Grocery Store Staples

TheCats_Meow

What are some of your grocery store staples geared specifically towards healthier, more nutritional eating?

This is where I may have the most problems. I don't eat A LOT, but what I do eat is normally not the best choices. I'm not a real big cooker. By the time I get home from work and finish helping both kids with homework, it's always fairly late and so quick is always my go-to solution.

I plan to start cooking, but I need something that I can either slap in a crock pot and let it cook all day or something that's relatively quick to prep and cook, yet still healthy.

Suggestions either for meals, or just staples at the grocery store are appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

tmiqueen

Skim milk
Whole grain and/or "light" bread
Pretty much anything from the produce section
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

CarlaRG

salads and chicken breast. I like to cut mine into strips and make them spicy and toss them on a salad and I"ll keep them whole and not spicy for the rest of the family. I also really like the butterball everyday turkey sausage. Even my 17 year old likes it.

eillamarie

Light or organic peanut butter
Rice cakes
Apples
Baby carrots

SeasideOasis

Salmon (cooking spray, tin foil, toss on some seasoning, some chopped up veggies...Seal the foil so everything is in a 'bag'...Cook on 350-375 for 20-25 minutes)
Boca patties (little high in sodium but better than many alternatives)
Skim Milk
Egg Whites

I pre-portion EVERYTHING. My salmon, I buy them, portion, and toss in bags (into the freezer). It has SERIOUSLY helped me make quick and easily meals out of just about anything.

foodluver27

Minced garlic, FRUIT!, extra virgin olive oil, chicken, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, lemons, feta cheese, lettuce for salads ( I have all these items in my fridge at all times!)

stroken96

Check out skinnycrockpot.com

sweetiepie31612

Eggs! - hardboild eggs for bfast, omelets, eggs in salad
Minute Brown Rice
Spinach and feta chicken sausage
Yogurt and granola
hummus
arnold select sandwich thins
some type of snack food - fiber one bars or 100 snack packs

feel free to take a look at my diary

marycmeadows

fat free ranch dressing
hot sauce
emeril's original essence
laughing cow lite cheese wedges
frozen veggies (broccoli, california blend, zucchini)
fresh veggies (onions, mushrooms, spinach, romaine, etc)
fresh/frozen fish (haddock, salmon)
tuna fish
VitaTops
frozen fruit (strawberries, peach, pineapple, mango, raspberries, blueberries)
fat free cottage cheese
Greek Yogurt
Eggs
plain oatmeal
boneless skinless chicken breast
canned beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, red beans)
Canned veggies (mostly just green beans)

**They say to shop around the four walls of the grocery store to eat healthy - which if you think about it makes sense because that's where all the produce and frozen foods, fresh meats are! (all the processed packaged things are in the aisles!)

miam4nia

cauliflower! for low carb rice

and i just made a cauliflower crust pizza today

lizziebeth1028

plenty of fresh fruits and veggies
olive oil (fresh veggies stir fried in olive oil yummy!)
yogurt
string cheese or mini babybels
eggs
low fat milk
oatmeal
peanut butter
100% whole wheat bread
tuna
chicken breasts (i'm bad I like to buy the pre-marinated ones, I know they have too much sodium but they're quick and delish)
ground turkey (for chili, sloppy joe's, burgers ect)
I personally don't like the taste of beef or pork (yea I'm picky) so I don't buy them. But lean cuts of meats are a good choice
boca soy chicken patties
nuts
whole wheat pasta (mixed with a bit of olive oil, fresh parmesan and garlic pepper is yummy)
For snacks - I like to keep the 100 calorie packs on hand in case my sweet tooth gets the best of me

Fairysoul

I buy these things:
Instead of canned I get
Fresh green beans
carrots
lettuce
tomatoes
potatoes
broccoli
mushrooms
bell pepper
snap peas
apples
bananas
seasonal fruit
squash
zucchini
onion
sweet potato
ect...

