Think you know how to navigate the grocery store to purchase healthy foods for you and your family? You might be surprised by the findings of this new study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They discovered that 76.9% of US grocery store food purchases are processed, and over 61% of those purchases are highly processed!

Processed foods have higher saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content than naturally occurring foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. And processed foods lack all the good stuff that you find in real food: antioxidants, phytonutrients, and more! But between 2000 and 2012, convenience was king: Ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat products supplied the most calories of all US grocery store purchases.

Most people need support when it comes to getting healthy. With so many food choices available, it can be confusing to know how to eat right! To make matters worse, many processed foods masquerade as “natural.” And maybe you think that it’s just too expensive or inconvenient or time-consuming to eat healthfully.

This is where Health Coaches come in.

A Health Coach can guide you in separating the truth from the hype. She can help you navigate a world of choices (inside and outside the supermarket) and find the way of eating that works best for you. A Health Coach can even help you find creative ways to eat healthfully on a budget and save time in the kitchen!

Are you surprised to hear that Americans are consuming so many processed foods? Let me know what you think in the comments section below!