Grocery Shopping

look here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/88206-what-is-on-your-weekly-grocery-list

Hope it helps...

Low fat yogurt
1 % milk
Lots of water
Some kind of good cereal, not all sugar, like maybe cheerios
Protein powder
Granola
Lots of fresh/frozen fruit
Tuna for salads
Salad stuff
Maybe some low fat snacks like pretzels
Maybe some low fat ice cream or sherbert


Just regular stuff...only I eat the proper portion now. And as much organic stuff that I can afford.

First I make a menu of what I'd like to eat that week. And especially with dinner I try to get meats I can use again or in other ways. Generally this is what it looks like for an idea:

Bfast: smoothie - spinach, almond milk, protein powder if out

Lunch: leftovers are possible, salads using left over roasted chicken, mushroom soup, etc.

Snacks: fruit, yogurt, nuts, crackers and creamcheese

Dinner:
Roasted whole chicken for: soup, sandwich meat, casseroles
mexican tamale casserole - left over chicken, black beans, corn, olives, enchilada sauce, ff cornbread mix
Grilled romaine salad with tons of grilled veggies, homemade vinegrette - romaine lettuce, asparagus, onion, cucumber tomatoes
Pork chops with grilled asparagus - pork chops


You get the idea. Making a menu and buying foods you can use more than once so it is cost effective is really the way to go.

Plus I cook 90% of my dishes on Sunday so all we have to do is stick them in the oven or reheat when I get home from the gym later in the evening.

best tip: don't go down any isles if possible.... the best for you foods are around the perimeter of the store ;-)

Also, don't be afraid to roam the salad dressing/spice aisle - you never know what you might find to dress up the taste of certain things in order to keep them interesting. Experiment with new tastes on a regular basis.

I've been dieting for a little over a week. Went to the grocery store last week and loaded up:
special K fruit & yogurt
Oatmeal (instant)
nutri grain bars
rice cakes
weight watchers Meals for lunch & dinner (mini cheese pizza, santa fe rice & beans)
WW brownies and carrot cake bites
Frozen crab cakes
shrimp
potatos
fresh veggies & fruit
popcorn
water
yogurt
Lipton "to go" drop ins
100 cal snacks

So far i've lost 2.8 lbs. I tried to stock up on things so that I would have them around when needed and not have to run for fast food. I also have only had water and just added the different drop in flavors. Hope that helped. Good luck.

best tip: don't go down any isles if possible.... the best for you foods are around the perimeter of the store ;-)

This seems to be a logical statement when I visualize my store and maybe on a quick return trip; but then I think at some point I need:

Canned Black, Navy, butter, etc... beans
Soups
Canned Tuna/Chicken
Frozen veggies
Peanut Butter
Buritto shells (not for me)
Lo-Cal replacement shakes/Bars
TP ( )

Go shopping with a plan, and the best place I found for that was E-mealz. $5 a month and she gives you a dinner meal plan for the grocerie store of your choice. it was a great investment for us and ended up saving us tons of money in food!
http://www.e-mealz.com/

Thanks for mentioning this website. I live alone, so the meal planning is probably more than I need, but the info about how to get the most out of coupons was worth the time spent to locate the site. Good info for all.

I second the making a menu idea. That is what I do. Then I only buy the stuff on my list. OH, and always avoid the soda/chips/cookie aisle.

I make a menu first, then the list. You can see a menu of mine on my profile. Menus really help me stick to my plan, help me avoid having to choose what to eat in the moment, and give me confidence I can stick to my plan. I plan out my calories in advance for each meal. This way, everything is already done, and all I have to do is put the fuel in my body. There is not thinking or emotional influence on the decision.

My food diary is public too, so you can see what I eat and how much each meal is calorically. My diet is beyond strict, but it works, the fat is melting off. I am not kidding, it is hard, but it works. Plan and you can succeed at any diet plan, even a nearly impossible one.

protein -
chicken breast
90% lean ground beef
some type of fish (crab was on sale this week so I grabbed those)
canned chicken
canned tuna
lunch meat for my bf

starches -
pasta
rice
whole wheat tortillas or pita bread
corn tortillas
bread for my bf (the kind changes. this type i got him rye)
bread for me (this time i got sourdough)

fruits -
(this changes weekly but this time i got:)
canteloupe
raspberries

veggies -
onion
bell peppers (frozen or fresh)
green beans
broccoli ('cept lately, we have plenty!)
something new: this week i'm going to get some asparagus 'cause i've been craving!!!
leaf lettuce
tomato
celery

dairy -
eggs
milk
yogurt
cheese for me (could be shredded or string cheese)
cheese for my bf (to go w/ his lunch meat)
cheese for at home

everything else/snack foods -
hummus
mayonnaise
peanut butter
honey
cereal
granola
almonds or some other nut (lately I've been eating peanuts)

Oh, butter! I was buying Land O' Lakes Butter Spread stuff 'cause I thought I was grabbing the one that was made with Canola oil, turns out it was 55% Hydrogenated Oil (which I'm supposed to avoid because of my cholesterol)...so this time I bought Smart Balance Heart Health Light and it's 45 calories for 2 tbsp and only has GOOD oils in it. It's pretty darn tasty too. :happy: I mainly only cook with it anyway. I don't use butter on anything really anymore since most of the bread I eat is for sandwiches.

Right or wrong I only use PAM spray (zero cal) and 'I want to be butter' spray (zero cal) in cooking. My steamed veggies get the non-butter sptritz, most pan cooking get both. No butter, marg, EVVO, other.

And we will season them in the bag before we toss them in the freezer. Then as they thaw out they marinate in the spices.

That is brilliant. I already buy the big package and portion them out individually, but I'm going to start seasoning them this way, too.