GET THE HEALTHY EATING HABIT

How do you shop for food?

Do you drag yourself round the supermarket, throwing stuff haphazardly into your cart or trolley? Are you easily swayed by special offers, attractive packaging, ready-meals? Are you clued up about healthy food shopping?

Do you use a list?

How often do you shop locally, or use a farmers' market? Do you know what�s in season this week? Have you bought and used this item?

I know you�re busy, and food shopping can seem like a chore. But if you change your attitude to it, it can start to become much more pleasurable.

Here�s what to do. Make a big list � you can do this on the computer � of all the items you buy regularly. Start at the beginning of the day with breakfast cereals, and work your way through until you�ve covered everything. List non-food items as well.

Now, select out the big, bulky heavy items that you will still need to buy from the supermarket. Pet food, cleaning items, kitchen paper� and so on. You could go to the supermarket monthly to stock up on these non-perishables � and if your supermarket delivers, even better.

Then, list the food items you�ll need, so that you can make healthy meals. Organic meats, free-range eggs, wholegrain cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables.

Where will you buy these? Your supermarket may stock some of them, and if it does you could buy a stock of canned pulses etc, and freeze some organic chicken or meat. Get acquainted with the healthier items on the supermarket shelves. There are many, as more chains are producing healthier ranges of foods and responding to the demand for organic goods.

Make it your job to source supplies of healthy foods. Check local websites for farmers markets, and go along to the next one. What do they have? What would you like to buy regularly? Visit local stores. Who is supplying fresh, local produce? How can you fit a visit to this outlet into your regular routine?

Now search for some recipes � there are over 120 easy healthy recipes on this site, and you�ll find many more elsewhereon the internet and in books and magazines. Pick some simple dishes using seasonal produce that you can add to your repertoire of meals. Make it a habit to buy at least one seasonal item every time you shop.

When you shop for delicious food that�s good for you and your family, you feel different than when you treat food only as fuel, a boring necessity to cram down your throat without thinking, while you do something else.

Now you�ve learned about healthy food shopping, it�s time to cook. Tomorrow, I�ll tell you why it�s a good idea to bin your frying pan, and what you should replace it with.

Day 5 of Get the Healthy Eating Habit, ecourse.