Aug 18, 2010

What's On My Grocery List?

After multiple posts showing all the naughty foods I love to eat/feel I deserve, I thought I'd share with you the staples in my diet. I made a list of what I find myself typically buying at the grocery store. This is a basic list of what I like to have in my pantry or refrigerator at all times. With each item, I have listed its benefits and how I incorporate it into my diet. I have so many friends tell me they have difficulties grocery shopping, so I hope this list helps give some ideas!

Fruits/Vegetables:
Apples: Fiber, vitamin C
Easy way to add to your diet: Just enjoy the whole fruit on its own! Use as an alternative to sweet desserts.

Avocado: Cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat, manganese, protein, vitamin K.
Easy to add: Add sliced avocado to your sandwiches or make guacamole as a veggie dip. Or try my avocado "butter" or best guacamole ever.
Beware: Most store-bought guacamole is loaded with soybean oil, sour cream, or other unnecessary ingredients.

Bananas - Vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium
Easy to add: Add sliced banana to pb toast/oatmeal or add frozen bananas to a smoothie.
Warning: Do not eat an unripe banana. Green bananas contain a protein called chitinase that is too difficult for the body to digest. This = stomach pain. Trust me. Speed up the ripening process by keeping them joined to another banana or storing in a brown bag.

Blueberries: have the most antioxidants of all the berries, rich in fiber, vitamins A, C.
Easy to add: to Greek yogurt, smoothies, cereal, or oatmeal.

Carrots: Vitamins A, K, C and fiber
Easy to add: pack baby carrots as a snack with a Greek yogurt based herb dip. Shred over salads.
 
Cantaloupe:Vitamins A, B6, C, potassium. Loaded with water.
Easy to add: drizzle chopped melon with honey for a healthier dessert. 

Spinach - rich source of omega 3s, Vitamins A,  C and K, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron.
Easy to add: to salads, omelets, or pizza.
Beware: Spinach needs to be washed well as the fibrous stems can collect sand and soil.
Sweet potatoes - Vitamins A and C, manganese, copper, fiber
Easy to add: Sweet potato "fries" or puree with skim milk, maple syrup and cinnamon.
 
Tomatoes: Vitamins A, C, and K, lycopene (antioxidant)
Easy to add:  Make gazpacho, eat fresh, sliced tomatoes w/ spinach and mozzarella, use lots of ketchup (but watch sodium and sugar levels).

Herbs/Spices:
Cinnamon: Manganese, anti-microbial, controls blood sugar
Easy to add: Sprinkle on oats, coffee, smoothies, sweet potatoes.

Garlic:  Manganese, Vitamins B6 and C, allicin (an antibacterial compound)
Easy to add: Saute with any vegetable or chicken. 
Warning: too much garlic and you won't get kissed. :O

Whole Grains:
Barley: Fiber, selenium
 
Oatmeal: Manganese, selenium, fiber and protein
Easy to add: Best breakfast choice in my opinion! There are endless toppings for oatmeal. Try something new everyday using fruit, nuts, yogurt, flax seed, or nut butters.
Beware: oatmeal packets can be loaded with sugar and unnecessary processed ingredients.

Whole Grain/Whole Wheat bread/pasta: whole grain foods keep insulin levels low, good source of fiber.
Easy to add: a slice of toast with nut butter and banana slices is one of my favorite breakfasts. Use leftover bread to make bread crumbs for baked chicken.
Beware: Please note that "multi-grain" does not equal "whole grain." Multi-grain just means more than one grain. Whole Grain is the entire kernel that has not been stripped of its nutrients.

Legumes:
Chickpeas/Hummus: Fiber, protein, manganese
Easy to add: Use as a vegetable dip or a spread on sandwiches.
Beware: Some hummus have added oils for a creamier consistency. Try making your own in a food processor.

Black beans: Folate, fiber, manganese, protein. Low in calories and have no saturated fat.
Easy to add: add to omelets or salads, toss into your salsa for extra fiber.

Nuts/Seeds:
Almonds: rich in omega 3s, manganese, vitamin E, protein, fiber
Easy to add: make snack bags to bring to work, sprinkle on salads, oatmeal, or even toss in a smoothie.

