Looking for a good Meal Plan with Grocery List

I've heard great things about e-mealz.com . I've looked at their sample menus and they aren't the healthiest... but definitely a good place to start! Kraftrecipes.com also has a few links for a weekly menu plan with grocery lists.

a quick search brough up these 2 thread with lists of healthy food to shop for:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/147787-good-clean-eating-shopping-list?hl=list
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/150217-typical-shopping-list?hl=shopping+list#posts-2032721

the transition from processed food to fresh food is difficult because it is new and requires some more effort to prepare. But it is essential to being helathy, it is delicious too and in time it will be come second nature.

You are starting off on the right foot, keep it up!

http://www.myrecipes.com/healthy-diet/meals-under-300-calories-10000001920441/all.html

lots of low-calorie recipe ideas, and a lot of them can be modified to suit your personal needs, too. i usually try to pick and choose a few from here to add to my own list of favorites.

allrecipes.com has a section of healthy recipes. You do not have to be a paying member. Once you add the recipes to you recipe box you can generate a shopping list. You can also adjust these recipes to fit your family. Example if you want to make 6 servings instead of 4 so you have extra to take for lunch the next day. It really is a great website it is worth checking out. Good Luck!

bump

I'm a strong advocate of the Diabetes association and often use them when creating menu plans for my clients. Not only do they show you the essential food groups but they offer visual guides that you can keep on your fridge at home that show proper portion sizes. Even if you don't have diabetes (I don't) they will provide you with sample menu plans etc. See if you can find one close to where you live and make an appointment to speak with someone.

As for groceries, the trick is to know what foods you already like, buy them directly from the grocery store and prepare healthier versions at home.

For example, say you love burgers. Find recipes and creative ways how to make a lower-fat, lower sodium burger. You might consider substituting real tomatoes or salsa instead of using ketchup. Use low or no-fat mayo instead of the original higher fat. Load your burger with lots of dark leafy greens or sprouts (alfalfa, broccoli, radish, onion, etc). Switch to whole wheat or whole grain buns instead of white buns. Or forgo half the bun (and fat and calories) and eat an open face burger instead. Or forgo the bun completely and eat your cooked burger with a 1/2 -1 cup of brown rice and a large leafy green salad with low to no-fat dressing.

Let's say potato chips are your thing, instead of eating potato chips buy french fries and cook them yourself. French fries have less fat, sodium and calories than potato chips so long as you don't overeat your portion size. Measure out 1-2 cups and season with spices like Greek or Italian or black and hot red chili peppers instead of the usual high sugar, high fat ketchup, mayo, gravies, cheeses, etc.

If popcorn at the movies is your thing, pop your own using an air popper (don't buy the microwave versions as they are still quite high in salt and fat) and season with Frank's Hot Sauce.

Ditch pop and fake juices altogether. Instead, either drink real fruit and vegetable juices (in small quantities each day otherwise you're drinking your calories and having to overeat to feel full) or make homemade iced teas using Stevia (a sugarless all-natural sweetener). Avoid using honey as much as possible, or use sparingly, because even though it has awesome health properties, it's still 100% concentrated sugar. Same thing with molasses.

If muffins are your thing, look for low-fat, low-sodium, low-calorie muffins recipes and make them at home. You can always carry them around with you in your car or lunch bag in a plastic reusable ziplock container or bag. I have submitted an awesome banana nut protein muffin to the myfitnesspal database that is high in protein and low in fats, sugars and calories. It's called Judith's Banana Nut Muffins. These are great a great accompaniment to breakfast, or can be eaten as a snack or dessert.

