You park your car, grab a cart and enter through the automatic double doors. Immediately, you’re hit with sensory overload — the smell of freshly baked goods, the sound of gentle music playing and the sight of aisles filled with bright-colored, well-marketed items that all seem to be screaming “pick me!” How will you ever make it out of the store with just the items you intended to purchase?
Grocery shopping can be overwhelming. In fact, sometimes grocery shopping can be a big barrier to nutritional success. However, with just a few quick tips, you can use psychology to shop smarter and create a solid grocery game plan.
1. Shop in the Morning
Have you ever gone food shopping after a long, stressful day? What happened? How did it feel? Perhaps that pint of ice cream, box of cookies or bag of potato chips snuck its way into your cart, or maybe after returning home from the store, you realize you forgot the main item you needed — darn those eggs! Either way, your focus and willpower were likely affected. This is not a coincidence! It’s science — and it’s called decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue is a term psychologists use to describe how the quality of our decisions decreases as the day goes on. This means that going to the store after a long day leaves you more susceptible to snagging those unhealthy items you do not need. The solution? Shop in the morning before your fatigued brain takes over. Bonus points if you go in the morning after eating breakfast — then your stomach can’t take over either.
2. Plan Ahead
Planning is the key to nutritional success. Take time to plan your meals for the week before heading to the store. This does not have to be exact, but try to have a rough idea of the meals and snacks you’ll want to enjoy so you can assess what foods you’ll need to purchase. Doing this will:
- Save you time
- Help you stick to your list
- Reduce the number of decisions you have to make in the store (remember, decision fatigue)
- Help you stay on track nutritionally (if you don’t buy it, it’s not in the house to snack on)
3. Use a Buddy System
Buddy up, and share your goals and pitfalls with someone else. This is a simple one, but don’t underestimate its value. A buddy can be like the angel on your shoulder — encouraging you to make healthy choices and providing you with a voice of reason, reminding you that, no, you don’t need that king-size Reese’s.
Recruit a friend, a spouse or a family member to shop with you. If they can’t physically be there with you, commit to your list by telling them ahead of time what you plan to purchase.
4. Avoid the Crowds
“Yay! The checkout line is a mile long,” said no one ever.
Grocery shopping can be overwhelming enough without having to fight through crowded aisles or wait in long lines to check out. A crowded store can be a recipe for disaster. In fact, according to the Journal of American Market Research, crowds can influence your decisions and make you more susceptible to marketing messages.
Skip the crowd, avoid the stress and make shopping a healthier and more pleasant experience.
5. Expose Yourself
What are your individual grocery store triggers, chips, cookies, ice cream, or home décor? Do you typically avoid these aisles all together, or do you go down them and become overwhelmed with the need to snag something?
Exposure is a method used by people who want to overcome their triggers. Remember, your brain is like a muscle. It will adapt and strengthen with repetitive behaviors.
Exposing yourself to the junk food aisle, saying “no” and reminding yourself those foods do not support your goals is just like strength training your brain! Over time, you’ll build up willpower, and you’ll replace a bad habit with a good one. Without exposing yourself to the aisle at all, you’re just avoiding — which will make it harder to overcome those temptations when avoidance isn’t an option.
Your brain is a powerful place, but remember — you are in control! Give these five tips a try, and be on your way to shopping smarter and feeling better!
by Megan McKee