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Bite Before You Buy

Eat a pre-shopping healthy snack to curb impulse food choices

By

Staying Sharp

Updated June 14, 2024

Updated June 14, 2024

A woman taking a bite into an apple

Stockbyte/Getty Images

Quick Win

Nourishing your body with fruits and vegetables can impact grocery shopping and support brain function.

Try This Today

Before you go to the grocery store, eat a small, healthy snack like an apple, banana or carrot sticks.
It’s OK to start with the familiar, perhaps with various shades of peppers or grapes.
Over time, branch out into new fruits and vegetables you haven’t tried.
Before you start grocery shopping, try any healthy samples at the store!

Why

Researchers have discovered a trend in grocery shoppers: Sampling healthy snacks at a grocery store may lead to more nutritious purchases. In a review of research on grocery shopping published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2022, participants who tried an apple sample purchased more fruits and vegetables than those who received a cookie or no sample.

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Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

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