Need shopping help!

lannahgirl

Ok I will be going grocery shopping tomorrow and since i'm new at this could someone please recommend some items that are good for me that I should be having in the fridge or cabinets......any help is appreciated, thanks!

nurse_carolyn

Start to read labels. You want to avoid foods high in sugar, sodium, fat, etc... Take 2 different brands and compare the labels. Be careful of cereals that have healthy names because they aren't always. Good luck:)

epj78

Shop the edges of the store.

Obviously, stock up on veggie and fruit for snacks. Nuts are good (but watch portion size since they are high in calories too). Skim milk (or almond milk, etc), greek yogurt, lean cuts of meat, frozen veggies, whole wheat bread. Those are all on my weekly list.

I'm a pretty boring eater though - lean meat, veggie, and whole grain or starchy veggie (if calories allow) for each meal. yogurt or fruit and nuts for snacks. For me, it's easier to stick to, the more simplistic the plan.

RoxMyWorld

The best suggestion I got from someone once....when you are grocery shopping try and shop only on the outside edge of the store. The fruits, veggies, cheese, milk, breads, meat etc are all on the outside rim and all the isles are processed foods (mostly) so I try and make an entire grocery outing without suing the isles. Give it a try!

kr3851

Unsalted nuts, protein bars, fresh fruit and veg, chicken/turkey breasts, lean beef (ground or whole), Greek yoghurt, snap frozen veg. I try to focus on what I'll be snacking on when I shop - I find it easy to buy food for main meals, but get stuck on snacks. Read labels and compare brands to work out which is going to give you more nutrients when buying packaged food - don't just look at the front that says LOW FAT because chances are it'll be high in sugar or something else. Try to go with a list of ingredients for recipes you've researched, and stick to the edges of the supermarket as those foods are the freshest and healthiest for you. If buying bread/cereals/pasta/rice (I can't give these up no matter how hard I try!), buy the wholegrain varieties.

And try to cook up some stuff on the weekend so that when you get home from work you already have stuff ready to throw together for a yummy meal. Also cut up your fruit and veg into sticks or bite sized pieces and store in containers in the fridge, along with some boiled eggs and grilled chicken breasts. They're so convenient to snack on when they're already cut up and there's no extra effort then.

ejmcam

Here are some of my staples. I try and stick to all natural foods because your body processes them better abd faster than food with artificial ingredients and preservatives:

Lean meat (chicken, 93/7 ground beef, lean pork tenderloin,fish)
Greek yogurt (I get chobani non fat plain and mix it with all natural peanut butter)
Low cal wraps for sandwiches
Sandwich thins (arnolds or pepperideg farms- 100 calorie ones)
100 calories snack packs of almonds
fruit
Whole grain brown rice
Seasonings that you like

pamelajoyce84

For this grocery trip try to stick to the outside of the store. Next time though, plan ahead. Think about the things you might like to eat in the coming week(s) and make a plan. Find recipes that do your favorite foods lighter. Make small changes to your favorite recipes over time so they don't taste dramatically different right away. Cook for yourself/family. It takes more time but then you know exactly what went into your meal. Try to avoid processed foods as much as possible as they contain things you don't need that cost you lots of calories. Make it a habit to clean, cut and store your veggies and fruits in a manner you are most likely to eat them when you need a quick snack as soon as you get home from the store. Also that cuts down on prep time for cooking. Hope that helps!

aghack

This is tough for everyone. The way I do it is to tackle the biggest areas that get me in trouble.

I like to snack so I make sure I have some type of 100 calorie salty snack in the house.....already pre portioned of course! I love Snyder's Pretzels, Pringles, and Cheez-Its. That keeps me from making a bad choice if I am craving.

Another bad area for me is drinking my calories. I love coffee with flavored creamer, sweetened iced tea, etc. To help prevent a massive calorie overload, I keep a lot of flavored hot teas in the house- I can drink them w/o sugar because they taste so much better than black coffee, and they can be brewed and made into iced tea. I love Bavarian Wild Berry. I also keep splenda and sugar free creamer in the house. The other big helper for me on the drinks is Vitamin Water Zero- I buy a few and keep them on hand for when I want to feel like I am going to crack and have a soda.

And my last big weakness is last minute food. If I get home late and don't want to cook a huge meal, or my hubby and kids are having something that I know I shouldn't, I try to have at least two or three frozen meals that I can reach for. I love the Cafe Steamers, Green Giant Green Beans with almonds, and bags of frozen asparagus.

Other than that, my go to safe foods are: hard boiled eggs (eat 1/2 the yolk), ready to eat shrimp, sliced cucumber, Claussen pickles, laughing cow cheese, and yogurt.

Oh, I almost forgot! My 'can't live without it' item: to satisfy dessert cravings: sugar-free 10 calorie Jello cups and redi-whip. I can have Jello with REAL whip cream for a total of only 25 calories, and it completely satisfies that need for something sweet!