Grocery shopping fear.

remieres93

Hello,

Unlike my last two posts in food & nutrition this is about grocery shopping.

When I grocery shop now that I'm healthy I find myself having a hard time picking ANYTHING out. Literally everything is bad from you unless it comes from the ground. Anything that promotes it's healthy is usually not that healthy, anything from a box is usually heavily processed, so I literally find NOTHING in my cart after going through all the food isles.

I'm constantly seeing myself looking at the nutritional guide and putting everything back because it's WAY too many calories for one meal. (I know it's not just about calories, but if the calories are super high, I usually assume that the product probably isn't healthy all the way around.)

Usually what I buy from the store are the tiny premade salads, bananas, apples, strawberries, vegan burgers, I buy wheat bread (which I heard isn't actually good for you.), I usually will buy weight watchers wheat thin bagels, I buy the small sunny D's for the morning (I'm not diabetic, but I usually feel sick in the morning so I like to start with a high potassium drink with just enough sugar.), and I buy lettuce head and salad ingredients to make my own salads.

So my question is, what do you buy from the supermarket? For breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. If anyone can tell me any of the nutritional guides on some of their favorite products, that'd also be helpful.

Also, what are healthy alternatives? like if I want bread, or bagels, or anything carb related whats a healthier alternatives to what people regularly buy? is any type of weight watchers, or smart one tv dinners actually good for you?

I just struggle because I feel like there's no choices, but I'm sure there's more choices than I'm aware of.

0smiile0

Truth be told, the "diet" type products like weight watchers aren't better than the regular versions. Diet food is loaded with additives and chemicals to make it taste good. Same with tv dinners. If you're pressed for time you can set aside a meal prep day and prepare meals for the rest of the week!
You can google "clean eating grocery list" and you'll find a bunch of suggestions. However here are my suggestions:
-fresh/frozen fruits (any)
-fresh/frozen vegetables (any)
-eggs
-fresh, lean meats and fish ie. not cold cuts
-if you're veggie, tofu and tempeh
-unsweetened unflavoured almond milk
-cows milk if you prefer.
-100% juice if you have to have your juice
-brown rice
-quinoa
-whole grain pasta
-sprouted/whole grain bread (ezekiel)
-tinned beans (no/low sodium)
-tinned fish (no/low sodium)
-oats
-seeds
-nuts

if they store bought breads still scare you, you could try making your own! It can be time consuming but there are good recipes out there. forkandbeans.com has some great healthy bagel recipes!

Also, don't fear the calorie content. Yes, if you're losing weight you need a deficit but also focus on the calorie quality. 350 calories of a fresh fruit smoothie is so much better for you than 0 calories of diet coke.

rawhidenadz

Literally everything is bad from you unless it comes from the ground.

No.

(I know it's not just about calories, but if the calories are super high, I usually assume that the product probably isn't healthy all the way around.)

No.

I buy wheat bread (which I heard isn't actually good for you.),

No.

is any type of weight watchers, or smart one tv dinners actually good for you?

No.

So my question is, what do you buy from the supermarket? For breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. If anyone can tell me any of the nutritional guides on some of their favorite products, that'd also be helpful.

Also, what are healthy alternatives? like if I want bread, or bagels, or anything carb related whats a healthier alternatives to what people regularly buy?

Some things I buy regularly: plain Fage greek yogurt, organic milk, organic eggs, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, mixed greens, kale, cucumbers, baby carrots, frozen veggie burgers, olives, different kinds of cheese, bread (i like dave's killer bread brand), hummus, soymilk, almond milk, both frozen and fresh berries, canned tuna/sardines/herring, pasta, couscous, brown rice, dry legumes of all kinds, dark chocolate

Carbs aren't bad for you. They're bad if you eat them in excess and I wouldn't recommend a whole bunch of processed sugary junk regularly, but if you really wanted them and they fit into your macros, I don't think there is anything inherently unhealthy in indulging once in a while. If you're very concerned about processed foods and want to eat more "clean," you can bake your own bread/cake/tortillas from scratch - that way you know exactly how many calories and what ingredients are in each serving. I do that sometimes, when I can. You can even make your own bagels - there's recipes for everything if you google or pick up some recipe books (you'll probably find a whole bunch at your local used bookstore for cheap). You can make your own peanut butter, almond butter, cheese, yogurt, if you like. There are a lot of possibilities.