On that note, you sound like you eat a lot of your meals in the car. I used to have a job that kept me on the road from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Never once did I go through a fast food chain or convenient store. Instead, I went out and bought myself a large (2 feet by 2 feet) lunch bag from Canadian Tire in Canada but I'm sure American stores have something similar and packed all my meals, ALL of which I ate while driving. I packed cooked oats with a scoop of protein powder and fresh fruit for my breakfast. But it toast and eggs are your thing, maybe you can make 1-2 toasted sandwiches (preferably on whole wheat or whole grain breads) and take that with you. For lunch you might take 1-2 cups of whole wheat pasta dressed in a tomato sauce with low-sodium and low-sugar. Add a couple ounces of lean protein (beans, lentils, chicken, turkey, beef or pork) and a large leafy green salad or 1-2 cups of raw veggies (preferably broccoli, cauliflower, celery with a few carrot or red pepper slices thrown in). Or you might pack a hearty homemade stew, chili, bean soup, etc.

Part of eating healthy not only comes in knowing what groceries to buy and how to prepare them, but in knowing your lifestyle and making sure you have all the tools you need to ensure only small disruptions. Hence, like I said, if you're out on the road most of the day then you need to make sure you stock up, not only on healthy foods, but tools in which to transport your food safely so nothing goes back. For example, ice packs, ziplock bags & containers, thermoses for hot & cold beverages, soups, stews etc. Plastic eating utensils. Napkins. Glass or metal water bottles.

Even now when I'm out on the road all day Saturday with my daughter, I take a large thermos full of hot water and a variety of tea bags so I can make my own teas. That way I'm not having to run around looking for a Tim Hortons and have the convenience of my comfort beverage close at hand. I also have a single cup coffee thermos on days when I make and take my own coffee.

It's amazing in changing one thing about my lifestyle (packing all my own foods & beverages) how much money I've saved too - approximately $2,500.00 a year!! Small changes go a long way.

Well, these are just ideas to get you started on the right path. Feel free to befriend and message me if you want or need more ideas or help.

I applaud you in your decision to live a healthier, fitter life and wish you only the best on your journey.

X2 on Relishrelish! ~ $7.00 per month but worth it to be able to plan dinners and then get a grocery list. I have used them for about 6 months. When I take the time to make a menu the week runs so much smoother, not to mention the 5:00pm whats for dinner stress!!!!

In addition to the weekly menu they have past menus, slow cooker, premake and freeze meals and of fun things like dinner and a movie, holiday menu and entertaining ideas. What I like best is the nutrition info they include.

Hardest part is going to be breaking out of the mold into the new lifestyle. Your approach to meals should be the same as you approach exercise. You know what you want to do and how long you need to do it before you start (eliptical, 30 min, level 5 for example). Plan the work and then work the plan. I am willing to bet that with a plan and some coupons you will SAVE money at the store leveraging against the weekly sales flyer and avoiding impulse purchases. Extra Bonus!!

I am in a battle for a "cleaner" kitchen. The extra food and snack volume has reduced, my fridge is not a museum of condiments and expired items. Dry goods are more organized.... it takes a little effort but soon you can become very efficient at planning.

I also love my cooking light quick and easy book. the recipies are simple and there are lots of pictures so you can see what your making is going to look like.

Best of luck.

I'll admit that I've not used the meal planning and shopping list on the site as I created my own in excel just b/c it is easier to e-mail to my bf at the moment (who doesn't have an acct), but ... eatingwell.com has been amazing for me. We've found some total winners there and keep them in our regular rotation. If nothing else, maybe it can provide another source to go to when planning out the weekly or daily meals.

What I do is divide a sheet of paper into 7 boxes for each day and then break up each box into 4's (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack) and just add what I plan to eat/make. On a separate sheet I start a grocery list - so if I am having a salad with chicken, feta, salad dressing, tomatoes, beets - I look to see what i have in the house and what I need. It works well for me and it's cheap and easy. For ideas on what to make I suggest some recipe books (Tosca Reno's clean Eating, WW cookbook, cooking light) and choose from there.

Good Luck!

I listen to the Dave Ramsey show and he has an advertiser on there called E-Mealz (http://e-mealz.com/). $5 a month and they have a number of different plans. I have no personal experience with them, though.

I see someone else has already mentioned them, too.

side note..... I absolutely LOVE DAVE ramsey!