I get whole wheat bread
tortilla wraps
sandwich wraps or pitas
brown rice
Beans/ refried beans
Corn chips
canned tomatoes
plain oatmeal in cannister

cheese
yogurt
sour cream
low fat creamer
eggs
almonds
popcorn

lean meats like
chicken breasts
turkey for sandwiches
sometimes steak
I do stilll use ground beef

Thats just about the gist of it...

Here are some things I make that are easy with the things from above:

Fajita's
Nacho's
Oatmeal
Fondue (I do my own and it's very inexpensive)
Steak and muchroom/ onion sandwich
Chicken wraps
Sloppy joes
Turkey sandwich
Salads
Stir fry

Just some ideas to roll with, all quick and easy things!

UrbanRunner81

raw nuts
fruit
cucumbers, carrots - easy veggies to snack on
barabara's cereals
almond milk
keifer
greek yogurt
almond butter

bettymetheny

It's not necessarily grocery store staples but crockpot has the "Fix it and Forget " cookbooks they also have a "Fix it and Forget it Light" that may be helpful. You can plan your meals on the weekends, purchase your items then there is nothing to have to decide on when you don't have time or might make those "quick" decisions.

13Natty

cauliflower! for low carb rice

and i just made a cauliflower crust pizza today

This sounds interesting!! Could you please go into more detail. recipes or instructions. Thank you. Nat

ChristyP0303

Healthy Life 5 net carb wheat bread
Egglands Best eggs
All fresh fruits/veggies
Salad
Some plain frozen veggies (okra, corn, spinach, broccoli florets)
No salt added canned green beans
Dry white bean/pinto beans
Frozen boneless chicken breast
Low sodium bacon
Thomas multi grain muffins (8 grams of fiber per muffin!)
Lauras lean steaks and ground beef
Wish Bone ranch dressing
1% milk
Butter
Prego healthy heart spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella shredded cheese
Dannon Vanilla greek yogurt
Plain oatmeal

tararocks

agree check out skinnycrockpot and skinnytaste both have great crockpot recipes. good idea to start cooking, its amazing how much better you can eat when preparing your own food. my staples are:
produce-i buy A TON of fruits and veggies throughout the week, i usually go on Sundays and Thursdays just for my produce: broccoli, peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and zucchini are the most frequent. Fruit-blueberries, bananas, strawberries, oranges are the most frequent other things i buy at every trip:
healthy life bread
egg beaters
flat out wraps
boneless skinless chicken breasts
laughing cow cheese
skinny pop popcorn
special k or fiber one bars

TheCats_Meow

Thanks, y'all!

Have any of y'all ever tried the Ziploc Zip 'n Steam microwave bags to steam single chicken breasts?

I looove chicken on my salad's and that would be a perfect work lunch for me, but I'm not too sure how I feel about raw chicken cooking in a microwave, even with the bag.

Any experience?

Dtrmnd86

Tuna, whole wheat pasta, avocado, sweet potatoes, kale, garlic, onions, ground flaxseed, hemp milk, boneless skinless chicken breast, ground turkey.
Those are just some of the things. I don't have very many recipes though. I just make the things I would normally make like chicken parm, meatless lasagna, breaded pork chops and measure out a serving.

Onesnap

Real Simple magazine this month has a month's worth of easy dinners (with the nutrition info, so easier to log) and the shopping lists are included. You can also get that list online.

Also, Everyday Food magazine lists the nutrition info and their recipes are geared towards families and busy people. There's even easy weeknight recipes where kids can help too.

Those are two of my secrets. ^

Don't forget to put YOU first. For people that say they are too busy to eat healthy and to come up with affordable easy solutions for during the week forget that you take care of yourself first so that you can better take care of your family. Kind of like how on a plane you put the oxygen mask on YOU and then your kids.

eviltwinkie

chicken breasts and low fat pork loin roasts from costco. I usually stir fry the chicken, but it works well in a crock pot. The pork always gets slow cooked. I make alot of simple soups and low fat chilis on the weekend (now is the time of year for chili!) That way I dont have to think about lunch/dinner for part of the week.

