Making my grocery list, need ideas

spade74

Does anyone have any ideas for some items I should be buying to help with my weight loss?

katyclev

The things I like to keep on hand at all times are TONS of veggies, yogurt, pitas, ground chicken/turkey

There is soooo much you can make with just that

ellyallen

fat free yogurt is always a good staple. I usually have one for dessert or when I want something sweet and creamy.
Also the light soups are a great low-calorie meal that warms you up.

Vodkha

Greek yogurt, salmon, halibut, fresh veggies and fruits, chicken breast, avocados, cottage cheese...

janf15

veggies, greens, fruit. legumes (high in protein). Here are some things I like - salmon, quinoa, peanut butter (ground in the store), Yams, avocado, nuts, dried berries (watch the serving size). I use almond milk for my smoothies.

Someone mentioned 'light soups' - be cautious .... they have boat loads of sodium in them (sodium = water retention)

missjelika

Whole grain sandwich thins. I think better than bread for sandwiches or mini pizzas.
chickpeas and make your own hummus for veggie dips

JamesonsMommy

I agree with the veggie and greek yogurt comments Don't be afraid to try new veggies.. Brussel sprouts, turnips, bok choy and spaghetti squash are now some of my favorites. low fat cottage cheese is also a great snack Good luck!!!

TavistockToad

eggs
cottage cheese
salad/cucumber/celery/red pepper etc etc
cereal bars
wholemeal bread
low fat chocolate mousse (for treats)
lean meat

Puffins1958

This morning I bought....ground turkey, ground chicken, low fat yogurt, shrimp, fresh vege's, fruit, fat free stick pretzels and almonds.


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jazzalea

find drinks that you like to keep you hydrated.... when you are fully hydrated you don't get the hunger craving as often and your body can flush fats....

try those crystal light flavor packs to add to water,
sparkling waters,


grapes are fantastic , light quick energy snacks..... sure there is some sugar but they hydrate you and give you quick energy and they are yummy damnit!

Beezil

Green tea, eggs, reduced sodium cheese, canned tomatoes (reduced sodium), dry beans of whatever kind you like, whole wheat or whole grain bread, fresh fruits and veggies, granola bars, Greek yogurt, skim milk (I get organic), whole grain pasta, olive oil, lean ground beef/chicken/turkey, fresh fish if you can afford it, I'd go with salmon personally. It's the best for you, and thankfully my favorite!

adross3

Here is a post of mine a couple of months ago.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/334033-my-grocery-list?hl=my+grocery+list&page=1#posts-4485879

CannibalisticVegetarian

What do you like to eat? As previously mentioned, yogurt is awesome to snack on! Greek plain yogurt is really good. I mean alone it doesn't taste very good, but when you either combine it with frozen or fresh fruit, OR use it along with your smoothie, it is fantastic!

As far as cooking, turkey and chicken breast are two of the best you could work with. Fish is really good too, but as far as which are the best of the best to eat, I'm unsure.. and with that said, I'm not about to give anyone false information.

With condiments, hummus makes a good substitute for mayonnaise. Homemade hummus is better so I've been told, though I stick with sabbro(sp?) garlic roasted hummus. If you must choose mayo, try either Hellman's or Kraft's Olive oil mayonnaise.

I get most of my healthy eating information from either members in the MFP forums, or in my 'Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Survival Guide' booklet. It's wonderful!

CMmrsfloyd

I am lazy and thus big on convenience, I keep a lot of foods around that I can prepare just by throwing them in the microwave - frozen veggies that steam in the bag they came in and grilled salmon and chicken filets are a favorite. Watch the veggies b/c the ones that come in sauce or include potatoes tend to be higher-calorie. But my usual lunch lately of 1 salmon filet and 1 steamed vegetable is 200 calories, has some 17g protein and is quick and easy. I also love keeping fruit and veggies in the fridge, yogurt, cottage cheese, egg whites (once again with the laziness, I buy the stuff in a carton so I can easily just pour and measure). Tortillas are great - you can wrap up some veggies and a protein and have a nice hand-held healthy meal. Also great for making calorie-controlled individual pizza when you have a craving. Mustard is a great low-cal condiment with lots of flavor. I rarely use ketchup any more and don't like mayo anyway, so it's wonderful for my sandwiches and dijon is great for making chicken salad that's really flavorful (I also use greek yogurt, apples, and grapes in mine and it's delicious and low-cal!). Bottled water is convenient although you could also just get/use a refillable bottle. Bananas, apples, grapes, etc are a nice easy, healthy snack that satisfies a craving for sweetness and doesn't require a lot of preparation. Really, anything that is nutritious that you LIKE is good to go on your list. You don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that you hate just b/c it's 'healthy' - you'll be miserable trying to force-feed yourself and you'll fall off the wagon. Consider things that you enjoy or that you'd like to try that you can work into your calorie goals, and buy those things.

littlemili

Here is my 'basics' list of things I have in the house at all points. Long but I hope it's useful!


apples
oranges 
pears
grapefruits
bananas
carrots
broccoli
spinach
sweet potato
frozen fruit
mushrooms
cucumber
celeriac
cabbage
onions
frozen peas
tomato pasta sauce
ginger
plain soya yoghurt
dairy free spread
soya puddings
oats
cereal
soya milk
bread/wraps
cereal bars
instant mashed potato
brown or wild rice
risotto rice
plain flour
self-raising flour
wholewheat pasta
tinned pulses
eggs
canned tuna
white fish
quorn
nuts and seeds
dried fruit
crackers/rice cakes
apple sauce
light vinaigrette
marmite
olive oil
vegetable oil
lemon juice
light hot chocolate
unsweetened cocoa powder
vegetable stock
salt
pepper
spicy sauce
ketchup
mustard
dried herbs
brown sugar
nutmeg
cinnamon
vanilla extract
baking powder

