Healthy Shopping Tips

October 16, 2010


Choose cereal with 150 calories per servings and whole grains on the ingredients list. Add 1 cup of skim milk and 1 cup of fruit to your cereal for a healthy breakfast!


Look on the label to make sure your frozen meal has around 300 to 400 calories and 800 mg (or less) of sodium. Round out your meal with produce.


Here Dawn, myLifetime.com’s Nutritionist, recommends to always pick non- or low-fat milk and yogurt. When picking a cheese, make sure the saturated fat content is under 20%. As for eggs, use eggs and egg whites.


In this clip Dawn recommends sticking to 2 healthy snacks per day between meals. Each snack should have about 100 to 200 calories. Some good options are pistachios, low-fat yogurt, or a granola bar.

{ 134 comments… read them below or add one }

Hamilton SJ November 26, 2011 at 12:06 pm

There are many forms of healthy foods. Frozen isn’t always bad, just like quick isn’t always bad. These videos give lots of good information regarding shopping for healthy foods.

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VossWC December 2, 2011 at 7:35 pm

I always thought if its quick its bad and frozen can’t be good for you its too easy to fix, but this is one thing I dont mind being wrong on.

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GCHANG November 26, 2011 at 2:27 pm

I usually skip my dairy intake bc it upsets my stomach especially if I have yogurt or milk for breakfast. Snacks throughout the day is good especially when you snack on healthier items because if gives me more energy. One thing for me is that I typically go for the cheaper and quicker items to cook/eat so sometimes I don’t pay attention to the grams of fat. I think it’s helpful to get guidance when shopping becuase the things I pick up isn’t always as healthy as I would think.

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Pierce SK December 6, 2011 at 12:11 am

I agree snacking on healthy items is a good thing but at the same time if you are in a rush you dont have to time to pick out what is healthy for you besides fruits.

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Diana Nicorici November 26, 2011 at 2:41 pm

I really enjoyed the second, frozen food video. As a student, frozen food is not a bad idea. And I especially liked the tip about staying under 800 mg of na.

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Wilson S November 26, 2011 at 10:09 pm

frozen food isnt a bad idea. i eat alot of it.

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Sparks MR November 27, 2011 at 6:50 pm

So true, not all of it’s bad for you. I know keeping fresh veggies around for a long time isn’t easy (or cheap) and frozen ones, while not quite as healthy, are definitely better than none at all!

Pierce SK December 6, 2011 at 12:13 am

Frozen foods is a great idea and because some fruits and vegatables are seasonal it is hard to find them anywhere besides the frozen section of the store. It might be less healthy but it is convinient

Alex Scheck November 27, 2011 at 6:33 pm

It’s quick. For us students, quick is a keyword!

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jperry1 November 28, 2011 at 9:38 pm

so ture alex! alot of times we dont have time to cook a full meal, pop it in the microwave!

dee anne kulis November 28, 2011 at 2:06 am

I think frozen is much better than canning. The nutrients and enzymes are not lost as readily!

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Worth AR November 28, 2011 at 6:26 pm

Yeah I agree frozen food isn’t a bad idea. Being in college I eat a lot of frozen foods.

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eosborne November 26, 2011 at 8:31 pm

I really liked these videos. I eat alot of oatmeal and it really does keep hunger away so much longer than even a fatty fast food breakfast! I’ve always liked the Morning Star foods but i’ve recently noticed that they have so many ingredients & stopped buying them because they seem so processed. The microwave meals are easy, but they never really fill me up. It was good to hear the information about cheese and what the fat percent should be.

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HuneycuttSL November 26, 2011 at 9:16 pm

Oatmeal is my only breakfast meal. It is good for you and it keeps me satisfied until lunch and even after lunch if need be.

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HuneycuttSL November 26, 2011 at 9:15 pm

I enjoyed the videos they were very informative. I don’t eat yogurt alot but the next time I do, I’m buying the plain yogurt and mixing in fresh fruits that sounds good.

