grocery shopping Hel!? What to buy to stay on track?

My staple items I always purchase are fruits, veggies, milk, eggs and bread. I shop the outer circle of the grocery store. The only time I go down the aisles is when I need something specific like coffee or rice. If you don't go down those aisles you can't be tempted.
When I make dinner I cook more then needed for leftovers. I just do NOT buy any premade foods so then I am forced to cook (I do buy the occasional frozen pizza about once a month).

If you more dedicated then me, you can plan out your meals and go with a list and only buy what is on the list.

Easy meals include:
Breakfast: peanut butter and jam toast with fruit, a pre made batch of oatmeal that can be portioned out, heated and eaten as needed.

Easy lunches: Egg or chicken salad sandwiches, leftovers from dinner. It is very easy to add frozen veggie, protein to a grain or lettuce for lunch. I usually prep carrots on sunday so they are ready to grab from the fridge for lunch.

Easy suppers are: grain (pasta, rice, quinoa), add veggies (frozen or fresh), then add a protein (legumes, fish or meat). It takes 30 minutes or less for the grains to cook, about the same for the protein, and the veg takes seconds.

When I have more time to cook I will make chili, soup, stew and freeze a bunch of the leftovers for lunches. I just pull it out in the morning or night before and its thawed for lunch.

I plan for the week in advance so my shopping reflects that. I cook usually once every 2/3 days, because most recipes make 2-4 servings so I always have leftovers. It means I eat repetitively, but that doesn't matter to me if the food I'm eating is delicious.

Don't be afraid of canned or jarred goods. I frequently used canned beans, lentils, new potatoes and so on in what I eat. They make everything quick.

Hummus and pates are great for quick & "healthy" snacks, they require nothing but a few whizzes in the food processor and an airtight container for the few days they last in the fridge.

My favourite at the moment is a smoked kipper/mackerel pate. It's nothing but broken up smoked fish (make sure there are no bones when you crumble it through your fingers into the food processor), some lemon or lime juice, a good shake of paprika and quark (or creme fraiche).

Delicious high-protein snack, really great with raw veggies or (my favourite) parsnip and onion bread.

I always start in the produce area as I'm there the longest. Make a list before you go. BTW, some magazine sites are having healthy meal planning with grocery shopping lists, such as Cooking Light and either Clean Eating or Eating Well. All three are great resources for recipes. OK, back to the topic. First, I'll list what fruits and veggies I need. Salad fixings (lettuce, carrots, green onions, fennel, etc) and whatever else you like in a salad. I usually make the basics of the salad when I can so it's handy, so the greens and non-mushy items are a basic prepped salad. From there, you can add a meat to it any mushy veggies like tomatoes, or something like apples and feta or mandarin pieces and almond slivers.

I'm making this too long. In general, I made a list by thinking of the grocery store I'm going to and the lay out of the store. Produce is almost always at the front of the store, and since I spend most my time there, that's where I start. Depending on what you eat and the store layout, group the sections and what you need (for example, frozen foods, dairy, canned goods, and so on. This keeps me on track and I rarely add something I don't have on my list, though magazines are a weak point!

I think it's important to have a rough idea of what you'll eat during the week so you don't end up eating junk or going off your plan. For example, a rotisserie chicken can be used in many ways and last a few meals depending on how big your family is. You can make chicken wraps one night, then chicken salads another night.

Hope this helps a bit.

I always make a list before I go and only buy what's on the list (and have always done this, just used to put more junk foods on the list!).

Fruit and veggies are a priority. Then protein....eggs, tuna, nonfat Greek yogurt, chicken.....then low cal breads, wraps.....then condiments.....low fat mayo, mustard, ketchup, low cal salad dressings....and buy some spices to spice things up!

I think the protein powder suggestion up top was a good one. Personally, I'm raw, so I don't cook. Saves time not cooking and not doing dishes. Probably not an option for everyone, though.

I think the protein powder suggestion up top was a good one. Personally, I'm raw, so I don't cook. Saves time not cooking and not doing dishes. Probably not an option for everyone, though.

^^ Do you eat meat? If not, what is your biggest source of protein?