For many people grocery shopping is something they do because they have to, not because they want to. The challenge of finding time in the week and ensuring it is when finances are in the account can add to the 'fun' of the task. The event can be further compounded by having to take children and for some - their spouse - with them. Then comes the real fun ... making wise food choices.

Have you ever stopped to look at what people put in their carts? It's no wonder people are overweight and have an inability to stay awake and focused, if what is in their cart represents their 'normal,' everyday diet. The decision to eat healthy really happens at the grocery store, as that is where the food is put in the cart. Here are a few ideas that can assist in easing into such a plan.

The GOLDEN Rule: Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. Everything calls your name when your stomach is growling, especially the 'junk' food. Shop after you have eaten and are satisfied and you will be more likely to stick to your shopping list.

Nutritionists will tell you to shop around the edges of a grocery store as that is where the fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy are usually located. These foods should really be the staple of your diet. These can be considered as 'live' food, food with enzymes, vitamins, minerals, essential nutrients that will help the body to function and be in good health. Foods in the other aisles do not necessarily fall into this category, at least not to the extent that these do.

To get more bang for your buck, consider adding legumes into your diet. Lentils, beans and peas are a great source of protein as well as folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. Typically they are low in fat, and the fat they do contain is of a beneficial nature. They contain no cholesterol but have both soluble and insoluble fibre, not to mention they are generally cheap to buy. You can add them into meat dishes, cutting back the amount of meat you need, while adding a new spin to a dish. Or, search online for some tasty recipes for them on their own. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you'll find and how much you and your family will enjoy them.

If you find you experience gas after eating them, try this. Wash them, then cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Drain off that water, cover them with fresh water and then continue cooking. Don't use the water they were cooked in, simply discard it.

When you do take a trip down the other aisles of the store, read labels. Avoid foods shown to have hydrogenated oils. Make olive oil your oil of choice when choosing a cooking or salad oil. Buy tuna packed in water rather than oil.

Look at the sugar content of food. One teaspoon of sugar, which is the same as one cube of sugar if you are a visual thinker, is about 4 grams. So when you look on that cereal box and it says 12 grams of sugar, that is the equivalent of putting 3 teaspoons or 3 cubes of sugar into your cereal bowl. The only part of our body that really likes sugar is our mouth, so that may not be the best choice. If your children insist on such cereals, start to wean them off by mixing the high-sugar content cereal with one that has less sugar to lessen the impact on the body.

Oh yes, let's not forget about sodium. The Mayo Clinic's Website reports the following: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans:

* Don't exceed 2,300 mg of sodium a day if you're a healthy adult.
* Don't exceed 1,500 mg of sodium a day if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or diabetes; you are black; or you're middle-aged or older.

Most packaged foods are laced with sodium, so you really want to read those labels carefully and save your kidneys a pile of work trying to keep the sodium level in your body balanced.

To give your body the building blocks it needs to function, the more natural, unprocessed food you can give it, the happier it will be. Not only will you feel better, but you will look better, your skin will have a glow about it, rather than being dull, and somehow life will just 'naturally' seem more enjoyable. But it really comes down to what you put in that cart, because that is what you are taking home to eat.

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