Module 20: Shop and Cook To Prevent

Session Focus

Healthy shopping and cooking can help you prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

In this session, we will talk about:

  • How to identify foods that can support your health goals

  • How to shop for foods that can support your health goals no matter where you get your food

  • How to cook the foods you love in new ways and discover new favorite foods

You will also make a new action plan!

Tips:

Find out about sales at local grocery stores, drug stores, or your local dollar store. Check your local newspaper or look online. Fruit and vegetable markets may be a good option too.

Measure out single servings of snacks, like air-popped popcorn. Put them in bags or containers.

Key Points to Remember:

  • Healthy options can be found at most stores—you don’t have to shop at health food stores or special stores.

  • Frozen foods, like frozen vegetables or fruit, can be good options if cost is an issue.

How To Shop for Healthy Food

Maria’s Story

Maria’s mother has type 2 diabetes, and Maria is at risk. She wants to avoid getting it. So, she’s trying to make small changes to the foods she eats and the drinks she chooses. Since she cooks most of her own meals, Maria decides to think about what she buys.

When Maria goes grocery shopping, she finds the prices for “healthy” food too high for her budget. She’s worried that if she buys healthy food, she may not like it. She’s also concerned that the fresh fruits or vegetables she buys may go bad before she eats them. And there are a few foods she likes that she’s not sure how to prepare, like garbanzo beans and spaghetti squash. She asks her mother how she buys healthy food on a budget.

She tells Maria that she takes some steps even before she goes shopping. To get ready to shop, she:

  • Gathers coupons for healthy items she likes.

  • Looks at what’s on sale at local stores.

  • Plans her meals and snacks for the week.

  • Checks her kitchen to see what she already has in her fridge, freezer, and cupboards.

  • Makes a shopping list of fresh, frozen, and canned foods.

  • Has a healthy snack before shopping.

  • Plans for some prepared meals, knowing that she can add healthy sides to them when she’s in a hurry.

  • Finds a new fruit, vegetable, grain, or bean to try every other week to keep her meals interesting.

The next Sunday, Maria helps her mom get ready to shop. Then she goes to the store with her. She’s impressed by how much healthy food she gets for her money. She gets some fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. She also buys beans along with frozen fish, meats, fruits, and vegetables. In the middle of the store, she finds whole grains, like oats and brown rice. She also buys a spaghetti squash so she can show him how to cook one!

Maria decides to try shopping the way her mom does. She finds some great deals on frozen fruits and vegetables in the dollar store by her house. She clips coupons for chicken breasts, hummus, and spinach—foods she eats a lot. She also finds some healthy recipes online, including one with chili-lime roasted garbanzo beans. She uses that recipe to make a healthy stir-fry for her husband!

Maria’s Meals and Snacks

Maria plans two to three options for breakfast, some 100-calorie snacks, lunches, and dinners for most of the week.

My Meals and Snacks

Plan your own options for breakfast, snacks, lunches, and dinners. You can plan for a few days, a week or a month – whatever works for how you shop. You can use “Maria’s Meals and Snacks” for ideas.

Maria’s Shopping List

Non-Starchy Veggies

  • ‡ Bag of salad greens

  • ‡ Romaine hearts

  • ‡ Tomatoes

  • ‡ Fresh red peppers

  • ‡ Spinach

  • ‡ Frozen broccoli

  • ‡ Bell peppers

  • ‡ Frozen mixed vegetables

Protein Foods

  • ‡ Chicken breasts

  • ‡ Fish

  • ‡ Beans and other legumes

  • ‡ Eggs

  • ‡ Egg substitute

  • ‡ Sliced turkey

  • ‡ Pork loin

  • ‡ Lean ground beef

Grains and Starchy Foods

  • ‡ Canister of oatmeal

  • ‡ Black beans in a can

  • ‡ Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) in a can

  • ‡ 100% whole wheat bread

  • ‡ 100% cornmeal tortillas

Other Items

  • ‡ Salsa

  • ‡ Garlic

  • ‡ Hummus

  • ‡ Mixed unsalted nuts

Dairy

  • ‡ Low-fat cheddar cheese

  • ‡ Skim milk

  • ‡ Plain nonfat yogurt

Fruits

  • ‡ Fresh oranges

  • ‡ Bag of apples

  • ‡ Frozen mixed berries

  • ‡ Frozen blueberries

  • ‡ Lemons

Drinks

  • ‡ Unsweetened Tea

  • ‡ Sparkling water (lime and orange flavored)

  • ‡ Coffee

My Shopping List

After you plan your meals and snacks for the week, check your kitchen to see what you have. Then make a list of the items you need to buy. You can use “Maria’s Shopping List”.

Non-Starchy Veggies

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

Protein Foods

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

Grains and Starchy Foods

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

Other Items

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ______________________

Dairy

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

Fruit

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

  • ‡__________________

Drinks

  • ______________________

  • ______________________

  • ______________________

  • ______________________

Healthy Shopping Tips

You can shop for healthy food without spending a lot of time or money. Try these tips.

Sources:

Other Healthy Shopping Ideas?

______________________________

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Healthy Cooking Tips

You can cook healthy food without spending a lot of time. Try these tips.

  • Cook large batches of items that freeze well, like sauces, and stews. Store them in your freezer.

  • Cut up veggies or fruit in advance. Store them in your fridge or freezer.

  • Make the meals and snacks you planned for the week (see “Healthy Shopping Tips”).

  • If you are starting with a prepared meal, add healthy sides. For example, if you make a pizza for your family, have a large side salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables.

  • Measure out single servings of snacks, like air-popped popcorn. Put them in bags or containers.

  • Use a slow cooker or instant pot.

  • Use leftover veggies and meat in an omelet, pasta or rice dish, stew, soup, salad, or burrito. This saves money as well as time.

You can cook healthy food that you enjoy. Try these tips.

  • Change your favorite dishes to make them healthier. Or serve a smaller portion of the original recipe.

  • Choose items with a variety of flavors, textures, scents, and colors.

  • Cook veggies like green beans and broccoli lightly, so they stay crisp and colorful.

  • Dress up food with herbs, spices, lemon juice, vinegar, healthy oils, hot sauce, plain nonfat yogurt, and salsa.

  • If your health care provider says to limit your salt, look for canned and packaged items that are low in sodium. Choose lower-sodium sauces or dilute sauces, like fish sauce or soy sauce, in your kitchen.

  • Grill or roast veggies and meat to bring out the flavor.

  • Learn healthy cooking methods online, in books, in magazines, and from TV shows. Learn from your friends and family. Or take a healthy cooking class.

  • Try new cooking styles and ingredients.

Cook With Less Fat

  • Bake, grill, roast, or stir-fry in a small amount of healthy oil.

  • Coat pans with healthy cooking spray.

  • Simmer food in water or stock.

  • Steam vegetables and fish or microwave them.

  • Take the skin off chicken before you cook it.

  • Trim the fat off meat before you cook it.

Other Healthy Cooking Ideas?

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