What's in your grocery cart?

gingersnaps828

I'm new and trying to figure this out. I need to get groceries to stock my kitchen with healthier eats. However, I am a picky eater and don't like chickent/turkey, fish or most veggies other than lettuce, carrots (cold), mushrooms, corn and potatoes. I also don't like to cook (although I am working on that). LOL. I know you're all thinking "good luck". But the whole point of this is to make this work with our lifestyle, right?

I use to eat very unhealthy. I wouldn't eat anything all day except potato chips. Seriously. No breakfast, no lunch. Just chips. My work kept me too busy, or I was too lazy. Then dinner came and either my family would have something separate or we'd have a quick dinner. I never really had the time to think about all the options for meals, and morning/afternoon/evening snacks.

So I am asking you smart eaters :-) ........ what types of foods do you get when you get groceries? Any suggestions for me?

Any ideas is appreciated. Thanks.
Ginger

nvpixie

I'm a big veggie eater so I always start in the produce. Get your faves and move on. Then I go to the meat section. I eat all types of meat and fish so I usually get some ground beef, steak to grill, chicken breast and frozen chicken wings. Then I move on to dairy. We get milk, cheeses, cottage cheese, butter, eggs. Frozen foods are mostly frozen veggies and icecream, but I let the kids pick out waffles and pot pies. Sometimes frozen pizza. We love Tombstone. After that, we might venture to the snack aisle and get some crackers, tortilla chips, salsa, nuts and popcorn.

That's about it. We get cereal but not every shopping trip.

silverlining84

My general grocery list consists of:

Chicken Breasts
Tilapia
Quinoa
Sweet potatoes
Asparagus
Broccoli
Almond Milk
Frozen fruit
Amy's soups
Cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
Spinach
Egg whites
Spelt Bread
Sugar free jam

gingersnaps828

Thanks, ladies! great ideas. very helpful!!! can't wait to go and get some food this weekend!

peleroja

I like the preservative free sandwich meats, the ones without sodium nitrate and all that- I love those with some Laughing Cow cheese and vegetables on a whole-wheat tortilla. Great for lunches! I also buy tons of yogurt and fruit, raw vegetables of all varieties, and low-cal snack food like Fibre One brownies, CheeCha puffs (as good as chips for me) and mountains of raw kale, which we make into kale chips. I regularly buy almond milk, fish filets, Weight Watchers bread, soy butter (peanut alternative), dark chocolate... basically just stuff I can throw on a plate or on a sandwich. But I don't eat clean or anything, so low-fat packaged snacks in moderation are okay in my book.

princesspea234

It sounds like you need to reset your taste buds from a carb-heavy diet to one full of vegetables and lean proteins. Try hummus in a pita with carrots and peppers.... cottage cheese and fruit....homemade soups with veggies and beans.... The most important thing you can do is calorie count, watch sugar intake, carb intake and salt... and EXERCISE. Here is a recipe for "golaush" that is my go-to dinner when I want something hardy and healthy. Even my picky meat-and-potato-loving hubby will eat this.

Serves 1....

3-4 ounces ground beef 96% lean
1/2 Bell Pepper
1 clove garlic
Pam Spray
1/2 cup diced tomatoes...no salt added
1/2 cup black beans....no salt added
Salt and Pepper
hot sauce to taste

Heat skillet over medium high heat
Spray with Pam
Add diced bell pepper and ground beef
Season well
Brown beef and soften bell pepper
Add tomatoes and scrap bottom of pan with wooden spoon... That's where the yummy bits live
Add beans and season once more
Simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes
Serve with hot sauce on the side...

Can serve four by using a pound of ground beef... 2 bell peppers....4 cloves garlic and the whole can of tomatoes and beans.

