Grocery Carts - Then and Now
It’s time for Blog#2 about the grocery cart experience! Today, let’s take a closer look at the carts.
I thought I was making decent choices when it came to food. I wasn’t eating fast food, I cooked most meals at home, bought “healthy” and limited obvious junk. But as I dove deeper into my nutrition studies, I started to see the truth—what we’ve been led to believe is “normal” or “healthy” food is anything but.
This was a gradual shift over about 12 months. My classmate and friend, Melissa, and I filled two shopping carts: one the way we used to eat, and the other with foods we now choose.
The side-by-side comparison was eye-opening. There was so much we just did not know! Even though we were trying to be healthy!
The “Old” Cart:
• Processed foods and snacks with GMO’s, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, and hidden sugars
• Cereals and convenient boxed meals
• Non-organic produce like conventionally grown strawberries (known for high pesticide levels)
• Deli meats and pre-packaged frozen dinners
The “Then” cart
An assortment of the foods from how grocery shopping used to be.
The “New” Cart:
· More whole foods
· Less sugars, carbohydrates and gluten
· Avoiding GMO’s
· More vegetables and fruits, lean proteins (grass-fed, pasture raised, sustainably raised as possible)
· Organic and local whenever possible
· More fat (yes!) and healthier fats like EVOO and avocado oil
· Healthier grains like quinoa, amaranth, brown rice
· Minimal processed foods
· Fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi
The “Now” cart
A sampling of the foods that I choose these days.
Seeing them side by side was stunning. Several store employees stopped and ask what we were up to!
The biggest takeaway? Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Start small—swap one processed item for a whole-food alternative.
Read labels—know what’s actually in your food.
Focus on progress, not perfection—every step matters.
I encourage you to reflect on your own choices. What might be hiding in your cart?
Stay tuned and remember, every choice adds up.