Grocery Shopping List for Athletes

Next Level Podcast with Host Tavis Piattoly, MS, RD, LD

Podcast Transcript

0:00 Tavis Piattoly Introduction

4:37 Challenges athletes face when trying to make healthy choices at a grocery store.

• Knowing how they’re set up and how the grocery store is set up to sell things – not necessarily to promote the healthy items
• Example: milk at the back of store
• They are enticing us to do impulse buys
• Displays at the end of the aisles are not there for a bargain; they are there to sell faster
• Expensive items that are most likely unhealthy are put at eye level because they are easiest to grab
• Another challenge is athletes not knowing what athlete diet should be composed of

5:53 Rules or tips Kelli recommends to athletes when going to the grocery.

• Don’t go to the grocery hungry
• If you do not you will be affected, try an experiment to compare your receipts when you go hungry versus when not.
• Take a list or quickly jot items down before walking inside grocery store

7:20 What to do if you’re short on time for shopping and is there a method of starting in a particular place of the store to get out sooner?

• Get to know 1-3 grocery stores to make grocery store shopping easier
• Put list in order of the grocery store
• Stores may purposely change store set up
• Grab items that you ruin out (Example: milk, bread, eggs) that are around the perimeter

9:26 How beneficial is it to go to the grocery with a list and does it save time and money.

• YES!
• Best way to put together a list is to take notes throughout the week.
• If pen and paper is not for you, you can download a grocery store list app.

11:20 Kelli’s recommendation for those who need to increase their F&V intake but have not been buying them because when they do, they often go bad.

• Purchase easy to eat fruits and veggies, such as the lettuce blends.
• Frozen vegetables and fruits
• Could add frozen fruit to smoothies
• Baby spinach. Can add into pasta dishes

13:55 Advice she gives to help athletes to make healthy choices when shopping.

• Have your grocery cart to match your athlete plate. She suggests having 3-4 natural colors on your plate and at least this many in your cart.
• If you run into your RD in the store, how would you feel about your cart

16:50 How to read a nutrition label on specific products and tips on what to do when the product has multiple brands to choose from (i.e. yogurt, bread, etc).

• Note: Nutrition facts label has now changed since this podcast was recorded.
• Yogurt: 
• 20-25 gram carbohydrates for 8 ounces.
• 10-20 grams of protein
• Greek yogurt tends to have the most protein
• Less than 5 grams of fat
• Bread:
• Whole grain → the first ingredient on the list needs to be whole grain flour or it states 100% whole grain
• Should have at least 3 grams of fiber per slice
• Cereal:
• 3 grams or more of fiber
• Less than 5 grams of sugar

21:20 Items that may be advertised as Healthy but are really not when you look at the food label.

• Snap or cereal bars
• Fat-free items → could have add more sugars and salt
• Example: low-fat peanut butter
• Health messages could be skeptical. Double check the nutrition facts label
• Trifecta = fat, sugar, and salt

24:30 Her new eBook titled Grocery Shopping List for Athletes: Using the Grocery Store to your Advantage.

• Motivation to create it was a part of her goal to help young athletes. She wants to fill the knowledge gap.
• Topics discussed in the book: basics of a plan, food allergies, snacks, overlooked features in grocery stores