LeahT84

I get a lot of 100 calorie sandwich thins, 110 calorie pita pockets, avocados, fresh veggies, bananas, frozen fruit for smoothies, tuna, nonfat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, sargentos makes a low cal string cheese that I always have in my fridge for snacks. Trail mix, 100 calorie snack packs, salsa, baby carrots, black olives, artichoke hearts, the list is kind of endless.

pumpkinspice84

The things I buy regularly

Chicken breast
Ground turkey
Eggs
Bag salad
Whole grain bread
Greek yogurt
Strawberries
Blueberries
Apples
Bananas
Veggies for different meals
Almond milk
Oatmeal

gingersnaps828

You are all awesome! Thank you so much for the great ideas. And I will have to try that goolash recipe as we love goolash but this looks healthy, hearty and YUMMY!

princesspea234

oh! and my grocery list for next week is:

45 calorie sara lee bread
turkey breast
bananas
1 percent organic milk
natural peanut butter
96 percent lean ground beef
black beans
diced tomatoes
strawberries
red onion
garden delight ronzoni pasta
30-40 count shrimp
fat free miracle whip
black olives
orange
New England Clam Chowder Healthy Choice
eggs
hummus
radishes
carrots

It's for M-F...Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Mon Menu
B-Peanut butter sandwich with milk
L-Banana
D-Golaush
Tues Menu
B- Banana and strawberries
L-Turkey Sandwich
D-Shrimp Pasta with Olives, Peas and Red Onion
Weds Menu
B- Orange
L-Turkey Sandwich
D- Can of Soup
Thurs Menu
B-Poached egg and bread
L-Hummus with veggies
D- Taco Bell hard taco
Fri Menu
B-Peanut butter sandwich and milk
L-Banana
D- Cup egg drop soup, egg roll and one order of crab rangoon

DancingMoosie

I buy a bunch of my favorite fruits and veggies: grapefruit, apples, bananas, onion, avocado, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, celery, squash, peppers, mushrooms, salad, and sometimes potatoes. Then, I buy meat, like ground beef or turkey, chicken breast, fish (I really like steelhead trout), pork chops, or steak. Then its dairy aisle for milk (soy for me) cottage cheese, yogurt (I get plain lowfat and then some flavored greek for snacks), eggs. We like Mrs. Baird's bread and also the fold-out flat breads. HB gets rotisserie chicken lunch meat, sometimes I get low-sodium boar's head turkey or chicken. Sometimes I get 2 cans tuna and a container of humus. I make pickled veggies out of carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, vinegar. A cup of the pickled veg with salad greens and tuna salad (or lunch meat) and either a scoop of cottage cheese or a 1/4 avocado makes a great lunch. I love eggs with toast for breakfast. Dinner is whatever meat we want, with a vegetable(or two). I like to cut up a squash with several mushrooms, some onion and garlic and cook it in the nuwave.

gaylynn35

Salad mix
Tomatoes
Avocado's
Onions
Low fat cheese
strawberries
apples
bananas
watermelon
grapes
chicken breast
fiber one brownies
Atkins bars, I eat them for snacks!
Any kind of meat is okay as long as you watch the portion size
Broccoli
green beans
carrots
yogurt
eggs
bacon
peanut butter
almonds

seabuckaroo

yogurt, fruit (especially berries), fat free refried bean, salad kits with dressings you like, crystal light, nuts, peanut butter, almond milk, sweet potatoes and yams

mrsbrightside4

I was a very picky eater before and rarely cooked. I started cooking easy meals, modifying stuff to fit my tastes, and the more I did, the more I wanted to try. I absolutely LOVE veggies now.

I usually get eggs, beans (not too big on meat), salads, bread, LOTS of fruit, almond milk, almond butter...

