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Grocery shopping is a basic part of daily life for moms and dads who go to the store to pick out nutritious foods that keep the family healthy. But what many parents don't realize is that supermarkets are not the cleanest places and they can harbor hidden germs and bacteria that can make people sick. These germs may not be dangerous to healthy people, but anyone with a weakened immune system may be more susceptible to illness due to the germs. To keep your family healthy and protected from germs, follow these 10 ways to make grocery shopping more sanitary.

1. Always wash your hands when you've been out in public. When you're out with little ones they tend to touch everything in sight. Make it a habit to have them wash their hands as soon as they get home and before they eat. Parents should especially make sure to wash thoroughly before and after handling food.

2. Clean your shopping cart. Many grocery stores do not clean their shopping carts so you should bring sanitary wipes to clean them off before shopping. You can also purchase a shopping cart handle cover or a Babee Covee. Babee Covee is a convertible 6-in-1 blanket and cover than can easily be used as a shopping cart cover. Creating a barrier, it will protect you and your children from the multitude of germs that are often found on shopping carts.

So how dirty are shopping carts? According to Beforeitsnews.com:

"Germs are everywhere and live on surfaces, like shopping cart handles. Researchers at the University of Arizona conducted a study to find out just how germ-ridden those handles are. They found that, among other things, 72 percent of the carts tested positive for fecal matter and 50 percent showed E. coli. The situation is even worse during cold and flu season."

3. Wrap your food. When picking out fresh fruits and veggies, make sure to use the plastic bags provided to wrap the produce in. Never place unwrapped food items directly on the checkout counter/belt, which can be teeming with bacteria.

4. Always check for expiration dates. Expiration dates or "sell by" dates on products let you know when a product is safe to consume. If you can't find an expiration date but a product does not look fresh or has a strange smell, don't buy it. Food is typically good for 7 to 10 days from the time of packaging but for meat it is 3 days.

5. Check for spills. Be on the lookout for any spills such as spilled milk or juice on shelves. If you see old food on the floor this should be a red flag. In the event that you do notice unsanitary conditions at your grocery store or supermarket, ask to speak to the manager so you can inform them. Find a new store if it remains unclean on your next shopping trip.

6. Clean your reusable bags. Many parents forget that although their eco-friendly bags are reusable, they still need to be washed! These bags have been found to contain high levels of bacteria and even E. coli. The bags can easily be tossed in the wash between shopping trips to get rid of any bacteria.

7. Pass on the free samples. Trying out the free food samples in grocery stores is tempting but there are situations where it's better to just keep walking the other way. If you don't know how long the food has been sitting out there and there's no one around to ask, skip the sample. Also pay attention to how the food is being prepared and how it's being served. Individual toothpicks and forks are fine but avoid any shared bowls.

8. Check how food is stored. Any cold foods should be kept in cold refrigerators or freezers and hot foods should be kept hot all day. You can look for a package at the bottom of a pile to try and find the hottest one. The same goes for cold packages -- the coldest will be at the bottom. If a food item looks like it was prepared in the morning and has been sitting around in a lukewarm package all day, you probably shouldn't buy it.

9. Inspect food cases. For deli, fish, dairy and meat items, do an inspection of their cases to see how clean they really are. Warning signs include loose food, crumbs and dirt which should not be sitting on shelves or splattered on cases. When shopping for fish make sure that the cooked and uncooked fish are not touching each other which can lead to contamination.

10. Look at cans, jars and bottles. Before buying any cans or jars check to see that the safety buttons haven't popped up. If the button is popped up this can indicate a spoiled product so check the safety buttons of the other products on the shelf. If one item is spoiled, chances are that other products from the batch are also contaminated.