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Wilson S November 26, 2011 at 10:08 pm

it is hard to eat healthy snacks and especially two snacks per day.

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KFoster November 30, 2011 at 9:43 am

I agree.

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vcanea November 26, 2011 at 10:14 pm

I always thought that frozen foods are bad for you. I guess i was wrong.

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mgreen1 November 27, 2011 at 1:07 pm

I like these videos, thanks for the tips in shopping for healthy foods. I am glad she said oatmeal is good, I love oatmeal!! Some people do not know what to look for while shopping for something healthy, therefore they just go for what they typically get.

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Alex Scheck November 27, 2011 at 6:37 pm

These videos were very interesting. Along with everybody else, I thought the 3 cup idea was really neat. I HAVE to eat breakfast. I don’t feel right if I skip it, so this gave me some good ideas. Snacking throughout the day is something I do not do but sounds like something I need to start doing especially since i’m always on the go.

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Holly Marie November 27, 2011 at 6:59 pm

Very much agreed, man I loved that idea becasue I love snacking!!! These videos had to be my favorites!!!

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Gattis M November 28, 2011 at 1:28 pm

I know snacking it great! I try and keep grapes and walnuts with me to snack on.

Jowen5197, J-O December 5, 2011 at 12:15 am

I am always snacking. Infact I don’t think I would make it through the day if I didn’t have several granola bars stashed in my bag. I never would’ve thought of pistachios though I do like them….

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Sparks MR November 27, 2011 at 6:52 pm

Great videos, especially should be shown to any college freshmen not living with their parents (and some who are!). While quantity is a huge deal, quality of the food you eat is very important. I love the 3 cup per meal idea, very good way of visualizing your portions.

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Holly Marie November 27, 2011 at 6:58 pm

Ahh I loved these videos! They are so true and have food on them that normal people actually eat :) I mean the oatmeal is great tasting and fulfilling as well as the frozen fast to cook and eat food! College students love to eat from the frozen food section and there are actually good foods to eat just try to stay away from the fried foods!

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Scott KQ November 28, 2011 at 3:11 pm

I agree. Being in college I stay in the freezer. Now I don’t know about the vegetarian foods but I can defiantly the other foods and add some veggies to it.

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dee anne kulis November 28, 2011 at 2:07 am

With the availability of frozen vegetables and fruits, there is really no reason people cannot eat healthy. I can understand people not being able to keep fresh veggies and fruits, but frozen is a great way of preserving the nutrition!

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L-W November 28, 2011 at 11:19 am

This was helpful. I don’t sit and eat. I snack all day long. That is how the extra weight came about. Health eating takes time to prepare. I’m on the go alot being a single parent. I do make interventions for it thou!!!

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DeLaRosa HK November 28, 2011 at 8:49 pm

i very rarely have time to sit down and eat a real meal. i’d probably have a much healthier diet if i followed these tips!

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Gattis M November 28, 2011 at 1:26 pm

I really enjoyed these videos. Eating breakfast is a must for me even if its a protein shake and an apple. Frozen foods usually get a bad rep but not so bad. It is way better to get frozen veges to keep them longer. I loved the three cup a meal idea.

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medleyhl November 28, 2011 at 3:27 pm

I agree breakfast is a must for me and I really thought the 3 cups is a good tip and frozen foods is a quick source that can also be healthy for us not all frozen food is bad food.

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Scott KQ November 28, 2011 at 3:09 pm

Now this is what I’m looking for! I love these videos, I like that it shows me specific foods and how much I can eat.

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medleyhl November 28, 2011 at 3:26 pm

I like these videos alot of information to keep up with but also alot of quick tips that can stick with you. I like the 3 cup idea because portions is really a problem to me and I think I would benefit from following this idea. I think that frozen food is a big thing for college students it’s a quick lunch or easy breakfast and I think watching the sodium is important I can say that I often look at the calories but not always the sodium. I don’t always do the lowfat or skim milk thing I like whole milk, and I also like the adding more fruit to the breakfast oatmeal and some fruit i’m set and stay full longer than if I just eat snack cakes or something quick. It is definatley the most filling breakfast I can make and my kids love it too!

