I need a grocery list !

My must haves are fat free cottage cheese, whole grain oats, 99% fat free ground turkey, Borden fat free sharp cheddar slices, Tyson Premium white chunk chicken (canned), and salad and spinach in a bag. Hope it helps, Happy shopping!

low fat cream cheese
hummous
carrots
spinach
prawns
tinned crab
courgettes
bagged salad
turkey meat
eggs
chickpeas
soup
sparkling water
green tea
porridge
cous cous wholewheat
brown rice
spinach pasta


This is just what I usually have, I can cook multiple things from all this.
low fat cream cheese is the essence to anything I find.

My "must haves" are Greek Yogurt, Horizon organic chocolate milk - individual cartons (for after workout), Arnold Sandwich thins, PB&Company peanut butter, and Luna bars (these are my 'easy to eat' go-to items for days when I don't have time to plan).

Agree with Caylee & Ted. Those steam in the bag veggies are great; easy to fix and you've got to get the veggies in as part of your healthy regime. I also would include clementine oranges, baby carrots and greek yogurt (lots of calcium).

Stupid question, but how do you eat the cottage cheese? isnt it like a yogurt consistency? do you just eat it like it is or add it to recipes, or what? lol

It isn't smooth like yogurt. I think of it as teeny tiny mozzerella cheese bits because it's kind of chunky. It's really good and I like having it in the Cottage Doubles form because you also get a bit of something sweet to go along with it. You can either mix it together or eat them seperately. I've also heard that you can make a lower cal lasagna by subbing out the ricotta with cottage cheese or doing half and half.

Mini Wheats
Flax seeds
Fat Free Yogurt
Apples
Bananas
Berries
Pears
Baby Carrots
Green Tea
Melba Toast
1% Cottage Cheese
Tuna
Fat Free Ranch Dressing
Baby Spinach / Mixed Greens
Chicken Breast
Frozen Vegetables
Whole Wheat Pasta
Minute Rice (Brown)

Good Luck!

I would continue to eat what your parents cook, but only in smaller portions. Add more veggies and salads to what they prepare. And then buy some healthy snack foods. Protein and fruits.

The reason is twofold. One it saves you money from having to buy 100% of the food you are eating. Secondly you will be leading by example. If your parents diet is unhealthy, you will be showing them how to add some healthy options to their own diet.

I agree with this...buy enough additional veggie and salads and fruit to share with them, after all they're willing to share with you. Tell them you would like to contribute to the meals by bulking them up. Also offer to cook sometimes and make the whole meal healthy. This is a win-win situation. You can make a positive difference.

I always start in the produce section:

a few types of fruits (usually apples, bananas, oranges, and pears)
the fixins for a salad (lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green onions).
guacamole snack packs or a couple avocados.
Sweet potatoes
onions
garlic

the prepackaged stuff:

Light mayo
dijon mustard
Low sodium ketchup
reduced sodium Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce
Low sodium soy sauce
hoisin sauce
honey
natural peanut butter
Cashews or mixed nuts
popcorn
whole grain crackers
whole grain bread / 100 sandwich rolls
Rice cakes
brown rice
couscous
whole grain cereal
oatmeal
white and brown sugar
whole wheat flour
all purpose flour
extra virgin olive oil
Canola oil
a couple types of vinegars
Low sodium chicken broth
Canned tuna
No salt added canned corn
no salt added /low sodium canned beans (garbanzo, black, pinto, white)
Low sodium canned tomatoes (various cuts)
Low sodium lunch meats (usually turkey)

Spices:

Salt
Pepper
paprika
thyme
basil
parsley
garlic powder
onion powder

In the dairy section:

Lowfat/nonfat yogurt and greek yogurt
Lowfat milk
Eggs
Reduced fat cheese (slices and shredded)
Light sour cream (occasionally)
lowfat buttermilk (occasionally)
Unsalted butter
smart balance margarine

In the meat section:

Chicken breasts
lean ground turkey
pork loin chops
lean cuts of beef
shrimp
fish (usually salmon or trout)

In the frozen section:

Bags of frozen veggies
Bags of frozen fruit

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That's pretty much the gist of it. I cook a lot from scratch. With the above ingredients I can basically make up all my meals. Prepackaged foods are easier, but they come packed with a lot of added salt and fat that you don't need. It's a lot healthier to cook for yourself.

I'm still learning a bit myself, but my have on hand items are (besides pantry staples and the like):

Fresh fruit (bananas, apples, berries, ect to eat on their own or add to oatmeal or yogurt)
Oatmeal
Greek yogurt
Peanut Butter
Silk Almond Milk (I really like this for a "treat" though I still use cow milk for cooking/cereal/ect)
Salad fixings (I make a big bowl of mixed greens and then use smaller containers for fixings so that everything is prepped)
Low fat salad dressings (found an amazing Balsamic the other day)
Decaffeinated teas (I drink 2-3 cups of hot tea a day)
Hummus (great for a snack and for a sandwich spread)
Nuts (I make a trail mix and also eat them plain)
Popcorn
Low fat cheese (to snack on... I love cheese)

I am sure there is more, but those are what I can think of right now!