Jennieam

I buy low-GI foods such as yoghurt, bircher muesli, packaged (tinned?) fruit and burgen bread. I also buy packaged risotto. It is filling, nutricious, and low in calories.

ukloveme

protein: prawn, grouper fish, tuna, chicken

veg: all green vegatales

fruit: buy lemons and lemons it will kick start your system

carbs: wholewheat pasta, bread, rice, cous cous,

dls06

Spaghetti squash instead of pasta. It's my new go to food. Love it.

tiedye

Today I bought:

2 cucumbers
2 green bell peppers
1 package baby carrots
1 package turkey meatballs
1 package small tomatoes
1 bag frozen broccoli
2 cans pumpkin puree
1 reduced-guilt pizza (250 calories for the whole thing)
bag of apples

I already have on hand:
dry brown rice
canned black beans
lettuces
0% greek yogurt
instant oatmeal
eggs
red pepper hummus

wish21

I love this!! It is helping me a lot. I stink at when it comes to understanding what to buy at the gracery store. Thanks for making this post

dlyeates

My list has stuff like this on it: Ground turkey, chicken, pork chops, pork tenderloin, turkey meatballs, mini sub rolls corn tostadas, black beans, corn tortillas, salsa, salad, Bolthouse Farms salad dressing, eggs, Philadelphia cooking creme, quinoa, Birds eye steam fresh frozen veggies, Fiber Plus bars, Idahoan instant mashed potatoes, Brownberry 100% whole wheat bread, frozen meals for lunch from Trader Joes (more "whole" in food and less preservatives), milk, crystal light, oatmeal, Fiber Plus cereal, 100 calorie mini bags of popcorn.

I like to make marinated pork chops with veggies/salad and quinoa/mashed potatoes, Chicken tacos, Southwest chicken casserole (with the Philly cooking creme), Turkey and quinoa meatloaf (from www.allrecipes.com), pork tenderloin with veggies/salad and quinoa/mashed potatoes, Meatball subs, etc.

You can look at my diary if you like. All of these are surprisingly lower in calories and I can stay around 1200 pretty easy and with exercise have popcorn and wine for snack at night.

McMehu

Target and Walmart sell these air pop popcorn bowls that can be used in the microwave
http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-60120-Microwaver-Popcorn/dp/B00004W4UP
they are amazing. Air popped popcorn with no butter is 20 calories a cup.. (at least the kind I have).. you can chow down on popcorn

I also buy tons of vegetables but no more than I can eat so they don't go bad.. I have a big bag of frozen veggies I can eat anytime too..


try whole grains for breads and things

Egg whites
skim milk
some of the healthier cereals (read labels)
boneless skinless chicken breasts
fish (I have cod and tuna right now)
zesty italian salad dressing
diet pepsi (I need at least a can a day. :P)
fresh pico de guio (instead of salsa)
fat free sour cream
pitas
I have some reduced sodium progresso soup ( but it is still high in sodium.. lol)

trelm249

eggs
chicken
baby spinach
fresh cilantro
tomato
onion (red and yellow, different taste for different dishes)
peppers (bell, poblano, anaheim)
garlic (fresh)
sweet potatoes
lean beef
Joseph's Pitas
spaghetti squash
butternut squash
broccoli
greek yogurt
red wine
almonds and/or almond milk
whey powder

tiedye

I meant to add also:

Go to the grocery store after eating when you feel satiated, I know everyone knows not to go hungry, but it really is so important.

Spend the time comparing products for nutrition and price vs size of package, reading nutritional information, and reading preparation instructions. (You don't want to get home and realize you need milk, or eggs, or butter and don't have it on hand)

I feel like sometimes when I go to the grocery store, I feel like it's a museum. And it takes that long too to get through all the isles

I even go and read the packages of things I used to gorge on, and once I read how many calories it is I almost feel nauseous.

I also supply myself with something decent to eat when I have cravings. For example, popcorn individual bags (130 cals per bag), apples, flavored oatmeal, diet hot cocoa (25 cals per packet), individual packets of mixed nuts, and chocolate chips (I eat a small handful for chocolate cravings)

LorinaLynn

Frozen mixed vegetables are a huge staple for me. No chopping or peeling, no growing little fuzzy coats if I don't use them up fast enough, a nice variety in each bag, and they don't have the added sodium of canned veggies. Pepper and onion stir fry goes great with anything Mexi-flavored. The Italian blend is wonderful sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese with fish or chicken. Oriental blend is delicious, too.

A typical meal is fish or chicken (sometimes pork or beef), a frozen veggie, some kind of marinade (worth the calories for the flavor they add!) and rice or pasta. Ideally, I cook it all in one pan, or one pan plus a pot for boiling water, and don't have a ton of dirty dishes.

A can of crushed tomatoes plus some Italian seasoning and garlic is just as good as any pre-made jar of marinara, but with a fraction of the sodium. Or compromise by using half crushed tomato and half jarred sauce.

Scour the circulars online (and check for store coupons) before you shop so you know what's on sale where, have an idea what you're going to get, and don't wander the store looking for ideas and inspiration.... because in my case, "inspiration" ends up being a cart full of Pringles and chocolate covered pretzels.

nicki9139

If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, they have lots of items that are good, easy to make and decent on calories. I have enjoyed the pork gyoza, asian beijing stir-fry veggies, baked organic blue chips, hummus, egg rolls, white cheddar corn puffs, stacked eggplant parmesan. They have other frozen food items that i have yet to try. Great selection on fresh veggies. Their prices are good too!

spade74

WOW thanks everyone, lots of great ideas, made making my list so easy