As much as I love the grocery store (and I do), it can be a pretty scary place. If you go in hungry, or without a list, you can end up buying a ton of stuff you don't need and probably shouldn't be eating. In fact, you might just load up your cart with some of the worst packaged foods available. Not the way to start off your healthy eating goals for the new year, right?

Of course, knowing what the worst packaged foods are would be helpful, right? Fortunately, the guys behind the Eat This, Not That! books have come out with a supermarket guide in which they list some of the unhealthiest choices available and then, of course, offer suggestions as to what you should have instead.

I'm feeling pretty proud -- I don't buy any of the things on the list. However, that doesn't mean I wasn't surprised at some of the things that made the list. Check out the gallery to see a few that made me think twice about what's in my pantry, and, for more tips on losing weight, click on the badge below. Also, check out this post to see 20 healthy foods that cost less than a dollar -- no excuse for poor food choices now!

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I just love Honey Crisp apples. Unfortunately, their deliciousness comes with a pretty big price tag. The other day I was checking out at the grocery store and I had a bag full of Honey Crisps. The cashier and I were lamenting over how costly they were. I mentioned that I had heard that apple growers in our state had planted some Honey Crisp trees, so hopefully the cost would go down when those trees were mature and bearing fruit. Then we looked at the label. Fortunately for the environment, but unfortunately for my wallet, the apples in question were from my state. And they were just as expensive as ever. Even though I was disappointed in the price, I was glad to see that my favorite fall treat is now locally grown.

Being able to see where food comes from is important for many reasons. Environmentally speaking, the fewer miles the food has to travel to arrive on your grocery store shelves, the better. Local food also helps to ensure freshness and it supports the local economy. Health-wise, knowing what country your food is from can help you avoid foods that are potentially exposed to unsanitary conditions and/or harmful chemicals.

The new law, which requires country of origin labeling as of September 30, is a bit confusing, however. Certain foods, such as roasted peanuts and bacon, don't have to be labeled. Any food that can be considered processed is exempt from the law.

[via FitSugar]

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