Overall I'm just getting this massive sense of anxiety about food from your post, like you're assigning morality to food choices with certain foods being "bad" and others being "good" which, no offense, I know from experience points to the beginnings of a pretty unhealthy relationship with food. I suggest relaxing a little bit and just counting your calories and watching your macros and not feeling so guilty about what you consume. I understand having an ideal and wanting to eat a certain way, but in reality, we're all human and none of us can eat perfectly 100% of the time. Good luck.

remieres93

@0smiile0: Thank you for the list of food you usually buy, I'm going to write them down for use at my next grocery shopping date. And you're right, I actually enjoy the Be Green Kale Smoothie from my work. 190 calories of pure amazing.

remieres93

[/quote]
Overall I'm just getting this massive sense of anxiety about food from your post, like you're assigning morality to food choices with certain foods being "bad" and others being "good" which, no offense, I know from experience points to the beginnings of a pretty unhealthy relationship with food. I suggest relaxing a little bit and just counting your calories and watching your macros and not feeling so guilty about what you consume. I understand having an ideal and wanting to eat a certain way, but in reality, we're all human and none of us can eat perfectly 100% of the time. Good luck.
[/quote]

Honestly, you're right. I literally have anxiety going up and down the isles trying to figure out what to eat. So, all in all I guess you're right. I appreciate the food list, I will also be writing down yours. I guess you're right, we're humans, there's no way to be 100% healthy eating all day everyday, i'll give relaxing a try.

Sigmalongshot

That's a dangerous road to tread, TC. When I was at my lowest, most unhealthy, life-threatening anorexic weight (double-digits) I was so fearful of everything. I started to get this arbitrary notion that anything above a certain nutritional value per 100g was off-limits.

The truth is, nothing in the supermarket should be off-limits to you; you should factor in anything to your diet that you want, only portioning in ways that's most relevant to your diet and lifestyle.

Love chocolate? Buy it weigh it.
Love bacon? Buy it and weigh it.

If you're really neurotic about what goes in your body, don't veto anything - moderate everything.

You become a much happier person.

bcattoes

I don't buy many frozen meals, though I do usually keep frozen pizzas on hand for times when I don't have time to cook or just don't feel like it.

I love to cook so I cook most meals from scratch. I buy fresh produce, frozen fish, lean meats, dried and canned beans, eggs, whole grains (mostly various rices, quinoa and rolled oats), eggs.

Some packaged foods I keep on hand are pancake mix (I like Arrowhead Mills sprouted grain or buckwheat), tomato based pasta sauces, pasta (regular and Fiber Gourmet), canned tuna, peanut butter, cooking oils, maple syrup, cocoa roast almonds, wine, beer, soy milk, almond milk, cottage cheese, reduced fat cheeses, fat free greek yogurt (flavored, I can't stand plain), wholemeal bread, various hot sauces and pickled vegetables (also make some of my own), mayo, a variety of mustards.

For grain products I usually just look for high fiber and low sugar. Even some wholegrain breads are loaded with added sugar. And not a lot of additives. It doesn't take 30 ingredients to make bread.

nam985

Relax! Food is just food, it is neither good nor bad. The grocery store can be an interesting place, look carefully, you may discover some wonderful goodies there. Higher calorie doesn't necessarily mean nutrient poor!

I hit up the grocery store this morning, here was my list:
- spinach
- kale
- cucumber
- broccoli
- apples
- blueberries
- lemons
- mint leaves
- frozen mixed seafood
- chicken breasts
- half and half
- coconut milk
- yogurt
- vanilla ice cream
- whole grain bread (I love Silver Hills brand)
- polenta
- wild rice
- granola bars

ASH2038602

I totally feel your pain. I have a hard time also. I went shopping for protein bars last week for snacks and after 15 minutes of reading nutrition labels walked away with nothing, because if the calories weren't too high the sugars were lol. I don't buy the frozen meals, because I am trying to watch my sodium intake. I do plain oatmeal in the mornings with blueberries, or 1 whole egg with 1 egg white and veggies mixed in, usually kale or spinach. For lunch I will make tuna salad (with greek yogurt, not mayo) in a batch large enough for the week, and put that in a whole wheat tortilla instead of bread. I also use whole grain english muffins instead of bread. Dinner is a little harder for me, because I cook for a family that won't eat "diet" foods. I usually eat a small portion of what they are having and then load up on veggies, or try to make substitutions for myself, like spaghetti squash instead of pasta. For snacks I keep a lot of produce in the house. I make kale chips pretty frequently, I make my own hummus for carrots, and I buy raw almonds in the 100 calorie packs so I don't go overboard. I write a shopping list before I go to the store so I don't get frazzled and run out.

JoRocka

chicken + veggies = dinner and all other meals
Eggs + veggies + bacon = every other meal that's not said chicken/steak meal.

You have to eat- at some point if you listened to what everyone said about bad things- we'd be breathovoires- and even that wouldn't last long- because there are nasty chemicals in the air.

