[devinmcafee]

Common advice amongst the fitness community is to shop around the perimeter of the grocery store, skipping the inner aisles. Of course all grocery stores have different layouts, but in your average American grocer this means you would only walk through the produce, dairy, meat counter, salad bar, and eggs/cheese sections of the grocery store. The processed food is always in the middle aisles because it doesn't require refrigeration.

I utilize this method personally with great success. The cookies, snack cakes, chips and crackers aisle has nothing which belongs in my weekly diet, so I skip that aisle and don't even look to see what's in it. I probably haven't gone down that aisle in a decade and by not navigating down the aisle I prevent myself from being tempted to buy junk. Likewise I only have to practice willpower in the grocery store once or twice a week, instead of every day.

Strongly recommend you try this method as its worked for me and many I know

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

When I shopped in person that's exactly what I would do and oddly enough I was not even aware of that rule of thumb at the time. I was only aware of what good food was.

I'd load up on fruits, vegetables, salad components first. Back of the store was meats, milk, eggs. Other than spices, oils, and coffee there is not much reason to ever venture into the center aisles.

[dredmorbius]

They key here is that "the perimeter" tends to be where the less-processed (and more perishable) foods are.

Exceptions which are internal, as you note: spices, oils, coffee (and/or tea). I'd add:

- Frozen fruits and vegetables, particularly if you want to buy bulk and reduce spoilage. Rapidly-frozen foods can be higher in nutrition than "fresh", most notably vitamin C, which degrades relatively rapidly.

- Bulk grains, legumes, and nuts. Other baking supplies as well, which are typically on interior aisles.

- Tinned goods, including fish. Prepared soup stocks. Arguments for/against canned goods exist. There are long-shelf-life goods which make much preparation easier or provide for easy and healthier snacks.

I too can spend years without walking down a crisps / snacks aisle.

Among foods which may seem healthy but often aren't: many breakfast cereals (overly-processed, low-fibre, high-sugar), numerous freshly-baked goods, sweetened yoghurts (plain is generally fine), fruit juice (liquid sugar --- eat whole / frozen fruit instead), many "diet foods" (often trading fat for sugar, overly processed, and overpriced to boot --- see Polan's basic dictum).

I'm not saying "never buy / eat these". But do so rarely, as special occasions, and do so consciously. For the most part, I don't miss such ... food-shaped products ... at all, the few I do sample occasionally I appreciate when I do.

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

Your habits are eerily identical to mine. All I did was ignore fads/hype and read Harvard Health. A botany elective in college was also extremely insightful and life changing.

[dredmorbius]

Living as a starving student had a pretty strong impact. By the time I'd graduated college, few of the high-priced packaged goods had any appeal at all. And I knew how to do some basic cooking / meal prep.

Pollan himself is pretty awesome as well.