, people who eat 12 of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables end up consuming 10 different pesticides daily, on average, compared to just under 2 in the 15 least-contaminated produce items.

Try out Your Local Farmers’ Market. Finding the right Farmers’ Market is like winning the food lottery. You save money as well as getting to know your local farmers. And even though not all the farmers have certified organic produce, most farm without the use pesticides. All you have to do is ask.

Another perk is the Farmers’ Market is an ideal outing for kids. It gets them outside and involved in choosing—and tasting—produce. Here are lists of Farmers’ Markets in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Get Organic Deals. If you look for deals, you will find them. Stores like Whole Foods are offering coupons on their organic produce. Take advantage of companies helping you save money!

And stores like Trader Joes always offer lower prices. Try some of their frozen organic fruits and veggies at reduced prices.

We’ll talk much more about buying organic in the coming weeks. The next blog post on buying organic will discuss the pros and cons of buying organic dairy and meat products. And if you haven’t already, Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters by email or our RSS feed on the homepage.