Shopping list

Romyarts2014 · March 2014

Hello MFP friends

I am making my new grocery list for low calorie foods
I buy food for 2 weeks at a time now so any low calorie ideas would be great

I put all the veggies and fruits and whole wheats etc
but idk if theres other things you guys use in your every day meal planning.

Thanks in advance

doughnutsndeadlifts · March 2014

Greek yogurt (depends on brand)
Cheese sticks (60 calories per stick)
Canned tuna (100 calories per can)
Brown rice (1 cup = 150 calories)
Lettuce
Broccoli
Asparagus
Mushrooms
Cucumbers
Carrots
Garlic
Avocados
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Bananas
Black beans
Chick peas
White beans
Walnuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Eggs
Salmon
Chicken
Turkey

cheripugh1 · March 2014

I make sure to buy spices...either fresh or dried but things to add flavors. I also use Salsa's for dressings and for on meat or as a flavor for rice... I buy Great Value simply because well nice size jar, cheap and it taste great! Like White Corn and Black Bean Salsa or my new favorite Peach and Pineapple Chipotle Salsa great with pork or chicken in a salad or rice... if you eat blah foods you will fall into the not so good for you foods.

autumnsquirrel · March 2014

When I was eating a lot of junk; I didn't have to do much shopping, because a few boxes of cookies and cakes would last me. Now, I am buying fruits and veggies and have to go every few days. I make salad in 2 quart jars, and make enough to last the week. My list is as follows:
hearts of romaine lettuce-6 pack
roma tomatoes
raw sunflower kernels
raw walnuts
cucumbers
bell peppers-all colors
Shredded cheddar cheese
eggs
Morningstar farms veggie burgers
oranges
bananas
strawberries
raw broccoli
spinach--raw and frozen
Red wine vinegar
salsa
Himalayan pink sea salt
ground pepper
red pepper flakes
onions-red and white
shallots
cherry or grape tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Pam cooking spray
Weight Watchers string cheese
Swiss Miss diet hot cocoa mix
Skim milk
Light whipped topping

greentart · March 2014

On the canned tuna advice, make sure to read up on the mercury content in different brands/kinds. It's kind of crazy how much mercury can be in fish.

That being said, canned chickpeas, farmed fish and eggs. What I do to help myself is make a menu (I buy a month at a time) for L & D (I have the same thing for breakfast every morning- an egg, some pork sausage, slice of cheese, quarter avocado.) and then make a grocery list based off of that. That way I don't have foods that go bad, I'm not overspending, and I'm not stressing over 'what to eat' because I know its already planned out!

EDIT: I also then stick to the list on what I'm buying, that way I can't stray and "accidentally" come home with some potato chips.

raggiemom · March 2014

interesting lists..many of the same items on my grocery list...I also buy a lot of chicken...boneless/skinless breasts

knra_grl · March 2014

I like to have some frozen veg an fruit on hand
a couple cartons of no salt added soup broths (vegetable, beef or chicken) *make sure it's no salt added or low sodium!
lean meats
turkey bacon or sausage
egg whites in the carton
cheese (i usually don't buy low fat cheese I just limit my portions to a half ounce when I want it on a sandwich)
canned tomatoes
I recently bought 0 fat miracle whip and I like it (not a fan of the 0 fat stuff usually)
olive oil
yogurts (usually plain greek and some with fruit added for snacks or you can add your fresh fruit)
cottage cheese
vegetable oil spray (0 cals for a 4 - 5 second mist will save you calories from oil or butter when you don't really need it)

zeal26 · March 2014

For me, snacks that aren't high in calories are important so that I have something decent to reach for when I'm craving!

I did my shopping yesterday and for snacking I bought:

String cheese
Popcorn
Pineapple
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Mango
Grapes
Low-cal yoghurts
Nutri-Grain blueberry cereal bars
Crackers
Crackerbread
Ice cream
Jelly (Jello) pots
Rice pudding pots

timetravelforfitness · March 2014

In addition to low calorie, I find High fiber to fill me up, which means I eat fewer calories.

roasted chickpeas
airpopped popcorn (with curry! yum! And the extra flavor convinces my brain I don't need so much)
those strange dehydrated peas
apples
wheat bran muffins with yogurt and blueberries, or just about anything

