Healthy Foods To Buy at Shoppers Drug Mart

We now live in a world where convenience is everything. It's no different when it comes to our food intake, especially when you have a long busy day ahead of you.

While I still want to emphasize the importance of whole, minimally processed foods, it's not always realistic. This depends on a multitude of factors and when it comes to trying to achieve your health and fitness goals, the easier it is the better!

After discovering that two of my clients frequently shopped at Shoppers Drug Mart, I decided to put this together to help them out and others who are looking for healthier items while still getting that convenience.

Please note that these are not THE healthiest food on the planet. Look at it more as something that will hold you over and provide you with more nutrients versus having none at all or very poor nutrition (e.g a muffin in the morning).

In no particular order, here are 6 healthy foods that you can grab on the go: 

1. VH Steamers
I'm usually not a fan of these frozen meals, but when it's loaded with this many vegetables, it's hard to not add this to the list. It can be a meal replacement and is packed with 20g of protein, Vitamin C & A, Iron and Calcium and ingredients you can actually pronounce. However, be very mindful that these frozen meals often have a high sodium content so be sure to balance that out with what you're consuming throughout the course of the day. 

2. Blue Menu Freezer Meals
​President's Choice has recently rolled out their new line of Blue Menu items that I'm currently loving. They are wholesome, packed with quality ingredients, and have a low sugar content while still tasting good. This particular one has 26g of protein, but not as much Calcium and Vitamin C, and has a little more sodium. 

3. Harvest Snaps
I love these and have been repurchasing them for over a year now. They are light and airy, very flavourful and are great if you are into more salty than sweet. Although this is more of a snack than anything, you still get plenty of fiber, iron and some protein. Just be careful not to finish the whole bag.

4. Oatmeal

You can't go wrong with oatmeal, especially the ones in the packets that make it super easy to consume on the go. I like this one from Blue Menu because of the chia seeds added (great Omega 3 & 6) and a low sugar intake. However, feel free to mix it up and choose the one that suits you more. Oatmeal is considered a "smart" carb, meaning it's very nutrient dense. Just be mindful of the ingredients and the sugar content. The more decadent the flavour (e.g chocolate strawberry) the less healthy it will be.

5. Coconut Water
​I've consumed coconut everything all my life, even while experts were claiming it wasn't good for you. Now it's back again and one thing you can find at Shoppers Drug Mart is coconut water. It's hydrating, refreshing, can be taken before, during or after a workout and has more potassium than bananas. Talk about a great recovery drink! Just be sure to stick with the basic and pure coconut water and stay away from the other flavours.

6. Tonica (AKA Kombucha)
This is a brand of Kombucha specific to Canada that I find to be much more pleasant tasting than most kombuchas. If you don't know what kombucha is you should definitely give it a try. It is a fermented drink made out of black tea and helps with overall gut health. It even has some carbonation to it to give you that fizz you may be craving.

I hope this list has helped you with making potentially healthier choices. Let me know in the comments below what you find to be healthy at Shoppers Drug Mart.