Walnuts: have the highest concentration of antioxidants of all the nuts, manganese, protein, fiber

Flax seed: omegas 3s, manganese, fiber
Easy to add: Add to salads, oatmeal, or smoothies. Add to baked goods for extra fiber.

Animal Products:
Chicken:  Vitamin B3, protein, selenium. Chicken is lean and is high in protein which builds your muscles.
Easy to add: My favorite chicken salad

Eggs: Selenium, B12, protein
Easy to add: Hard-boiled eggs are quick snack. Boil a few for your work week - they will last up to a week in your refrigerator. 

Goat/Feta/Mozzarella Cheese: Calcium, protein. How can cheese not be on my list? I mean seriously. These 3 cheeses have the lowest fat content.
Easy to add: Goat cheese and feta add a nice kick to salads or omelets. Mozzarella works great on homemade pizzas. Pair with apples and melons.

Salmon: Vitamins D, B3, and B12, omega 3s, selenium, protein
Easy to add: pair with crackers as a snack, or with eggs for breakfast.

Greek Yogurt: Calcium, phosphorous, vitamin B12, protein. Probiotics found in yogurts boost your immune system by battling bacteria. Not all yogurts have them though. Look for "live and active cultures." Greek yogurt is a great source of protein.
Easy to add: Use for a base for salad dressing or dips, smoothies.
Beware: Many low-fat yogurts are high in sugar. Fage Total 0% yogurt (plain) is your best best with 80 calories, 6g of sugar and 15g of protein.

Other:
Snack Bars: many bars I eat have a good amount of protein or fiber in them. I specifically like Luna bars for their protein and wonderful taste, and Gnu Bars for extra fiber.
Beware: Many bars are high-calorie and contain a lot of sugar. I recommend bars that are 200 calories or less if this is just a snack. Pair with a fruit for a great breakfast.

Drinks: 
Water, water, water. It's free!

Milk: Iodine, calcium, vitamin D
Easy to add: Use as the liquid in making oats and smoothies. Eat with a cookie. ;)

Juice: If I drink juice, it's always 100% juice.
Beware: juice cocktails or ades - holy added sugar alert.

Red Wine: antioxidants, reservatol. Pinot Noir has the most reservatrol per glass.

***Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist nor do I have any training on this subject matter. All information about vitamins/nutrients came from the Worlds Healthiest Foods site or the book The Food Doctor. I am providing this list solely as an example of my current diet. This list is not comprehensive; we all know I eat a lot of cookies.

In other news:
Thank you so much for all your kind words regarding my shin splints! They feel a lot better! Here's why:

I sat like this at work all day:

Julius (my old trainer) used a ball to roll out the muscles. PAINFUL!
Then I cried.
How creepy am I in this pic? I was laughing so hard bc he didn't know I was taking this! Now he does!
And then I bought 20 Fage Greek yogurts from Publix...Don't judge me! They were on sale!

53 comments:

  1. This was such a handy post! Sorry about your shins! Ooh Fage on Sale!

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  2. Thank you for posting about your grocery shopping list. I am the worst grocery shopper. Ever.

    P.S. I hope your shinny shin shins are feeling better!!

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  3. 20 Fage greek yogurts?! Ok I won't judge. I just hope you got some honey flavor in their!

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  4. i am cracking up laughing right now because of those pictures. you are such a creeper...but i love you! haha. :)

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  5. Great list! I used to post my grocery list and what meals I planned to make and I always love to see what others do/buy as well! We have similar staples. hahah the pictures of the shin recovery efforts are awesome

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  6. Ahahaha... I'm a sucker for sales, too. And that is why my pantry is STOCKED with cereal. Seriously. I should start serving it at parties to get rid of it all... lol

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  7. When I ran track (and got shin splints all the time) people used to tell me to roll bamboo on them...But there really isn't a healthy supply of bamboo in the midwest, so I found that a ball indeed works well! That, and staying off your feet for awhile. Those things hurt! Our grocery lists are so similar it's ridiculous. :)

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  8. with the exception of the barley and oatmeal, you and i have the exact same shopping list!