stubbycat · March 2014

Cauliflower
Carrot Sticks
Apples and peanut butter (great snack - 2 T PB: just count it)
Whipped cream cheese
Bagel thins from Brownberry - I like the "Everything" variety
Sandwich thins - much better for sandwiches and not all that bread. The other thing I am going to try is eating a REALLY GOOD (snall) bun/bread if I want a sandwich - and then counting it!
1% cottage cheese - great on baked potatoes instead of butter and sour cream
Real butter - but I admit to not using much. Butter is not my challenge
Real maple syrup
Frozen waffles
Eggs - 1 hard boiled egg is a great snack! (One of my favorite bkfts is one waffle, poached egg on top,1- 2 T warm maple syrup
Fruit cups backed in real juice - read the back labels carefully
All natural (no sugar or substitutes!) apple sauce, individual serving cups
Salad dressing that you LOVE - use only 2 TB, COUNT IT, and enjoy. I hate diet dressings!!! I dip my fork in the dressing with each bite instead of pouring it on the salad
Real mayonnaise and miracle whip - don't buy the phony stuff. Limit usage and count it. The fat in some things will help to keep you from getting hungry and from feeling deprived.
Spices - Cracked pepper - I love pepper! Lemon peel or lemon pepper enhance flavor. Smoked paprika, chili powder, cinnamon
Radishes (radishes, celery sticks and carrots are great floating in water in the fridge - open the door and reach for them when you want a munch!)
Mini peppers
Onions
Cabbage - Love cabbage, onions and peppers cooked together in a little water - I use my fry pan so they spread out and cook fast)
Low sodium granulated chicken buoillion - great to cook in rather than using oils for stir frys.
Safflower oil for cooking - withstands high heat
Olive oil for eating (salad dressings) and flavoring - I have heard it breaks down when heated and looses it's nutritional
Cans of crushed red tomatoes
Jars of jalapeno peppers to keep in fridge - chop up as needed to add flavor
Cans of green chili's (2 or 4 oz) to flavor recipes
Hot sauce
Meats should have "loin" in the name - those are the lean cuts
Chicken, chicken, chicken....We put a whole chicken in the set if and forget it, then have leftovers for chicken in salads, stir fry, etc. You don't have to invest in the expensive chicken breasts all the time! Whole chickens are much cheaper!
Canned pumpkin - use in cake and brownie mixes instead of oil and other ingredients (apple sauce too sometimes) - check out the WW website for recipes. Another answer for your sweet tooth - top shelf in baking mix section: No Pudge! varieties. I pretty much stay out of this section, but I do have these items in my cupboard if I need a sweet fix.
Vanilla flavored yogurt - great for breakfast with fruit, and in recipes (No Pudge)
Make your own trail mix with UNSALTED nuts - raw cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts,.....can add some raisins or craisins for a sweet mix.....1/4 cup will fill you up in the middle of the day - measure into something and take with you. I lose control if I don't take only what I measure out - it's good! Count it!

Sorry this was so detailed, but it was a wonderful reminder TO ME of what I should be doing as well! Thank you for the mental exercise! Good luck! :drinker:

Meginkg · March 2014

My usual shopping list is something like this:

-High protein Greek yoghurt
-Oranges
-Apples
-Bananas (Literally these are my wonderfood - I eat banana pancakes or banana porridge most days... super filling)
-Oats
-Almond milk
-Berries
-Chickpeas/kidney beans/etc... great to cook in stews with cans of chopped tomato and added spices
-Mango
-Cucumber, tomato, onion, lime - cheap, quick salsa with a tiny bit of salt compared to the store-bought stuff
-Hummus
-Seafood - prawns or salmon
-peanut butter
-Chicken
-Grapes
-Rice cakes (especially flavoured ones...)
-Peppers
-Wholemeal wraps
-Chicken (with the above 3 can make fajitas pretty healthily)
-Popcorn!

kimmmunoz · March 2014

When you said you buy spices, I wanted to ask, Have you ever tried Wildtree products?

Romyarts2014 · March 2014

Thank you all for the grocery lists. there was a lot of good info and i stole most of yalls ideas haha,
I moved to Europe 5 months ago (Netherlands) , But I grew up in America on walmart products so its soooo hard
trying to figure out what to eat here with the labels being all weird and I just dont understand them

this is the one i made,

please tell me if anything is a no no

Or if theres anything else i forgot.
You guys are awesome and thanks guys

Fruits - Apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes, blueberries
avacoado, nectarines, tomatoes, pineapple, honeydew melon, kiwi

Veggies- Onion, carrots, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, celery, asparagus, spinach, squash, cucumber,
romaine lettuce, kale and brussel sprouts, corn

Beans - Black , pinto, kidney, navy and garbanzo

Grains- Whole wheat pasta, steel cut oats, brown rice, couscous, pita pockets

Meat
Chicken
Pork chops
Fish and shrimp
lean unproccessed sandwich meat

Dairy
Low fat milk
Eggs
Plain yogurt and honey to add for flavor
Butter
Cheese

Spices
cinnamon
garlic cloves
cayenne pepper
vanilla extract
olive oil

Other
Canned tomatoes
oatmeal
hummus
walnuts
whole grain bread
rice cakes
english muffins
baking powder
baking soda
packaged fruits
tomatoe sauce
raisins
garlic chilli oliver oil
low calorie popcorn
special k
figs
skim milk
chocolate puddings to freeze
pistachios
tuna cans
cottage cheeze
goldfish
granola bars
goat milk
and goat cheeze

JimiB73 · March 2014

Some of these aren't necessarily cheap, but here's a list of items I eat regularly:

Plain Greek yogurt ( Fage is my favorite brand)
Protein powder (cellucor cinnamon swirl or molten chocolate)
Eggs
Boneless/skinless chicken breast
Tilapia
Bananas
Sweet potatoes
Kale
Broccoli
Ezekiel bread
Tuna

timetravelforfitness · March 2014

if you can find it, candied ginger is also a great little snack. It's got a fair bit of sugar, usually, so it's a bit of an indulgence, but it's a little bit sweet and a lot bit...ginger! Full flavor is great for getting rid of the munchies. And whatever it is in spicy peppers that helps with insulin control is supposedly in ginger. I don't understand much about that, but I know that 1/7-2/7th of the serving size is enough to help me when I'm feeling "craving-y."

timetravelforfitness · March 2014

Oh, it's also great in plain yogurt.

timetravelforfitness · March 2014

And...sorry, I'm not very good at putting all my thoughts together at once...I don't think anything on your list is bad...BUT, having a large variety of things tends to make us hungry. (The I Diet book is great at explaining this.) So your list seems VERY long to me. I have found it easier to not think about food so much (along with health reasons that made me fear it a bit) by having only a few options at a time. I tend to have 3 options for breakfast, with a banana on most days (sometimes I'll grab oranges if they're on sale, but it's rare), a choice of two or three veg, most days a salad or lentil soup for lunch, or leftovers (I've been horrible at this for the last couple weeks, but when I do it it's an easier day) and go all out for dinner. I keep only one kind of nut/trail mix, two or three snack vegetables, two kinds of apples (one kid likes green, the other red) and one kind of other snack things (just look what happens when I buy pop tarts for a vacation treat. Terrible!)

I'm not ALWAYS so stingy, and I do have other food on hand for the kids (which is off limits to me) but keeping it simple has really changed the way I think about food. I really recommend checking out the book (I Diet or Identity Diet), and trying what she recommends by way of limiting your food options (in other words, don't just take my word for it).

marilanasather · March 2014

I'm interested in how you make a salad in two qt jars??

daw0518 · March 2014

My weekly fresh foods list includes:
Tomatoes on the vine
Green onions
Sweet peppers
Sugar snap peas
Baby carrots
Cucumbers
Bananas

Things I don't have to buy weekly, but still buy maybe once or twice a month:
Baby spinach
Yellow onion
Apples
OPA Greek yogurt ranch
Hummus
100-calorie packs of almonds
Crunchy raisin bran
Pretzels
Wheat thins
Laughing Cow cheese wedges
Fat Free half & half
2% milk
Eggs
Egg whites
Sliced turkey [I get the Walmart FF smoked turkey breast]
Shredded cheddar cheese
Tuna
Frozen chicken breasts
Frozen tilapia
Russet potatoes

I shop at Walmart, & most of these things are pretty inexpensive. I spend maybe $25 a week on my fresh foods. On a bigger shopping day/if I need more of these items, it may be more like $35-$40. But usually after the first big shopping trip, the smaller weekly ones are way less expensive & it's worth staying on top of the shopping to keep it that way.

sunshinenstars · March 2014

.

mubalina · March 2014

Fellow expat here

Food Shoppers Guide to Holland is a great resource. It helped me a lot when I was trying to navigate food stuff here!

zoeysasha37 · March 2014

here's mine, maybe you'll like some of these,

Greek yogurt
Steel cut oats
Sweet potato
broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Strawberries
Pears
Cheese
Almonds
Avocado
Cheese
100 calorie pita
Bacon
Eggs
Almond milk

msnucerity · March 2014

Spices, spices, spices!! (And jars from a dollar store to keep cost of housing them down)- you can turn anything into an "exotic" meal with spices and practice using them

I also regularly buy:

mini cucumbers
peppers
lemons
bulk box of chicken breasts
garlic
onions
bulk package of sustainable seafood (sole, haddock, scallops, etc)
frozen green beans
frozen broccoli
arugula
natural peanut butter
tamari
canned chopped pickled jalpenos & chipotle peppers (we go through TONS of this stuff)
Sour Cream
Eggs (I eat eggs for breakfast every morning we go through a lot of these)
Nuts
Frozen berries (for smoothies)

brevislux · March 2014

That's my last list, being vegan it's naturally low-calorie.
Turnip cabbage
Oranges
Tofu
Parsley
Tomatoes
Apples
White cabbage
Whole-wheat flour
White flour
Pita bread
Bell peppers
Avocados
Onions
Cucumbers
Soy milk
Leeks
Lemons
Eggplant
Cilantro
Pickles
Lettuce

We buy legumes and grains in bulk so it only happens every few months: chickpeas, lentils, beans, broad beans, rice, bulgur, couscous etc.

LITtlerMeCO · August 2014

When you said you buy spices, I wanted to ask, Have you ever tried Wildtree products?

I started using the products after a friend became a rep. I made a really good salad dressing out of the Garlic Galore and Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil.

Shopping list

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