Dietician Heidi Diller on How To Shop Smart

While spring cleaning usually includes decluttering closets, this year, tackle the cupboards too, which may hide food that could sabotage summer slimdown goals and hinder a healthy lifestyle overhaul.

Albertsons® Corporate Dietitian and Southern California resident, Heidi Diller suggests these tips for keeping a health-conscious home that will also help you get in shape for swimsuit season:

• The new dietary guidelines recommend that at least half the grains you eat daily should be whole grains, so follow that rule in your kitchen. Choose more whole-grain breads, cereals and other grains in place of refined grains, and remember that oatmeal is always a whole grain. As part of a healthy lifestyle and diet, whole grain oatmeal may help reduce cholesterol.
• Always make a list; never shop hungry. Impulse buys typically satisfy high calorie cravings vs. fresh fruits and veggies. No time for a list? Albertsons offers nutrition iQ®, designed to make it easy to find healthier food throughout the store.  nutrition iQ® offers Albertsons’ shoppers color-coded icons on food tags and signs on the shelf that point out the nutritional content of food items throughout the store. All color-tagged food is guaranteed to be low in saturated fats, sodium and sugar.

Watch Diller explain nutrition iQ® here:

• When cooking at home, non-traditional ingredient swaps calories without sacrificing taste. Make a veggie burger with whole grain oats to enhance flavor and texture or swap in apple sauce or prune puree for butter and oil when baking.
• Snack sensibly.  A light snack between meals can help curb cravings and keep your energy from plummeting mid-day, but choose wisely.  A combination of fiber and lean protein is a satisfying option until your next meal.  Try having fruit or veggie slices with a small amount of peanut butter, or grab a light yogurt and add some spoonfuls of sliced fruit and whole-grain cereal for a do-it-yourself parfait.

Diller is a local RD with national recognition and shares about the steps people can take toward a more healthy diet this month, starting with the very first meal of the day: breakfast.  As the Retail West Dietitian for SUPERVALU, Diller has participated in more than 800 nutrition-focused interviews locally and nationally, including The Tyra Show.