need help with a grocery list!

TheFutureIsMine

Hey all,
I am just starting out on MFP and am about to do my first grocery shop to suit a healthy lifestyle! Can anyone out there give me ideas for healthy essentials you buy regularly? All I can think about are the usual fruits and vegetables - my main problem is grains. I love bread and need to find an alternative! I also have problems with breakfast - I never eat it because I don't like a whole lot of breakfast foods. I love to cook and will try anything atleast once! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Linds

platoon

When I ate carbs regularly, I bought whole wheat everything, including brown rice, wheat pasta, multi-grain bread... Nowadays, there's a whole wheat version of everything including pancakes and waffles...

nursejennyk

I love egg beaters and Thomas light whole grain English muffins
Also vita muffins, vans natural light Belgian waffles, and morningstar has these new delicious Spicy sausage patties. They really hit the spot. If I dint have enough protein with breakfast I get hungry again really quickly

oregonlady

eggs. i hard boil eggs a lot and i eat the whites (only) for breakfast a lot.
good nutrition.
only 17 cals each!!!!!:noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:

sharonuk10

Nothing beats eggs for breakfast... in my opinion anyways. I have them fried and scrambled.

cmadden89

My husband and parents help me with this as well. I like variety because if I eat the same old thing it gets boring and I dont' feel motivated. Don't take the lists in meals, just a whole compiled list of what I like to eat.

Breakfast: Eggs, one slice of whole wheat toast, a glass of skim milk, mini-wheat bagels with fat free cream cheese, lowfat yogurt, a cup of fruit...

Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken, tuna and low-sodium crackers, low-sodium soup...

Dinner: Tilapia (fish), salmon, baked or grilled chicken with veggeis

Snacks: fruit, veggies, an occasional 100 calorie pack if I HAVE to satisfy a sweet craving. You mentioned you love bread you could try some fat-free, low-sodium pretzels or Triscuits or Wheat Thins.

That's what I have so far! Don't be afraid to eat out either, just make healtheir and smaller-food portion choices!

hozik

Welcome! My grocery list always includes lean protein(lean beef/chicken, fish, beans, tofu), fruits, veggies, whole grains(I like Ezekiel 4:9 bread and whole grain pasta) and healthy fats(nuts, avocado and olives).
If you don't like traditional breakfast foods, try eating something that you normally eat for lunch/dinner as your breakfast--I just ate leftover Indian food for breakfast and it was delish!
Best of luck to you!

Amarillo_NDN

best thing any one can ever do when shopping is look at the lable and make sure you understand how to read it. For me it is surgar content, I wa so surprise at what I thought was healthy food was in fact not.

rosef17

Liquid egg whites (right next to egg beaters) Arnolds or earthgrain sandwich thins (personally I like Earthgrains better each are only 100 calories and you can toast them (I had one and put 2 tbl peanut butter on it for breakfast) use them to make sandwiches or for burgers, I like Boca burgers use those instead of hamburgers sugar free gum (to keep the mouth busy for sneak attack urges LOL) Instead of pop I drink either Fuze or diet green tea Welcome!!

rosef17

Don't forget to check the recipe message boards, lots of good ideas there too!

katkat987

I just believe in a lot of fresh fruit and veg, no ready meals, flavoured water, and a few low fat treats like fruit in jelly, yoghurts and cereal bars x

4lafz

I love lots of what has already been said - plus:

Lundberg brown rice cakes (have with a tblsp of peanut butter)
Flatout wraps
Oroweat whole wheat sandwich thins
Egg beaters
Canadian bacon (many less cals that even turkey bacon)
50 cal whole wheat tortillas
Fresh salsa
Ground turkey
Half breast fresh turkey (in the meat aisle)
Halibut - bake with a low cal dressing with a sprinkle of panko - YUM and doesn't taste fishy
Jumbo shrimp
Oatmeal
Laughing cow light cheese (use as a spread for sanwiches) - comes in multiple flavors
Heart Smart sliced turkey breast (lunch meat)
Hummus (also use as a spread)
Farmers market for fresh fruit and veggies
Greek 0% yogurt - I use as sour cream
Fat free yogurt - find your favorites
100 cal packs of Almonds
100 Cal mini bags Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn

Hungr Girl has a shopping list online. You can sign up for emails - she has a daily email with great ideas (some I do and some I don't)
http://hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1526

Can you tell I am a protein girl :-)

lilac67

Who says you have to eat breakfast foods for breakfast! Have a turkey burger for breakfast if you want to! Have a taco! But have something.

