I know I was supposed to post this on Friday, but it has been a fairly hectic couple of days and today will be no exception. I did state that I was going to discuss my grocery store staples and the things that I avoid like the plague. I will not do a plain list, but discuss things as I go along.
Vegetables: I love going crazy with produce. Vegetables are wonderful sides and with a little creativity, can be the main part of a meal (will post my veggie stir-fry soon). I try to get a rainbow of colors and since everyone in my family loves vegetables I get a lot of them. Every color of bell pepper, eggplant, kale, spinach, asparagus, green beans, tomatoes (yes I know it is a fruit), cucumbers, beets, avocados, broccoli, and the list goes on. There are so many things you could do with vegetables from stir-fry to roasting. Steaming is always a wonderfully healthy way to prepare vegetables. This is a section of the grocery store that you need to take your time exploring because vegetables are our friends and packed full of vitamins.
Fruit: I adore fruit and this is another thing I get a lot of and does not last long in my house. I try to get a variety of fruits for myself and the kids and we go through bunches of bananas, apples, and oranges like they are a rare commodity. The vitamins and antioxidants found it fruit just cannot be beat. I love making fruit salads for the kids and they make a wonderful snack on their own. I do buy unsweetened frozen fruits for smoothies which is a great way to start the day (be sure to throw in a bit of protein powder if it is simply a meal). Berries go wonderful in salads, plain yogurt, and even on top of ice cream whenever you feel like a little (key word: LITTLE) indulgence.
Grains and Starches: I am just putting these two together for the sake of minimizing my categories. I could never go without my grains. I love pasta entirely too much to omit them from my diet. I do, however only get whole grains. Brown rice, whole grain pasta, and whole grain/multigrain breads are always found in my pantry. I get whole grain cereals for the children and when I am short on time I throw in a few Kashi whole grain blueberry waffles in the toaster and eat them plain with fruit and yogurt on the side. For starches I will only eat a small baked potato seasoned with a bit of pepper and garlic powder occasionally. I love sweet potatoes and make fries for the kids with them as well as just eating them plain for myself. Oatmeal/rolled oats are a must for me. Throw in fresh fruit and it is a fantastic start to the day.
Meat: We have minimized beef in our diet. We do eat beef and love every savory bite, but do not keep it as a major staple to our diets. Lean cuts are always the way to go when you do buy them though. We eat a lot of chicken and fish at our house. We indulge in some shrimp as well since we are both big seafood lovers. We very rarely eat pork but if it is offered to us we will not turn it down. I am going to put eggs in this category. We love eggs and use it for a protein kick at breakfast time and throughout the day. When I prepare eggs I tend to leave out yolks or just have one in scrambled eggs or omelets. We try to keep hard boiled eggs in the house for a grab and go snack or for salads.
Dairy and Substitute Dairy: My children love cheese so I buy it for them. It is a weakness of mine but I do try and avoid it. We get fat free milk for coffee, cereal, the kids, smoothies and even a glass or two for us. Milk is not evil in moderation. I do get plain yogurt (and plain Greek yogurt) to eat with fruit or for smoothies. I get flavored for the kids but always read the nutrition information to try and find one with the least amount of sugars. I love almond milk (and my three year old adores it), and I drink a bit each day or throw unsweetened almond milk into my smoothies. Butter is also a not used very often in cooking. I love to bake (I give them to my husband’s wonderful co-workers) so I use it for baking and the kids use a little bit on their toast or waffles. I do keep fat free feta as a salad topper or an addition to my eggs or whole grain pasta. It has a taste that replaces salt in things that I cook.
Extras: There are not a lot of extras. We cut back on coffee but will drink it from time to time with no sugar and only a little bit of fat free milk. I love green tea and will drink it daily (sometimes three or four times in a day). Of course water is a major plus, but we do not buy it at the grocery store and use a filter and water bottles. For the kids I do get whole grain goldfish for a treat or all natural fruit snacks to give them (in moderation). The kids do get turkey hot dogs from time to time as well as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I am currently trying to transition them to all natural peanut butter. I also keep orange juice and apple juice in my house for the kids. Nuts are a must and I forgot to add them above. If I get salted nuts they are lightly salted with sea salt. A handful makes a great snack that can be surprisingly filling.
Never in my House: I try to limit processed foods in my house. If you were to look into my pantry is not stocked full of canned foods or boxed foods. There are a few (I do use whole grain Chef Boyardee in a pinch) that I keep for the kids but try and avoid them. I do carry some juice boxes for the kids for on the go situations. I have sugar, but it is used for baking. I will not buy any tv dinner of any kind. I try to avoid the healthier ones due to sodium levels and the standard ones are not good for you at all. I choose to avoid a great deal of things that are prepackaged. I like knowing exactly how much of something is in my food. I’d rather take the time to make some soup from scratch than buy it in the can. Mayonnaise, ranch dressing, and any of those thick and fatty condiments are not kept in my house either.
I know there are several things I am leaving off of my list. There are so many things that we avoid and love which makes it somewhat difficult to keep track. It has become second nature to us and since our initial transition to healthy eating began slowly, there are a few things we have not purchased in years. Our diet is fairly clean and free of the not so great things. I need to be able to pronounce and know each ingredient in anything that is in a box or container. The ingredients portion of my brown rice is simply brown rice. For my oatmeal it is simply 100% rolled oats. Pure and simple leaving no eyebrow raised in confusion.
Tomorrow marks Joe (and myselef) really bunkering down and eliminating all of our cheat days and larger portions which we started to indulge in as of late. We have been far from perfect the past two months and have really felt it in a negative way. Though we have not been terrible, we both have goals we would like to reach. I hope you all found my “grocery list” useful. Try to remember, just take a little bit of extra time to think about what exactly you are putting into your body. What small change can you make in your diet to help you reach your goal or set a healthy example for your kids and family?
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