And spices help mix things up!

vixtris

large eggs
1% milk
honey wheat bread (its not really whole wheat but i like it!!)
cantaloupe
apples
carrots
different types of chicken
93% lean beef
nature valley bars
unsalted peanuts
frozen corn

thats all i can think of for now.. lol

tootchute

I tend to do Jennie-o turkey meats, chicken, fish, veggies, brown rice and potato's, my husband likes homemade mash potato's. I also get fruits, and drink lots and lots of water.

nikilis

here's one I prepared earlier.

gingersnaps828

Okay, it's midnight here and I'm getting hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I better go to bed before I do something I regret

highervibes

Stick to the foods that you do like that are actually food. All the things you listed would qualify so you can certainly eat those I would say pick what you like around the edge of the grocery store as a general rule. Enjoy!

gingersnaps828

Ha ha. LOVE IT, nikilis !!

KateClivex

One of my new favorites is Dannon Light and Fit vanilla greek yogurt. I am not a greek yogurt fan, but this is decadent. Not bitter at all... like a really really thick whipped cream - just that hint of vanilla. It would make a great base for adding other things, jam, fruit, etc. Also, I think if I were to sweeten it a touch, maybe add an extra drop of vanilla, it would make a great topping for desserts or pancakes and the like.

I concentrate on protein, so I hit the meats section first. Chicken especially. Lunch meats and cheese - shredded and 2% string cheese (kraft is my fave, by far). Eggs are always good. Peanut butter.

Produce: I buy all the normal stuff, bananas and the like. I have recently fallen in love with spaghetti squash. Easy to cook, and pretty tasty and versatile. And pretty bland, to be honest. And I am not a big fan of squash normally. Use it is in place of pasta - it is great! And it cooks easily in the microwave with no prep besides cutting it in half.

StArBeLLa87

Kale
Turnip greens
Super greens
chicken breast
Green beans
Eggs
Turkey bacon
Organic fat free milk
Distilled water
Grape fruit
Mixed berries- raspberries,blue berries,strawberries,black berries
Green tea
Black beans
Peppers and onions
Broccoli
Dark chocolate
Tootsie rolls

Occasionally sirloin steak!

Sherbog

If I had your picky diet needs I would just go to the frozen food dept. Buy 21 frozen items that I could micro and be good for the week.

My grocery trilp starts in the veggie dept. I skip the meats and cheese dept. Head to dairy where I get fat free milk, cottage cheese, and yougurt. I eat a high protein diet so eggs are a must for me. Then on to canned foods where I load my cart tuna, canned salmon. The on to the bulk foods where I buy a ton of legumes.

It works for me.

amaysngrace

Well, I buy ingredients to make many meals throughout the month because I only go grocery shopping once a month. I usually get staples such as canned diced tomatoes (organic), canned tomato sauce, canned tomato paste, shredded cheese on sale which I freeze, 3 gallons of milk, cage free organic brown eggs, plain low-fat yogurt-a huge tub, for smoothies, sour cream substitute, and my yogurt dessert that I like with granola, ground beef patties which I can defrost and make meals when I want something like tacos or Mexican casserole, canned dark red kidney beans for chilli, canned northern beans for southern style beans, salad greens, chia seeds and golden flax seed for smoothies, cherry tomatoes, yellow onions for many of the dishes I cook, baked potatoes, fresh garlic and cilantro for different dishes, frozen berries for smoothies and to go in my oatmeal, fish that I freeze for later and chicken the same thing, quinoa as a supplement for rice, canned and frozen veggies, granola, old fashioned oatmeal, stuff like that. The diced tomatoes, sauce and paste I buy in cases. They come in handy for many dishes such as spaghetti, lasagna, Mexican casserole, tacos, chilli, etc. Almond Milk for smoothies. That way I do not have to keep buying that at the store every other week. Oh yeah, and bananas for smoothies, plus my son likes them cut up in his oatmeal, they are the only raw fruit he will eat, every other fruit comes in juice form for him. When my bananas get super ripe, I will peel them and throw them in a zip lock bag and freeze them so that I can throw them in a smoothie, if need be.

kariplease

I shop at trader joes..