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  9. I love grocery posts! What can I say, I have a sickness...I like to know what people eat! Your list looks perfect! I hope those shins feel better! It sucks that every step you take hurts...so frustrating.

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  10. Woah, I like 0% Fage yogurt but 20? Musta been a good deal! Cool.

    Love the pics of you getting your shines better- or worse- depending on how you look at it. And yeah, totally hurts!

    Very cute work shoes. Love them. :)

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  11. I am laughing so hard at the pictures. You are going to have yogurt coming out all ends darlin'. I do the same thing, but maybe not that many, lol.

    Tennis ball is an awesome trick, thanks for sharing.

    And your post reminds us - balance is key.

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  12. that is such great information! esp the little warnings, I am def the person that can miss those! I might just copy and paste this post and put it on my fridge!

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  13. Cinnamon and garlic are two spice staples of mine too! But I think you should add cayenne though! That stuff is wondrous! http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/herbal-remedies/cayenne-pepper-herbal-remedies.htm

    And I like spicy things so its yummy too. Hahah. Great post! I was thinking of doing something similar. Might actually get around to it soon!

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  14. Great list! That looks pretty similar to what I eat daily, when not abiding by this STRICT comp diet- ughhh, I miss avocado like crazy:( Just a few more months and then I'll eat my weight in it...sorta:)

    Glad your shins are feeling better! :)

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  15. Great list. Very similar to mine.

    Do you have a foam roller? They're great for shin splints.

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  16. LOL - love the pic of your trainer! I will have you know that I added a little spoonful of almond butter to my smoothie this afternoon thanks to your PBJ post! :)

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  17. I love your grocery list. I keep a very similar list myself and it much easier to plan meals out when you see what you have written down.

    Two thumbs down for shin splints!

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  18. Super healthy food list.
    No you don't look creepy in this picture, you look sweet!

    I cannot believe Fage yogurt is so popular in US. For some reason is really funny to me, hihi

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  19. Aside from the chicken and fish, your food staples are basically my food staples :) And great ideas on how to incorporate these deeeeelish foods into the diet.

    How jealous am I over your super supply of Fage? Gah! They don't sell it up here in Canada, so I'd settle for even 1/4 of the amount you bought... lucky duck.

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  20. That's interesting about unripe bananas! I know that they taste absolutely terrible, but I didn't know they could actually cause stomach pain!

    Ditto to Amanda's comment about not getting Fage in Canada. Major bummer. :(

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  21. dude what I would give to have that sort of fage supply right now!! And I loved your list - really helpful!

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  22. thanks for the food ideas! i should really try flaxseed one of these days, and greek yogurt. everyone seems to be obsessed! :)

    hope your leg gets better soon!

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  23. I don't judge you for buying all those yogurts... I'm just jealous!

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  24. Shin splints are the worst! I still occasionally struggle with them. I've never tried to roll a tennis ball along them... don't really know if I could force myself to be in pain.

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  25. "and then I cried" HAHA - you're too freakin' cute!

    Our staples are almost identical... good choices :)

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  26. OMG you're such a creeper in that photo but I looooooooove it!

    I do the same thing with greek yogurt---hey, we gotta save money wheree we can right?

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  27. Mmm, Fage is my favorite greek yogurt - I would have bought 20 if they were on sale, too! And I love the creepy picture of your trainer...that's so something I could see myself doing. :-) Glad your shins are better!

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  28. I need to try Fage! I had it a while back, but I don't think I liked it.

    Thanks for your grocery list!!
    <3 jess
    xoxo

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  29. I applaud your grocery list - that's great stuff, And "then I bought 20 fage greek yogurts from publix" cracked me up!! Thanks for sharing - I love nutritional information.. Would you recommend The Food Doctor? This is a great post!

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  30. Great list and tips! I'm going to try your avocado butter! I would never have thought to add honey to avocado, but I'm guessing that it's delish.

    Glad to hear your legs are feeling better!

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  31. Don't forget about crushed red pepper- you should eat it everyday for the capsacin to increase your metabolism! AND something I learned (and tried!) this week- bison/buffalo steak! Tastes alot like beef, but has LESS fat and calories, MORE protein than beef, chicken OR fish!! YOWZA!!

