Grocery shopping can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are 5 rules to follow that will help you stay on track with your nutritional goals as well as save you time and money at the grocery store.

1.) Create a list. Have a plan for what meals you want to make throughout the week and create a list of ingredients to take with you to the store. By sticking to the list, you’ll save money and minimize any extras you’d be tempted to throw in your cart. Side tip* don’t go to the grocery store while hungry. Everything looks appetizing when you’re hungry.

2.) Stick to the outer aisles of the store. Almost all grocery stores are set up with their produce, meats, seafood, dairy and eggs (whole foods) on the outer aisles of the store. All of the highly processed, less healthy options are stored in the inner aisles. Start by filling your cart with fruits and vegetables, high quality meats, seafood, dairy/eggs, nuts, and seeds.

3.) The less ingredients the better. If it comes in a package and is unrefrigerated you can guarantee it’s been processed. Flip over the package and take a peek at the ingredients list. A good rule of thumb is if it has more than 5 ingredients, skip it. Stick to whole foods and minimally processed foods.

4.) Healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats. Stick to high quality fats like: olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, walnut oil instead of vegetable oil, canola oil or safflower oil. Other forms of high quality fats are: fatty fish, avocado, nuts, nut butters, flax seed, olives, eggs, and high quality cheese.

5.) The more color the better. When it comes to produce, the more color you have in your cart the more vitamins and minerals you are getting. Make sure to switch up your go-to’s for other seasonal fruits and veggies you might be skipping out on. And try to buy seasonal produce as much as possible. This guarantees you are getting the freshest produce at the store while also saving you money.