You're tired, you're in pain, and you have nothing in the refrigerator. Don't fret: If you have rheumatoid arthritis, these tips can make grocery shopping for healthy foods a lot easier.

Rheumatoid arthritis can make even the simplest tasks difficult. Take the supermarket, for example. Walking down long aisles can hurt already swollen knee joints, and just reaching for a box of cereal on a shelf can seem nearly impossible. Then there’s all the bending and lifting to move your groceries from the cart onto the checkout counter and then into your car. Your joints may just scream, “Please, no more.”

Samantha Heller, a New York-based dietitian, and Kelly Rouba, an advisory board member of the Arthritis National Research Foundation and author of Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, offer advice about how to ease your rheumatoid arthritis pain and make the most out of your trips to the grocery store.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Shopping Guide to Healthy Foods

• Buy trimmed and pre-cut foods. Heller recommends reviewing healthy foods at your market thoroughly and taking advantage of work that has already been done for you. Most produce sections at large supermarkets have bags of pre-cut carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and other crunchy vegetables. Raw chicken breasts can often be bought in thin slices for a stir-fry, for instance; look for lean beef available in cubes for stews.
• Shop for pre-washed produce. Healthy foods and convenience can both be found at the salad bar. “Salad bars are a great place to shop,” Heller says. “The vegetables are not only pre-cut, but pre-washed and ready to go.” Salad bar vegetables may be a bit more expensive than other veggies, but the convenience may be worth the extra cost.
• Choose smaller packaging. If you can’t get someone to come with you to the store, think about ways you can make your job there easier. “Small packages don’t put the stress on your arms and joints that larger ones do,” Heller notes. Though buying in bulk may be more economical, repeatedly lifting heavy objects can aggravate rheumatoid arthritis pain.
• Make more frequent trips. Buying smaller quantities at a time may mean more trips to the store, but this can help you remember to take it easy, Heller says. Likewise, if you drive to the grocery store, don’t be tempted to unload the car all in one go. Make several trips to the car or get a cart to help you maneuver groceries into the house.
• Bring your own bag. Paper or plastic? Neither. Rouba says reusable, environmentally friendly shopping bags are good for more than just reducing waste. “These bags have longer handles so that you can hang them on a wheelchair or on a walker,” says Rouba. “And for people with wrist issues, you can carry them in the middle of your arm where your bone is strongest.”
• Take a friend. “If you can wangle some assistance when you go, that can be a great help," Heller says. "Another person can pick up the heavy stuff, like potatoes and grains.”
• Ask for a personal shopper. Then next best thing to a friend coming with you is a personal shopper, which some grocery stores provide free to their customers. Rouba says her friend Rich, who had muscular dystrophy, used personal shoppers. “They weren’t supposed to accept tips. That’s great for people living with rheumatoid arthritis who are on a limited income,” notes Rouba. “You want to tip people who help you out, but it can add up.”
• Seek additional assistance. Even stores that aren’t able to spare a staff person to help you shop are usually able to provide some assistance, whether it’s helping customers reach items on the tallest shelves or loading the groceries into the car. “Almost any grocery store is able to send someone from customer service to help you, if you just ask,” Rouba says. Investigate if any of your local supermarkets offer motorized shopping carts you can use instead of walking the aisles. Or use online services that let you place your order on their Web site and have it delivered to your home or brought out to your car if you pick up.
• Take advantage of local social services. Heller suggests using local services like Meals on Wheels once a week to give yourself a break from buying and cooking food. Many communities also offer transportation programs for people who are disabled and can’t drive to and from the grocery store.
• Listen to your body. The bottom line is to tune into what your body is saying. “If you have rheumatoid arthritis, chances are you know what you can and can’t do,” says Heller. Do what you can and ask for help with everything else.