Eating Healthy Starts with A Good Shopping List!
Everyone knows you never should grocery shop when you are hungry, because you buy stuff that you just shouldn't. But lets be honest, when you are trying to start eating healthier...You are ALWAYS hungry. 24/7. Non-stop. All I can think about is a big, cheese burger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, bacon and all the fixings. So we never should walk into a grocery store again because I might sink my teeth into the first thing that even resembles a cheese burger? No. We have a game plan and stick to it.
I am someone that needs organization. I can't sit down and grade papers or read or do anything before I have the house clean and in order. So when I grocery shop I need a game plan so I stay in track. Now that is easy for me to do because I am pretty disciplined when it comes to following the rules, but I know everyone is not like me and it can be very hard. So if you have a hard time following the plan, just ask a friend or a family member to come along. You get to have social time and have someone be "List Master" so that no guests not on the list wander into the club that is your shopping cart.
This has a lot to do with meal prep as well. I would suggest picking a day where you have free time to sit down and decide what you are going to eat for the week. There are a lot of meal planner printables out there that are an amazing help with this, because you cannot build your grocery list till you know what you want to make. I will put a link to my favorites and the ones I use at the bottom of the page.
Once you have done that you are ready to start your grocery list. I like mine to be divided out by section so that shopping is streamlined and efficient, but if you prefer to make several loops all around the store...at least you are getting in all your steps for the day. Exercise can be found anywhere; just because you aren't doing squats in the freezer isle doesn't mean you aren't a lean, mean calorie burning machine!! So that is a great way to get the extra steps in .
My "Must Haves" Weekly Grocery List
Grains/Nuts Dairy/ Deli / Cheese
- Quinoa Greek Yogurt
- Oatmeal Almond milk or 1% milk
- Brown Rice Colby Monterey Jack Sliced Cheese
- Whole Wheat Pitas Eggs
- **Pita Chips ** Hummus
- Whole Wheat Pasta Block Cheese
- Wheat Bread Block/Fresh Mozzarella
- Almonds Sliced Turkey (smoked)
- Whole Wheat Tortillas
Produce- Veggies Produce- Fruits
- Kale Strawberries
- Baby Spinach Raspberries
- **Head of Lettuce Apples (any kind)
- Green, Red, Orange and Yellow Bell Peppers Pineapple
- Sugar Snap Peas Oranges
- Baby Carrots **Lemons/Limes
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Cherry Tomatoes
Frozen Foods
- Freezer veggies - Mixed Vegetables, Stir Fry Veggies
- Frozen berries or fruits (for smoothies or yogurt)
Protein:
- Chicken Breast
- Lean Ground Beef
- Shrimp (Frozen)
- Salmon
You may have noticed that some foods had ** next to them. Those are either special foods or have some explanations:
The head of lettuce and lemons/limes I grow myself. So I don't actually have those on my list because I don't need to buy them, but I included them here so you could see that they are needed.
The Pita and Hummus are something I love in particular because I am part Lebanese, so we love our Hummus. And it is actually pretty healthy and has lots of different flavors to try. Pita chips are a good pair, but so is cheese with pepperoni slices. (pita chips are just a little better for you).
You can add any additional HEALTY foods to the list, as well as one junk/snack item per week. I usually change mine up each week. But you cannot completely deny yourself everything all the time. It is okay to have one snack a week that isn't a super food. Moderation is key. If you want to know more about Portions and how to size your food that you just purchased see my post about that here.
Your cart really should look like the rainbow.
The Rainbow Method, Explained:
There should be a little something of every color in there, NOT including the boxed and bagged goods. I am talking clean and fresh foods. You should have something of every color in there. Once you have the rainbow, you know you have probably enough healthy fruits and veggies to last you the week. This Rainbow Method also helps you try new things. For example, Purple... Besides plums you have things like Eggplant. I didn't like that food before using my Rainbow method. Now I love trying it in different ways. And it is all because I needed something purple. If you ask me that is a food miracle. (BTW good luck with indigo....I suggest skipping that one because....well blue is blue. )
Like I said earlier, there are a lot of pintables out there that will help you get organized and follow your plan. Here are some of my favorites. I also included the water tracker that I have on my fridge that is also in printable format.
For more printables, a simple google search or a trip to Pinterest should do. You can even make your own using Microsoft word or Excel. Feel Free to be creative and even make a binder out of it.
HAPPY SHOPPING!
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