GROCERY SHOPPINGG!!!

kminjee

So going to the gym for me isn't the issue, I love the feeling of working out, in fact I work out 6x a week for about an hr or two and I feel great. Unfortunately, abs are made in the kitchen more than working out, so I just need kind of a basic grocery list. I work 40 hours a week and i'm a full time student so I need some quick prep meal planning or any suggestions that could help me out. Myfitnesspal says I should eat about 1200 ish but I think that is a bit too low for me, I wanna range about 1,400ish. No i dont log in my workouts or anything on here cause I dont come on here that much, but i love the community here, so please help Much appreciated!

Fit_Fox88

My staples are a bag of frozen chicken breasts, 1lb bag of rice or 1lb of quinoa, a variety of fresh veggies, a couple dozen eggs, cans of tuna, couple boxes of pasta and a few recipe sites (skinnytaste.com, allrecipes.com, cookinglight.com). I spend my down time on the weekends planning meals and if I know I'm going to be using the same veggies for meals early in the week, I'll do the chopping/portioning over the wkend too that way it's ready when I'm ready to cook.

I usually switch out my meats on different weeks or buy a couple different ones at a time to switch up weekly meals.

kminjee

I've heard that it isn't the best to get frozen meat, and to get fresh meat etc, but man that is expensive!

1911JR

Best simple answer you will get is right here.

Eat nothing out of the center isles of a grocery store. (oats may be hid) Just push your little buggy around the outer parameters and pick and choose what's good and not, and you will be good.

crepes_

Do you have a free day in which to bulk cook your meals for the week? Plenty of people do this when they have hectic schedules that don't allow much time for cooking. Just make casseroles and veggies to pack away for the week, and have ready-made baggies of hardboiled eggs, almonds, string cheese, peanut butter, or fruit to go for breakfasts.

WildCatClimbs

There are a lot of fantastic meal prep sites out there if you want to get specific. However this is what I personally do:

Breakfast is usually 2-3 eggs and two pieces of GF toast with butter OR a cup of plain oats with a drizzle of maple syrup. This is fast in the morning but I can understand it does still take time. You can alternatively bake a large breakfast casserole and heat up portions in the microwave. I eat instant plain organic oats, so that is super fast as well, just mix it with the hot water tap at work, and a drizzle of maple syrup I bring in a tiny mason jar.

Lunch I prep on Sundays for the whole week, I make a huge salad of red leaf lettuce, artichokes,carrots, bacon, and shredded chicken off a rotisserie. I add a half an avocado at lunch time and a drizzle of whatever flavor Tessemae's dressing I am currently favoring.

Dinners I do a lot of freezer prep for, so I make for instance a lot of bags of chili, soups, paleo orange chicken, etc and then thaw the day before and toss in the crockpot in the morning. Alternatively I will prep hamburgers/chicken burgers ahead of time to toss on the stove, steam up some frozen yams or brown rice with steamed veggies. Done and done!

It does take planning, there are tons of great websites about meal prep, freezer meals, etc that can help you in depth to get started. It will get easier once you have a plan. I do mass buying at Costco and then weekly Whole Foods trips for fresh produce,eggs, bacon, etc. I buy meat in bulk from a local rancher, cuts the price down a TON, but all of this requires you have storage

Frozen stuff is fine, make sure it is good quality frozen stuff and you will be fine. At the end of the day you have to work with what you have. If buying bags of frozen chicken breasts is what works and the alternative is eating out? Don't sweat it, buy the frozen boobs

Sample list:

Chicken Breasts
Ground Beef
Cans of Tuna
Brown Rice
TONS of Frozen Veggies(whatever you like)
Lettuce
Avocados
Carrots
Hummus
Greek Yogurt
Oats
Eggs
Sweet Potatoes

That is a good place to start!

kminjee

Thank you so much for the wonderful information. I'm going to continue to do my research and I will start grocery shopping tomorrow

What do you do on the weekend though? Do you allow yourself to eat out?

WildCatClimbs

Weekends are actually easier. We really don't eat out much, just hasn't ever been our thing. But when we do eat out, I don't worry about it, I get what I want. On the weekends I usually make eggs, bacon, toast and coffee for breakfast, Lunch if we are home is usually like soup, since we tend to eat breakfast later on the weekends, lunch is light. Dinner since I have more time I will usually make something more involved, WHICH usually just means I have to chop veggies or something. For example last Saturday I made Scallops, baked yams, and asparagus and Sunday I made an Asian salad with grilled chicken, napa cabbage and a teriyaki glaze kind of thing. Never really anything complicated or involved honestly. Stir fry, burgers, grilled fish, things like that are pretty common for dinner. It takes practice just like anything and then it becomes second nature. It does start to feel less hectic and just another part of your routine, promise

celphiee

I usually eat out more on the weekend.

Week days- generally, I buy a loaf of sour dough for breakfasts- toasted with a little bit of melted cheese on top.

Lunches, I prepare in advance, my slow cooker is an asset for this!

Dinners, usually something quick, in the summer I tend to BBQ up a bunch of meat and eat with rice and veggies. Although, I'm not trying to lose (in case you are).

Snacks- lots of fruit, no preparation there!

beamer0821

i grocery shop once a week and with a list so its faster and easier.

do you meal plan? i don't really have staples as to not get bored i shop based on my meal plan for the week but i usually make meals that is something i want to eat paired always with something fresh. every meal has something fresh on my plate like a fruit or veggie.

i usually eat leftovers for lunch everyday so I'm not preparing so many meals

Mich4871

We eat out at least 2x a week. I just make good choices or if we are going somewhere with huge portions, I ask for a take a way box when they bring my food and put 1/2-3/4 of the meal in the box for leftovers at home during the week.

My staples that I keep in the fridge and do a bulk cook on Sunday are:

Shredded chicken - I poach 3-4 chicken breasts and then shred them up. Perfect for salads, or even a snack after a work out.
Hard Boiled Eggs
Quiona - SO versatile! Put it in salad, soups, eggs
I LOVE beets, so I always have beets in the fridge too
I also make a batch of split pea soup every Sunday. It's a filling (and low cal) snack for me, or even a full meal if I add the shredded chicken and/or quiona.

Other staples for me:
Canned artichoke hearts (packed in water)
Garbanzo beans
Rice Cakes - I often have them for a quick breakfast with sunflower seed butter because it's fast and easy to eat while I get my kids ready for school.

TopazCutie

My staples:
Frozen salmon
Quinoa
Frozen fruit
Almonds and almond milk
Lettuce and veggies for salad
etc