To me, opening your fridge and seeing it stocked with healthy food is one of the best feelings. For it to be fully stocked, you have to do the obvious…grocery shop. When I go grocery shopping, I start by getting my fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables. After I grab my packages foods, which I try to keep to a minimum. Lastly, I add my cold products to the cart. I have a set grocery list of food I always purchase and the rest such as my meat(s) or certain fruits/veggies for the week changes.
When I first began eating healthier, I found the grocery store daunting and didn’t know what to purchase. So to help, here is my master grocery list for some insights! It is a combination of foods I buy regularly and others once in a while. Overall it is a list that can help guide you in finding healthier items in the grocery store.
The Master Healthy Grocery List:
Fruits
I try to grab what is in the season.
- apples
- bananas
- blueberries
- grapefruit
- nectarines
- watermelon
- pineapple
- lemon
Greens
- spinach
- kale
- brussel sprouts
- asparagus
- cucumber
- zucchini
Roots
- ginger
- turmeric
- squash
- carrots
Grains and beans
- quinoa
- black beans
- chic peas
Lean Meat
- chicken breast
- turkey meat
- shrimp
- salmon
Liquid
- almond milk
- coconut water
Produce
- eggs
- coconut or greek yogurt
Bread
- Ezekiel bread
Condiments
- Primal Kitchen: chipotle mayo, ketchup, caesar dressing
- apple cider vinegar
Packaged goods
- Autumn golds Paleo granola
- Purely Elizabeth original granola
- Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips
- Siete almond flour tortillas
- Mary’s crackers
- hummus
- Justin’s peanut butter and almond butter (peanut butter cup)
- dairy free Halo Top ice cream (peanut butter cup)
Little helpful tips:
I try not to buy tons of packaged food, but certain things you can’t avoid. Specific items I will purchase each week, others I only buy once in a while. Instead of purchasing standard tortillas that are high in carb and add no nutritional value to the meal I use Siete Almond Flour Tortillas. They are much lower in carb and aren’t made with regular flour, and added sugars. I love using them to make tacos and wraps! I also love Siete Grain Free Tortillas Chips when I am craving chips and guac! They are so yummy and an excellent alternative for tortillas chips. The Lime or Sea Salt options are so good it’s hard not to eat the entire bag in one sitting. I use Autumn’s Gold Grain Free Granola more than I should LOL. I put it on top of my smoothies, coconut yogurt, eat in plain, or I mix it with Justin’s Peanut Butter and almond milk to make healthy cereal (which is the best thing in the world).
So, I am sure you are wondering what I buy organic and what I don’t buy organic? When it comes to meat and fruit, I am very adamant about buying organic. In the long run, I follow the clean 15 and the dirty dozen. The clean 15 is a list of products that you don’t have to buy organic; they are usually foods with a peel such as bananas. The dirty dozen is a list of 12 foods that you should ALWAYS buy organic because they contain more preservatives and chemicals. I know organic can be expensive so I try to get foods from both lists, so I don’t have to buy everything organic.
I want to touch on a few foods and why I repurchase them.
When it comes to fruit, I seem to always buy either apples, bananas or blueberries. I love combining apples with almond butter; it’s such an easy snack. I use blueberries on top of my smoothies, in my mock cereal, or on top of my coconut yogurt (they are my favorite fruit). Lemons are a MUST HAVE, and they are always stocked in my kitchen. When it comes to lettuce, I always buy spinach for my smoothies and salads along with romaine.
I love Brussel sprouts because surprisingly they take about 5 min to make (the trick, I broil them in the oven). Zucchini is a staple for dinner in my house, well “zoodles” are (spiralized zucchini) they take about 5-7 minutes to cook. When it comes to my almond milk, I only buy unsweetened vanilla because I don’t want added sugar in it and the vanilla makes it taste sweeter.
As for my meat, I am very picky about having lean meat only and making sure it comes from a good source. I love fresh turkey burgers; they are so quick and easy to make. A package of turkey meat makes about six patties which I have for lunch or dinner throughout the week (super easy meal prep). I don’t usually buy bread, but when I do I get Ezekiel bread, and I will use it to make avocado toast… aka the best thing ever!
I’m thinking about doing a post on how to cook some of the above items (i.e., Brussel Sprouts, Zoodles, Turkey Burgers). If there is something specific you are interested in seeing leave a comment below!
Until next time, thanks for Hanging With Haley! May out find new items to add to this Health Grocery List that you discover and love.