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Worth AR November 28, 2011 at 6:34 pm

I liked the frozen foods video and the helpful tips given because being in college, frozen foods are quick and easy so that’s mainly what I eat. I’m definitely going to start buying pre portioned ice cream to help monitor my temptation.

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NuttCR December 1, 2011 at 3:21 pm

I agree with you. I love frozen foods for lunch beacuse they are fast and easy. I read the book eat this not that, and it said to not eat lean cusine. I use to eat them all the time, so it was like a low blow to me! :)

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DeLaRosa HK November 28, 2011 at 8:48 pm

these movies were very informative. i actually like a lot of frozen foods, so this made me glad to know that they’re not all that bad.

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jperry1 November 28, 2011 at 9:39 pm

i agree that frozen food is good for you, but not pocessed frozen meals.

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tdeitz November 28, 2011 at 11:35 pm

These videos are very informative. I wish i would just do what they say is right for you. I love frozen foods but mostly the ones that are processed.

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Crump JD December 4, 2011 at 12:48 am

I feel like just about all of them are processed but some of them are pretty good.

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KFoster November 30, 2011 at 9:44 am

I enjoyed these videos. I dont snack all day long and dont always have time for breakfast, so I need to work on that.

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NuttCR December 1, 2011 at 3:10 pm

I have always been told to shop the perimeter of the store. This is hard for me to do, because I have a husband who can eat anything and everything and not gain one pound. I like how she showed healthy snacks and informed that snakes were like our briges. I need to start eating them so I don’t over eat at meal times.

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VossWC December 2, 2011 at 7:37 pm

I dont eat any yogurt because it seems not to satisfy my hunger as well as a normal meal but plain yogurt with fruit in it might do the trick, I will have to try this.

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Crump JD December 4, 2011 at 12:47 am

I just cannot do without fresh fruits and veggies. I don’t care to eat frozen at all. Anything that has ever been frozen just doesn’t taste the same as it would had it not been froze, especially vegetables and fish.

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Jowen5197, J-O December 5, 2011 at 12:23 am

Unfortunately, I am the only person in my family that likes plain oatmeal with my own added ingredients. When it comes to oatmeal, everyone else wants the strawberry and peach flavored packets. I love adding a little brown sugar and butter. I also love adding rasberries, blackberries and blue berries. I still don’t like reduced fat milk though. I also agree about frozen veggies. If you look at the nutrition value on canned veggies, there isn’t much to offer.

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West MS December 5, 2011 at 11:03 am

I would need more than 150 calories because I’m almost underweight. I don’t use scales when I shop because everyone in our house hold is very small so we can eat high calorie foods. My wife and I need to eat lots of foods because we are very small people.

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West MS December 5, 2011 at 11:05 am

I eat a lot of frozen meals. It is very fast to cook and just less of a mess to clean up that cooking a whole meal. I love the Hungry man frozen dinners they taste just about like they would if you had cooked it.

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Brooke Ferguson December 6, 2011 at 9:13 pm

I really liked these videos. I eat alot of oatmeal and it really does keep hunger away so much longer than even a fatty fast food breakfast! It was good to hear the information about cheese and what the fat percent should be.

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Reed T December 9, 2011 at 3:37 am

I have tried over and over again to eat oatmeal but I can’t eat it but every once in a while, I know it’s good for you and it will give you the feeling of being full for a while. I am just not a fan, I am going to try harder to eat more. I also thought frozen food would be bad for you, but the video told me different. I also know that snacking on healthy things throughout the day does make a difference, because that is what I have been doing and it helps alot because when it’s time to eat I am not as hungry.

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rdavis4 February 7, 2012 at 7:05 am

These videos were very informative! I enjoyed them. I like that she said we can have a 150calories in junk food daily…lol. I never thought about using the one egg and egg whites. Its a very good idea..

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