My staples are old fashioned oatmeal, unsweetened applesauce, eggs, whole wheat bread or english muffins, lean meat, brown rice, veggies (frozen ones too), whole grain pasta and sugar free pasta sauce. I have been making alot of soups with the fall coming and always buy with the sales. I do buy sugar free puddings and jello and I pop popcorn on the stove.

Topbobdog

Hey all,
I am just starting out on MFP and am about to do my first grocery shop to suit a healthy lifestyle! Can anyone out there give me ideas for healthy essentials you buy regularly? All I can think about are the usual fruits and vegetables - my main problem is grains. I love bread and need to find an alternative! I also have problems with breakfast - I never eat it because I don't like a whole lot of breakfast foods. I love to cook and will try anything atleast once! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Linds

Nickles makes a light bread that is only 35 calories a slice they do make good calorie breads. They also make pastas that are whole grain which taste the same and are a lot better for you.

Best advise check the labels of everything your first grocery trip will be the longest because you will look at every label and compare calories on everything but remember. IT IS ALL WORTH IT, Good luck on your Journey

KimSchnizleinWECHANGED

Hey all,
I am just starting out on MFP and am about to do my first grocery shop to suit a healthy lifestyle! Can anyone out there give me ideas for healthy essentials you buy regularly? All I can think about are the usual fruits and vegetables - my main problem is grains. I love bread and need to find an alternative! I also have problems with breakfast - I never eat it because I don't like a whole lot of breakfast foods. I love to cook and will try anything atleast once! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Linds

Carbs ... Think high fiber, and lower on the glycemic index. Pasta and bakery Italian Bread are my most difficult carb foods, and I'm still trying to deal with them. Be careful not to make too many drastic changes, in the foods you buy or the foods you eat, all at once because it tends to create the optimum situation for failure. I know that in my experience 1 or 2 well intentioned food changes at a time were easier to deal with, and I add a few every grocery trip. You say that bread is a problem ... You don't exactly have to nix it completely ... Just go with a whole grain bread, and if that's a little too much at first ... Just switch to a whole wheat. Breakfast is not my meal either, but I have incorporated oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great complex carb (high fiber and great for combating existing cholesterol issues, or preventing them from starting). I add fresh fruit (banana, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, etc), I add ground flax seed meal, raw wheat germ, and cinnamon. Almost anything you can think of you can add to oatmeal! Use the old fashioned or quick oats (both can be microwaved) not instant packets. I have a recipe or 2 that I'd be glad to share, but you can also check out the recipes in the Forum. Also remember that you don't have to eat "breakfast" foods for breakfast ..... Things like lean turkey deli meat and cheese are good, fruit, cottage cheese, yogurt, fruit smoothies, ricotta cheese with fruit, or a Mexican brkfst. wrap .... Just a few. Good Luck .... Happy shopping ... And most definitely happy eating!!

KIM

mem50

Traditional breakfast foods are over-rated. I will sometimes take a wheat tortilla and bake it in the oven (toaster oven works well too) with some sliced tomato, feta cheese and a little sprinkle of mozzarella cheese (to make it stick together) at 425 till its melted. Another one I like is the flat bread with baby spinach and hummus with a skinny slice of turkey. Sometimes I just have cottage cheese with fruit. It really does not matter what you eat, just as long as you are eating something. Another thing I keep around are the V-8 fusion juices. Small glass of that does me just fine in the morning with a slice of toast. Mostly I just have peanut butter toast. I work third and me bouncing around in the kitchen wakes up my husband.

TheFutureIsMine

Thank you all very much! I have taken your suggestions and had a good grocery shop which I am very proud of bc I didn't buy anything to tempt me into cheating!!! Looking forward to trying some of your ideas and maybe having some lunch/dinner foods for breakfast! :P
Thanks again!
Linds