Nutrition ou may view shopping as a chore, but every time you place something in your trolley, you could be having a positive effect on your wellbeing. Here are some ideas for things to add to your next shop. Something fishy Oily fish are a great buy because of their high content of omega-3 fatty acids, which dampen down inflammatory processes and pain. Try to plan at least one ideally two meals each week containing an oily fish. Tinned sardines and mackerel are one of the cheapest ways to get omega-3s, and they taste great on toast or in a pasta sauce. Opening the tins may be challenging, however. Keep tins handy and ask someone to help open one, so its ready to use at your next meal. Pre-cooked mackerel and salmon flakes from the chilled aisle are an easy add to scrambled eggs for breakfast, salads, pasta or even jacket potatoes mixed with crme fraiche and chives. Frozen salmon fillets tend to be cheaper than fresh or if you prefer a breaded white fish, look out for frozen omega-3 fish fingers and fillets. What if you dont like oily fish? One of the best alternatives for getting your omega-3s are eggs. All eggs provide an amount of omega-3, but some are enriched further when the chickens are fed foods high in omega-3, such as flax seeds. There are plant sources of omega3s, too, but they are different from the DHA and EPA found in oily fish and conversion of these by the body is not an efficient process. Eating plenty of plant sources is helpful (such as flax, chia, hemp and pumpkin seeds, edamame beans, walnuts and tofu), but if you are vegetarian or vegan, you may want to consider taking an omega-3 supplement. Get a fibre boost Eat more fibre is a message that has been around for many years, but most people in the UK, and across the globe, fall far short of recommended fibre intakes. What you may not realise is that increasing fibre intake not only benefits digestive health, but could also improve arthritis, particularly rheumatoid. How? First, by improving the overall quality of your diet, as fibre-rich foods also tend to be higher in a variety of minerals and nutrients. Second, by providing food for the friendly bacteria living in the gut, which then produce short-chain fatty acids that, when absorbed into the blood stream, help to decrease inflammation. Simple swaps So, next time youre shopping, think about fibre. Switch to a higher-fibre breakfast, such as porridge oats, bran flakes, shredded wheat, Weetabix, low-sugar granola or muesli. Options for swapping bread products are endless, with wholemeal, oatmeal or super-seeded loaves or rolls, wholemeal wraps and bagels, soy and linseed breads the choice is huge. Why not try wholegrain basmati rice? You can cook your own or buy readycooked in pouches, sometimes mixed with other grains. Sadly, frozen rice bags 40 versusarthritis.org PP39-41_Inspire_Summer 2023_Shopping Trolley.indd 40 17/05/2023 16:06