You gotta eat. Don't over think it. Find things you like- make substitutions if it helps you- learn to cook and prep your own food so you can control the oils and "unknowns"

remieres93

Thank you everyone for the positive responses! It's good to know I'm not alone in my eating fear, but it's also good to know that I should just relax, enjoy what I want to enjoy in smaller moderations.

@Ash a lot of numbers that would of been quicker than writing all this-- Ugh, I know how you feel because when I lived with my parents and my mom started to lose weight (she lost 100 lbs in a year) the rest of us were not on board with the completely healthy and "diet" entrees, which I know can make really hard for those trying to lose weight. But nice progress! looking at your profile picture I'm actually so confused as to you trying to lose 60 more lbs, because you actually look pretty great already! good luck.

Also, does anyone know if peanut butter is good for you or not? Half say its amazing because of protein, the other half say no?! I think that's part of my issue is not even knowing what is healthy.

I buy a lot of tuna, I buy wheat or whole grain bread as opposed to white bread, I buy lettuce heads for lettuce (its .98 cents for a whole head of lettuce which will make me 4-8 salads (depending how big I make them) as opposed to the 3$ spinach that makes 3-4 salads. I work at a bakery/café, and I buy a 1/2 salad almost everyday at work with tomatos, cucumbers, kalamata olives, dried craisins, pecans, sliced almonds, thai cashews, and sunflower seeds , and sometimes with 1.75 oz of antibiotic chicken (if you can guess where I work based on the ingredients in my salads, you rule!) I don't even know if the salads I eat are healthy. :sad: I only do half a ladle of ranch though. (our ladles are probably as big as one tbsp.

gelar93

I mainly buy fruits (mostly apples, cherries, berries, bananas and grapes) and vegetables , along with egg, chicken and maybe chicken sausages. I love to snack on fruit so I stay away from unhealthy snacks

ASH2038602

Aw you are sweet, thank you! Another 60lbs would be my weight like 5 years ago, but honestly as long as I am healthy I am good with whatever weight that falls at. And my mom also lost 100lbs! Good for our Moms being good examples :-)

I buy all natural peanut butter, less sodium and sugar, and have 1/2-1 tablespoon at a time . It's not as sweet as the regular stuff, so I often add like 1/4 teaspoon of local honey.

JoRocka

move away from the idea that stuff is "healthy" or not for you.
That will solve a lot of problems.

Figure out the nutritional value of things- and what you need to eat to fill your "quota" for the day.

There is a reason even IFFYM people still eat a lot of chicken and veggies and what not- because it fills the day and meets their needs.

Peanut butter is great when you are low on fat or energy- it has more fat than protein in it. I keep a jar at work- when I'm low on food/energy I grab a small spoonful- great with a banana- carbs- fat- protein- win win. great snack.

peanut butter isn't good when you already over on your fat- or you tend to eat to much of it.

So you see- ti is neither healthy or unhealthy. It just meets a goal- or it does not. Think of it more like tetris- using food to fill your day and fill gaps rather than a black and white- this is good and this is bad.

As you can see- you'll just make yourself crazy.

abatonfan

It also seems like I am buying a lot less, but it seems like I spend more time now comparing products. I think my mother thought I was crazy for comparing 6-8 different oatmeal varieties to find the one that suits my needs best.

0smiile0

Also, does anyone know if peanut butter is good for you or not? Half say its amazing because of protein, the other half say no?! I think that's part of my issue is not even knowing what is healthy.

All peanut butter is good, but there are certain ones that are better! Look for a peanut butter where the only ingredient is peanuts. Nut butters are delicious and full of healthy fats. Raw almond butter is my personal favorite!

ladybird89

I get the same anxiety a lot. It helps to take a step back and look at the picture, and realize that our bodies are not going to last forever. They are slowly deteriorating as we get older, and no matter how much you limit your diet, nothing is going to stop that from eventually happening. I know that might sound very grim, but in reality, admitting this should bring you a bit of relief.

The important thing is to eat healthy foods that nourish your body, control your portions, and eat everything in moderation. Because pretty much ANYTHING we consume in excess has the potential of being harmful--even water!!

Personally, I buy a lot of organic produce (fruits and veggies, I mix it up depending on what I want to make that week), organic lean meat, hummus, cheese, almond milk, free range organic eggs, and occasionally nutrition bars. I also buy Udi's gluten free sliced bread and bagels on occasion.

I generally avoid frozen foods, canned foods, and pretty much all the snack aisle stuff like crackers, cookies, etc. Mostly because I prefer to make my food fresh. The only frozen things I buy are organic fruit for smoothies, and on very rare occasions, frozen veggies.

fushigi1988

Food is just food.

Look up orthorexia, and consider getting help. Your food fears might be getting worse, and you could get too scared to eat anything anymore.