Veggies medley
Asparagus
Spinach
Frozen Bell pepper mix
Strawberries
watermelon
Blueberries
bananas
Low carb tortillas
Rolled Oats
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Unsweetned vanilla almond milk
Egg whites
Kale spinach dip
Chicken boobs
Shrimp
Tilapia
Salmon

And that's about it every week.

SarahSmilesCA

I don't like chicken much so I understand your challenge but both pork and beef sirloins can be lean if you trim the fat. I tend to eat more low carb, so I still get lots of meat and fish in my diet. I encourage you to start with protein and build around it.

Don't like veggies? Then juice or take a green supplement because you still need them. If you do not have blood sugar issues you can eat 2 to 3 servings of fruit instead, but you should retain your taste buds to like veggies

A good way to re-train your taste buds is to pick one veggie and put something yummy on it like butter or cheese, or just eat it raw and dip it in something like ranch dressing. Try to associate pleasure with your eating experience, that is how you can learn to enjoy new foods. Not a lot of fat, but enough to make it taste good. In order to train your taste buds you have to appease them and make it a positive experience. If all you are doing is steaming veggies and trying to choke it down you will never be able to adjust.

Here are my regular food items

Grass Fed Trimmed Sirloins - Pork and Beef
Lean Ground Beef - Grass fed
Organic Chicken Thighs- (I hate chicken breast, can you say tasteless?!!)
White Fish
Protein Powder - this protein mix is a foundation in my diet to ensure I get enough protein, especially when I am busy and can not cook. Any low sugar protein mix will work, but I the one I use only has 1 net gram of carbs and 1 gram fat and 34 grams of protein.
Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt - I mix my protein powder in this, I also make dips with this
MCT Oil, I put this in my shakes and when I do cook with oil, which is not often, I ONLY use this oil
Olive Oil - for salads
Cucumbers, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Cabbage Slaw, Green Beans, Artichokes
Apples, Oranges, Pears, and Grapefruit, Lemons and Limes. Sometime Pineapple when in season
Pickles and Peppers
Mushrooms
Onions/Garlic
Unsweetened Almond Milk - for shakes
Hood Calorie Count Down Milk
Brown Rice Noodles- I tend to stay away from wheat most days, but not always
Almond and Rice Crackers
Brown Rice Tortillas
Flat Outs and Sandwhich Thins (When I do want wheat)
2% Organic Cream Cheese
2% Organic Cottage Cheese
Eggs - I make my own mayonnaise with Olive Oil and Lemons
Liquid Egg Whites for Smoothies
Frozen Fruit for Smoothies
Tabasco
Soy Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
A1 Sauce
Raw Nuts

AlleganyMiss

You might try googling something. I am a clean eater but was looking for someone to just "Tell" me what to eat/buy so I googled "1200 calorie clean eating meal plans" and got this site
http://www.livefitpt.com/healthy-eating-starter-kit.pdf

So to be "Legal" it says not to duplicate yada yada yada...lol....but I tell ya what I found this really helpful. I used to do Reshape the Nation with Chris Powell...his online program...but then the price went up ect and I am now trying this on my own. One of the biggest prinicipals with RTN (reshape the nation) is food prepping. He give you a meal plan for each day and an excersisie video to do for about 16.00 a month or something along with a grocery list and I felt like I "needed" that again. Going from that website above I formulated my own meal plan for free for next week. It is laid out really nice for you.

My grocery list is usually
Eggs, eggs and more eggs
different cheeses especially the individual pacs like Tilla-moo's which you can grab headed out the door
non-fat greek yogurt-plain or vanilla
sour cream
coconut or almond milk
vegies, vegies and more vegies
tons of fruit especially berries, tangelo's and melons
LOTS of lemons-I drink lemon water ALL day
Coconut Oil
Walnuts and cashews
Regular Oatmeal
Bacon or sausage-ORGANIC & HORMONE FREE
Chicken Breast-ORGANIC AND HOREMONE FREE
**I don't purchase any beef because we hunt a bunch and I process my own deer and elk into steaks/roast/burger and we own a commercial fishing boat for all of my seafood

If you set up a meal plan for the week and then spend one afternoon cooking and prepping (cook all your meat, chop all vegies and store in zip tops with a paper towl for moisture) Its pretty simple.

