How to Shop For Whole Foods During the Holidays

Tips on Whole Food Shopping for Thanksgiving and Christmas

With a whole foods diet, you want your family to have more than enough for the holiday season and to have a full Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but you also want to remember extra things like snacks and appetizers, and breakfast on say Thanksgiving morning. Also consider who might be coming over to have dinner with you and what they would enjoy eating, even if you get them something special that might not be on the whole foods diet.

These tips will help you get your food shopping done for the holidays while still staying on the whole foods diet:

Bring Your List With You

Now that you have your detailed grocery list, you can remember to bring it with you. It is essential that you work only from this list and you don’t get anything extra. This can be difficult to do when there are so many other tempting things, but unless there is an ingredient you forgot to put on the list, leave everything else behind and only get what you have written down. Not only does this allow you to only get approved whole food items, but it helps to manage your food budget for the holiday dinner a little better.

Only Shop the Perimeter of the Store

This is a good recommendation for any type of special diet or lifestyle choice. When you want to get only natural, whole, and healthy foods, you typically only need to shop the perimeter of the store. In the middle aisles, the only thing you should need is the oil section and perhaps the herbs and seasonings if they are not close to the produce. Most supermarkets keep all meat, seafood, and produce on the edge of the store, which is the majority of the items you will need.

Choose ‘Treats’ That Are Still Whole Foods Friendly

Your family might feel like they are missing out a little bit since it is the holidays and they are still restricted to the whole foods diet. A good way to remedy this is by including a little treat on your list. Something that you can give them or prepare for them that will remind them of the holidays. This could either be a special dinner the night before Thanksgiving that is a family favorite, or a pumpkin pie recipe that is Whole30-approved.

Let Your Kids Pick Something Special

Your kids might also feel like they are missing out, so it is a good idea to let them pick something special as well. Make sure they only get something that is whole food approved and is on your list, or at least something small that is still healthy for them. This can get them in the spirit of the holidays without going off the whole foods diet.