Skip to main content
MCHS_Logo_2024_BLACK
  • Patient Portal
  • Pay Bill Online
  • Request an Appointment
    • Services

      Featured Services

      • Cardiology (Heart)
      • Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Digestive Care)
      • Neurosurgery
      • Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB-GYN)
      • Oncology (Cancer)
      • Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery (Bones)
      • Primary Care
      • Spine Care
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Urology

      View all services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Lake City
      • Lake Crystal
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Rochester
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals

    Recent Posts

    • Two people working
      Speaking of Health
      Maintaining healthy relationships with age
      May 15, 2025
    • Charlie Pierce
      Patient Stories
      The sound of success: How improved hearing aids career change
      May 01, 2025
    • Produce aisle shopping
      Speaking of Health
      Want to reduce chronic inflammation? Start with your grocery list
      April 24, 2025
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight-loss (Bariatric) Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Speaking of Health
    Friday, March 23, 2018

    Grocery store tour: Shopping the perimeter

    Topics in this Post
    • Get healthy recipes and tips
    • Nutrition

    Have you ever wondered if you’re grocery shopping the right way? Most of us tend to spend the most time shopping in the center aisles, when you really should spend the most time shopping in the outside perimeters of the store. This is where you’ll find the freshest foods, including produce, meat and dairy.

    Fresh foods are generally healthier than the processed foods you’ll find in the center aisles. Because the items in the outside perimeter are fresh, you can better control the fat and sodium intake in your diet. Maintaining a healthy diet means watching what is added to foods, as well. Many foods in the center aisles contain preservatives. Preservatives are chemicals or additives in food that keep them shelf stable and make them last longer. If foods don’t have any added preservatives, then they need to be refrigerated to keep fresh.

    Watch health educator Katie Johnson explain more about preservatives, shopping along the perimeters and more in this video:

    Watch other grocery store tours:

    • Selecting meat and dairy
    • Shopping the dry goods
    • Shopping the produce aisle
    Topics in this Post
    • Get healthy recipes and tips
    • Nutrition

    Related Posts

    Healthy snacks Are you mindlessly munching or sensibly snacking?
    Blending smoothie hand blender Don't fall for fad diets
    Healthy holiday meal 6 tips for a healthy holiday makeover

    Stay Connected

    • Contact Us
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Price Transparency
    • Community Resources
    • Mayo Clinic Connect
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Manage Cookie
    © 2018 - 2025 Mayo Clinic Health System