When making grocery purchases, customers should want to get the right choices for their shrinking food dollar.

Some items placed in shopping carts, according to experts, are unwise purchases and too many extras that often don't add up.

"The labels, the company labels that are well known, just because you buy those, those could be adding extra costs to your grocery bill," said Charlotte Baker, Dietitian, Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center.

Something to consider when buying items, the ones that are eye level on the shelves usually costs more than the upper or lower portion of the shelf.

Rather than buying supermarket items, some prefer to eat out, often two meals at a restaurant or fast food place.

"It does add up and it's hard if you are on any special diet, it's just about impossible to eat out a lot and stay on that diet," added Baker.

In a two part series on "wise food buys," our guest dietitian discusses planning meals and gives suggestions on what healthy foods customers on fixed incomes can purchase.