Friend me if you want I have a TON of links saved that I can share but its late and I am tired (hence spelling mistakes) so can get them to you later if you are interested or anyone else is.
**I don't purchase any beef because we hunt a bunch and I process my own deer and elk into steaks/roast/burger and we own a commercial fishing boat for all of my seafood


When I get my grocery list ready for Monday (shopping day) I will post it for you.

jenilla1

I won't be helpful because I eat a lot of the stuff you don't like:

Brown rice
Brown rice pasta (gluten sensitive so no wheat)
Potatoes
Chicken breast
Ground turkey
Almond Milk
Baby Carrots
Frozen fruits
Frozen spinach
Frozen broccoli
Fresh fruits and veg in season
Olive oil
Oatmeal
Corn tortillas
Peanut butter
Walnuts
Dark chocolate
Dried fruits
Beans
Stevia

AwesomeSquirrel

I just ordered some groceries online; this is a pretty typical shop for me ( though I'm actually restocking the treats this time, I try to only buy them once a month).

For lunches the coming week I'm making Spinach/cranberry/walnut/feta salad and for dinner I'm making Honey/Soy chicken and stirfry. I'm probably making cauliflower/spinach/chickpea balti curry at the weeked (yum for veggie food). For snacks I'm bringing hardboiled eggs, carrots & hummus and various fruits. I often bring Alpro (dairy free) desserts to work for a sweet treat in the afternoon, they are around 110kcal per container depending on flavour. In the evenings I might have some yoghurt or a small icecream if I have treat calories left.

Alpro Soya Caramel Dessert
Alpro Soya Chocolate Dessert
Walnut Pieces
Cranberries, dried
Quaker Porridge Oats
Egg Noodles
Nairn's Cheese Oatcakes
Mini Naan Breads, Be Good To Yourself
Magnum Mini Creme Brulee (about 140 kcal a piece, they are half size)
Magnum Mini Fruit Meringue
Cadbury's Twirl (around 220 kcal per bar if I recall)
1 x Mini Twister Ice Lollies (a whopping 45 kcal a piece)
Honey, Runny
Sweetcorn, canned
Milk, Skimmed 1.13L (2pint)
Chicken Thighs & Drums
Spinach 260g
Greek Style Cheese, Be Good To Yourself
Spring Onions Bunch
Onions
Carrots
Oranges
Conference Pears
Bananas, Fairtrade
Caramelised Onion Houmous
Fudge Yogurt
Passionfuit Yogurt
Babycorn & Mange Tout
Closed Cup Chestnut Mushrooms
King Edward Potatoes
Free Range Woodland Medium Eggs

heywithers

my list:

bananas
pears
apples
spinach
carrots
tomatos
cucumbers
ZUCCHINI
yellow squash
kiwi
strawberries
blackberries
sometimes watermelon, honey dew
chicken breasts
turkey sausage
lower sodium honey ham lunch meat
whole grain bread
lite mayo
sometimes i get smartones frozen meals for when i don't have time to cook
frozen broccoli
frozen cauliflower
frozen tilapia or salmon fillets
tuna in can
jif creamy PB
almonds lightly salted
smartpop popcorn
0% fat greek yogurt plain
different types of cereal each time i go but right now i like Kashi go lean crunch berry
silk light vanilla soy milk
amy's soups
frozen blueberries
frozen raspberries
unsweetened applesauce
weight watchers string cheese
oatmeal
raisins
eggs

and i think thats it WOW all that food is just for me lol

Warchortle

The last things I just bought were: diet rooter beer/ginger ale, truvia, 2 small packages of strawberries, and 2 jars of light alfredo sauce.. I almost bought some s'more pop tarts though..