Frozen bags of veggies that are good for meals/soups/stir fry are an absolute must! I use boca/morningstar crumbles alot in lieu of meat and I always keep some boca-type burgers or pre-formed 96/4 hamburger patties in the freezer. I'm often on the go and I need to cater a bit to the 'OMG, I need something to eat now and I'm too tired to cook.'

If you like cottage cheese, it's a fridge staple. The protein in it really helps to keep you feeling satisfied and it takes so little time to plop some in a bowl and add whatever to it. Apples. To me, they're almost the perfect fruit, if you just eat em raw and cold. So easy to grab one and they last well in the fridge. I try and buy the bags with the smaller to med sized apples.

I buy alot of black beans, mushrooms, whatever fresh veggies lasts decent in the fridge and works well in stir fry, high fiber tortillas, eggs, and multi-grain rices. I usually go to an asian store for the rice - my fav one right now has like 9 different things in it, including dried yams. Nice nutty taste, but works with stir fry or mexican. Or you can mix up your own with different grains.

example - got a tri tip beef roast on the weekend. Slow cooked it. It's been whacked up and mixed in at the end of a stir fry, eaten with veggies in a tortilla, eaten with beans, veggies and enchilada sauce on top, even whacked some up small and used it as topping on lavash bread pizza.

I also use ALOT of peanut flour (like PB2, sans sugar) in various sauces and for veggie/fruit dips. It's always in the house. But I buy it online since trader joes no longer carries it.

dls06

Only you know how your family eats. You need to look online for healthy recipes and choose the ones that work for you. :flowerforyou:

valeriegee

These are some of my staples, and they really help me do right by my diet, and thus my body!

REALLY healthy cereal, like Kashi (the only one I can stomach is the mixed one with fiber twigs, soy protein grahams, and honey puff cereal). However, this on it's own, is still a little uninspired. So I add a tablespoon of chopped pecans, and it kicks it up a nice notch or two! And if I really want a treat, I throw in a tablespoon of craisins too! YUM!

Whole wheat tortilla wraps.
Low sodium turkey or chicken from the deli (stand in line at the counter, and buy the most expensive meat you can afford - it tastes SO much better!)
Whole wheat pita pockets
Low fat yogurt, of your choice (again, a GREAT snack if you throw in a Tbsp of pecans or even a Tbsp of DARK chocolate chips!)

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Lean pork (pork chops, or roast)
Ground Turkey or Chicken

Okay, so I'm a SAHM, but with two small children running around all over the place, I need quick and easy meals too! Thankfully, my children are GREAT and healthy eaters, so they will generally eat what I do, and so will hubby. Here are some examples of quick dinners:

Chicken breasts cut into tenders - the family's a douse in Shake 'n' Bake, mine I roll in herbs and spices (NO SALT!), baked in the oven (generally only takes about 30 minutes to cook).
Brown rice with EVOO
Steamed veggie - broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, edemame, carrots, asparagus, ANYTHING!

Grilled pork chops (or chicken, or steak, or fish, or whatever you'd like) - again, I put BBQ sauce on the fam's, and herbs on mine.
Grilled zucchini, cut into thick slices (about 3/4 of an inch, maybe even an inch), drizzled with EVOO
Throw on some potatoes for the fam, and eat left over brown rice for yourself! I always make more brown rice than I need for a meal so I can eat it with other dinners - I think it reheats just fine in the microwave!

Tacos! Beef or chicken, or whatever! I don't use a seasoning package, I use my own herbs so I can control the salt and the spice, as my kids don't like it spicy. Let me know if you want the "recipe".
Then I chop up 3-4 cups of romaine lettuce for me, and I have a taco salad, while the rest of the fam has tacos. I try to keep my salad really healthy, but still full of flavor - so here's what I put on mine: lettuce, 1/2 c. taco meat, 1/4 c black beans, 1/4 c corn (canned), 1/4 c salsa, and a couple dollops of sour cream. I don't put on any cheese, but I don't miss it.

