I partnered with Flipp, a free shopping tool that is great for everyone who wants to shop healthy with the goal of shopping smarter to meet a budget.

Did you start 2017 with lofty healthy eating goals, yet find yourself struggling to maintain a balanced and nutritious lifestyle? Healthy eating and cooking is easy as long as you take the time to set yourself up for success. Small, simple, sustainable modifications are the key to long term change.

Grocery shopping is an essential element to leading a healthy lifestyle. How you shop and stock your kitchen and pantry is key to staying on track with your nutritious eating all year long. A huge stigma surrounding healthy eating, is that it can be costly. To be transparent those "superfoods" and heirloom and speciality items do add up. Yet, to lead a healthy lifestyle does not mean you need to splurge on those costly items. Sticking to seasonal foods, looking for sales, shopping local, utilizing the bulk bins, leaning on a more plant-based diet, and eating real food are all ways to help cut the cost at checkout.

Another helpful way to maintain a budget is with the Flipp! Flipp is a free shopping app that brings all of your weekly circulars to your fingertips. Find the best deals on your favorite foods at your local stores and save money on your weekly shop. Search for particular products or retailers, add store loyalty cards, and even digitally "clip" coupons to maximize savings at checkout.

One of my favorite features of the app is Photo List. Photo List allows you to take a photo of your handwritten shopping list, upload the photo to Flipp, and watch it get transcribed in the app. Once the items appear in Flipp, the Shopping List feature automatically finds deals for the items on your list. While you are at the grocery store, you can easily check off items on your list to help stay organized and efficient.

The main reason I often go over my grocery budget is that I veer away from my shopping list. I wonder into aisles that I should avoid and pick up items that I most likely do not need, but just want to buy. Sound familiar? Flipp's new feature called Store Mode (in beta), helps you shop efficiently by sorting your shopping list by store aisle. Allowing you to get in and out without wandering into those tempting aisles. Time and money saved!

Another way that Flipp aids with efficiency is through the Family Sync feature. If your significant other or roommate uses up the last of the milk, they can easily add it to your shared grocery list via Flipp. With Family Sync and Store mode, no item is forgotten at the store.

Flipp helps you stick to your 2017 goals of leading a healthier and more organized lifestyle. Shop more efficiently and save money. See below for more tips on how to have a healthier grocery shopping experience.

The Flipp app is free and available for iOS and Android. To download flipp visit the Apple Store and Google Play s t o r e and see how easy it is to shop smart and save money.

buy seasonal and shop local

Shop by the season and focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. Many supermarkets indicate produce that is procured from local distributors. To help determine whether or not to purchase organic, use the EWG dirty dozen list which evaluates produce that is the most or least laden with pesticide residue. If you are unable to purchase fresh, opt for frozen fruits or vegetables without salt or additives. Most frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at peak and frozen for freshness. (Avoid frozen meals and keep it simple with single ingredient items)

read your labels

Don't get lazy and skip the fine print. Just because it says "organic" or "all natural" on the package does not guarantee a clean and a healthy item. I like the rule - if you cannot pronounce it or are unsure of what it is, then you should not put it into your body.

things to avoid

Try and avoid items with long lists of ingredients and refined products such as refined oils and white flour. Select foods in their most whole form - the less processed and more natural the better. Examples include fresh fruits and vegetables, pasture-raised eggs, hormone-free humanely raised animal protein, wild fish, dried beans, nuts, seeds, nut butter, uncooked grains, and un-radiated additive-free spices. If you purchase canned tomatoes or beans, make sure that they are in a BPA-free can with minimal to no added sodium.

Stay clear of refined sugar. Sugar can be masked under an arrangement of names. Try and avoid products that contain high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, fruit syrup, glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltodextrin, dextrose, sorbitol, corn syrup, fructose, corn sugar, barley malt, caramel, tapioca syrup, and carob syrup. Opt for natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, maple sugar, and coconut sugar.

get organized

Eliminate plastic storage containers, plastic bags, and plastic wrap which may contain BPA. BPA is a chemical linked to endocrine disruptions which may cause hormones to act differently. Instead, store your dried and prepared foods in glass or ceramic containers. Glass containers and jars also help you visually organize your pantry allowing you to easily see what you have at home and preventing you from purchasing something you may already own. Glass containers also make your healthy items more appealing. I like to repurpose peanut butter jars for dried pantry items. Other options include mason jars, weck jars, or these glass storage containers available in various sizes.