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  32. Great Post! We have similar shopping lists (unless i go to the store hungry). I am really bad about coming home and actually fixing dinner using all my great stuff. I normally snack here and there or go out to eat. I wish I could get better about preparing a meal, sitting down and enjoying it...

    One of those things to add to my list...

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  33. That is the grocery list of champions. I've never tried Barley, although it's been on my list of things to try for awhile.

    Thanks for posting--and glad to hear your shin splints are getting better!

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  34. Love the break-down of your grocery list--it's always fun to analyze what is in the food you are eating! Ooo you poor thing--I used to get shin splints in sports and they KILLED!

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  35. Loove this grocery list!! It always feels good to know you're buying things with lots of vitamins/etc! And I am convinced you own the cutest shoes ever. And that you take the best creeper pics ever =D

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  36. great list! thanks so much for the nutrition information. even when i know the info., i love reading about healthy foods and their benefits! haha you snuck in pictures at the gym when your old trainer wasn't looking. creeeeper ;)

    sooo, we'll be seeing lots of yogurt recipes on the blog? hehe

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  37. Thanks for the AWESOME list! Just wondering...how are you gonna eat 20 yogurts before they go bad?

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  38. That is a great list, and no shame in buying 20 yogurts- I would be able to clear those out in a week tops!
    Love the pics..and those gold sandals!! So cute!

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  39. Haha, 20 Fage yogurts, I love it. I've been known to buy three bags of apples at once, so I don't judge. Glad your shin splints are feeling better, even if it did hurt to massage them out!!

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  40. Your grocery list sounds like mine. So sorry about yr splints. Glad they are better now. xx

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  41. love the healthy clean list! :) ahh the tennis ball on the muscles is so painful sometimes!! feels so good afterwards though!

    I do the same thing with greek yogs when they go on sale! esp when they are 10/$10

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  42. Love seeing peoples grocery list's!!!

    We have similar ones for sure, LOVE apples and SPINACH is a must every week for me, as is greek yogurt and almond milk!

    HOLY GREEK YOGURT!!!!!! U must of got a great deal to get so many! I bet the checkout guy was looking at you with all those yogurts! lol! love it! I would of bought all those too if for a good deal!

    I hope your shin splints are all better , that is not fun : p

    Love you girl and its almost the weekend!!!!!!!!

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  43. this post is SO helpful - thank you!! love that you included benefits, too :)
    SO jealous of all that Greek yogurt - send that sale this way!!

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  44. loved this post! hope your shin splints are getting better and OMG greek yogurt hahaha

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  45. haha NO judging here about the fage! they are like, over 2 dollars each at the stores by me. So upsetting because they are sooo yummy!
    and i agree with so much of the food you posted! apples are my favorite, and unripe bananas give me a stomachache too. thats ok, bc i like them when they have the brown spots =).
    and cinnamon is def my favorite spicee. soo tasty! cant go wrong with a cinnamon & sugar combo!
    for shin splints, I remember someone telling me to freeze those tiny paper cups with water, and then peel down the paper part and just rub the "ice" on the shin splint. I think I did that when I had them a few years ago.
    hope they heal soon!! =)

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  46. I love your list! I also love / hate the word manganese. ;)

    shin splints = ouchy. sorry.

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  47. The photo with your trainer is hilarious! I have yet to try Fage, sigh...one day!!

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  48. I'd kill for that yogurt! And, virtually the same grocery list!

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  49. I love your list and your shoes :) Shin splints are the worst, I hope you're feeling better!

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  50. I have that feeling too. I always show such random meals on my blog because I don't post everything I eat...but my grocery list always has items just like yours.

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  51. Oh I so feel you girl on the shin splints. Only I'm scared mine is a stress fracture because it hurts in one particular spot. I've got a half marathon to run, I can't be having shin splints! Feel better soon. :)

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  52. WHY have I never been on your blog before???? I don't know!!! I love it!! Glad I found you...sorry about your shins :( Good thing you have a smart trainer rolling out those muscles!!!

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