I hope that helps! The only crock pot recipes I have are pretty high calorie - I tend to stick with baked and grilled meats for all my meals!

Good luck during the witching hour! That's the WORST!

valeriegee

Thanks, y'all!

Have any of y'all ever tried the Ziploc Zip 'n Steam microwave bags to steam single chicken breasts?

I looove chicken on my salad's and that would be a perfect work lunch for me, but I'm not too sure how I feel about raw chicken cooking in a microwave, even with the bag.

Any experience?

Never tried it - but my solution to this is to always cook an extra serving of chicken when I do make it, so that I have it leftover in the fridge to dice up for salads and such. This also helps me use up those value packs of meat that come with SO MANY chicken breasts!

Onesnap

Have any of y'all ever tried the Ziploc Zip 'n Steam microwave bags to steam single chicken breasts?

Don't cook anything in the microwave in plastic. Even if the plastic is declared 'safe' it can still add chemicals to your food. Plus--microwaving raw chicken--that's something my grandmother would do (seriously).

Please make sure to always microwave in glass (Pyrex bowls work well) or something that is microwave safe. Not plastic. Especially when cooking for children (they are more sensitive to the toxins in plastic)

judy20in2011

Precooked chicken strips (grilled not fried). You can get them frozen or not, I tend to use frozen so they last longer. I can brown them in a pan quickly they can be used in quick stir fry, fajita, on a salad, rollups etc. I have the same challenge at the end of day. So I've started making a salad and a main dish on Sunday that will be used for during the week. That usually lasts us a couple days. I also buy the snack size ziplocks and on sunday portion out veggies, snack mix or what not to grab and go for the week. Fiber One 90 cal bars are a go to snack for me. You have to be careful w/fat free products, they make up for it with sugar and additives.

bcattoes

Things that are immediately replaced when emptied:

Whole grains - brown rice, Lungberg wild and brown rice mix, quinoa (white, red and/or black), Kashi 7 grain pilaf
Organic low sodium stock
Kashi TLC chewy granola bars - peanut butter and almold flax
Low sodium V8 (I really hate slapping myself in the head)
Vegetable staples - onions, garlic, carrots, kale, jalapeno, mushrooms and brussel sprouts
Soy Milk - Silk unsweetened
Nestle Quik no sugar added
Beans - I keep a variety on hand
Peanut butter - all natural

achojnacki

My typical grocery list is focused on keeping things cheap and healthy
bananas
apples
seasonal fruit and veg- lately I am into bell peppers with hummus-fifty calorie snack for a cup on pepper strips and a tablespoon of hummus.
eggs
deli turkey
low fat swiss cheese
mozzarella
greek yogurt
whole grain bread
unsweetened almond milk
kashi cereal
cheddar rice cakes

bcattoes

For quick and easy these are my "go to" meals.

Grilled fish and roasted veggies. (throw veggies in bowl, toss with olive oil and seasonings, dump on baking sheet, baked until carmelized, season fish, grill on both sides for 2-5 min depending on thickness)

Beans and rice - this requires some chopping, but otherwise is a one pan meal that allows down time while cooking, and is very versatile by switching up the beans and grains. Chop onion, peppers, carrot, and/or celery and saute in deep skillet until tender. Add cooked beans (canned or leftovers) and raw whole grain of your choice, add liquid according to grain package. Cover and let simmer until grain is cooked. Optional - toss in some banana pepper rings and/or chopped greens (kale, collards, turnip, arugula, spinach, etc) at the end.

Stir fry - Super easy and quick. Serve with leftover grains, or instant brown rice and you can have a meal in 10 min. Nuts are great are a great alternative to meat as the protein in stir fries.

jdavis193

It's not necessarily grocery store staples but crockpot has the "Fix it and Forget " cookbooks they also have a "Fix it and Forget it Light" that may be helpful. You can plan your meals on the weekends, purchase your items then there is nothing to have to decide on when you don't have time or might make those "quick" decisions.

I have this book the light one and I tried a few recipes out of that and it was not good at all. I wish I would never have gotten it.