Grocery Haul for a Normal Week of Prep

Hi friends!

I had a request to post about my normal grocery list of staples that I use for the week! Below is a simple, and easy grocery list to follow when trying to eat healthy and save money!

Meats and Proteins:

• Eggs- I use eggs and egg whites EVERY day. I buy 5 dozen at a time and immediately hard boil 1-2 dozen at a time.
• Chicken- Depending on the sale or recipe I am making, I buy fresh or frozen chicken. I alternate between tenders and breasts as well throwing in ground chicken every once in a while. I also buy skinless chicken thighs and legs for my chicken bakes. I normally buy at least 3 lbs/ week.
• Turkey- I buy ground turkey, turkey tenderloins, turkey bacon, and turkey lunch meat. I love using turkey for tacos, burgers, wraps, and in my pasta.
• Fish- I use mostly tilapia, but I also buy cod and salmon. Shrimp, mussels and scallops are bought, buy only for an occasion. I love fish lettuce wraps! I also keep packets of single serving tuna with me at all times to ensure I always have a healthy meal around incase I get in a time crunch.
• Pork: I am not a huge fan of pork, but I do buy pork tenderloins and thin cut, low -fat pork chops.
• Cottage Cheese: Life saver, easy snack, and awesome with fruit and veggies. I add this in all the time when I need a low-fat, high protein snack. I normally buy fat-free or low-fat from Kroger’s.
• Plain Greek yogurt: I buy plain, low-fat Greek yogurt. The macros are similar to cottage cheese and perfect to make protein pudding with. This is also a substitute to use for dips, sour cream, and mayo. I even make cole slaw with it!

Fruit and Veggies:

I buy most fresh fruit and veggies if they are on sale, in season, or if I am craving them for a recipe! I also keep many bags of frozen veggies in my freezer for a quick and easy side for a meal. The cool thing is about this list is that there is no limit! Eat until you are full. I do not track these foods!  These are the specific veggies that I always buy:

• Spinach – Use on everything, including eggs every morning.
• Spring mix- For salads.
• Kale- I use in salads, smoothies, and I love making kale chips.
• Carrots- I use in salads, soups, slaws, stirfrys, and just as a snack.
• Celery- Same as above
• Cucumber- Mainly in salads but also as a snack.
• Asparagus- On salads, but mainly as a side dish with my meals. Natural diuretic. I normally eat 10 spears at a time.
• Broccoli- Salads, soups, and side dish.
• Cauliflower- Salads, soups, and side dish.
• Zucchini- Salads, soups, and side dish.
• Green Beans- Salads, soups, and side dish.
• Tomato- Everything from eggs in the morning, tacos, salads and more!
• Spaghetti Squash- A prep girls favorite as substitute for pasta and potato.

2nd List: I use these a lot but they are all higher in starch and carbs. Do not over indulge and eat the recommended serving size!

• Sweet Potato- I love these babies and use them in my pancakes as well as a side dish. I bake whole for 40 minutes at 400. Slit them first. Depending on how many carbs I am allowed I weigh it out in ounces.
• Potatoes- Side dish. I buy all types but I really life red potatoes. I normally slice them up and bake them in wedges or fries and cover with seasoning like rosemary, thyme,  and garlic.
• Corn- Side dish as well as in my burrito bowls that I haven’t been able to eat in months…#preplife.

I do not limit any veggies so if something isn’t listed don’t think that it isn’t okay to buy! I am just showing you the staples needed to create a balanced meal prep in my eyes. I throw in cabbage, beets, squashes, and so much more if they are on sale!

Fruit: Now fruit is great for a quick energy boost and awesome as a pre-workout snack. Do not be afraid to eat your fruit but know that fruit contains carbs and sugar. That means if you eat too much of it your body will end up storing it as fat if it isn’t utilized. So once again, eat but do not eat too much! If you can eat in the morning and around workouts! Pairs well with a lean protein such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and eggs! I normally pick 2-3 fruits to split up through the week!

• Apples- 1 small, 1/2 large
• Grapes- 1 cup
• Oranges- 1 orange
• Berries – blue, rasp, black, etc. 1/2cup
• Bananas- 1 medium

Fats:

Oh my favorite. Here is where making small changes to what you use to use on your salads and when you cook makes a huge difference. I steer away from oils and instead of using olive oil I use fat free coconut oil sprays. DO NOT USE margarine. Steer away from butter unless you need to use it too.

• Coconut Oil- Added into foods to reach macros. I use to fry eggs, cook, etc.
• Nuts- As snacks to reach macros. Limit to serving size. Almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and peanuts are life.
• Nut butters- Peanut and almond butters are amazing but make sure to only eat the 2 tbsp. serving size. I eat these butters by themselves, on rice cakes, toast, pancakes and more!
• Cheese: Far more fattening than people think and way smaller portion sizes than what we use (28g). I love cheese but I normally only use parmesan, low-fat mozzarella, and low-fat shredded Mexican cheese.
• Avacado- A perfect snack (guacamole) and goes great on salads, wraps and tacos.
• Almond milk- Not necessarily a fat. I buy the 3o calorie, plain almond milk. I use it on everything you would normally need milk for. Don’t buy milk friends. We are not supposed to drink calves baby food.

Grains:

Watch you intake once again but grain are not bad! They are high in fiber and give you clean energy. Here are my favorite staples:

• Whole grain bread: I use protein bread from Nature’s Own, 100 calorie thin bread, and 100 calorie English muffin from (Thomas), and Ezekiel bread. I normally only have one of these at the house at a time and rotate them. I use them for whatever makes sense (sandwich, buns, toast)
• Wraps: Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Wraps are the BOMB. Buy them and love them. BOOM
• Rice: Brown and jasmine are my favorite. Definitely a food you should pay attention to the serving size. 1 cup is normally the serving size. I eat rice as a side, in my burrito bowls, stir-frys, and more.
• Quinoa and CousCous: Same as for rice.
• Pasta: I keep a box around for those special occasions. I typically buy the 100 whole grain, high protein pasta.
• Rice Cakes: A perfect low carb snack.
• Beans: I use fat-free refried beans and black beans a lot! I add them to eggs, burrito bowls, tacos, and much more.

I suppose the moral of this story is to only buy what you need when you go shopping. My number one tip is to only buy healthy food that serves a purpose. STOP bringing in foods that you don’t need. If you don’t see it, you wont eat it. I do believe in flexible dieting so when you are craving a certain food, or wanting to buy something, do it. Limit and portion these buys.

I also suggest making meals that are normally pre-prepared (such as pizza) from scratch with real ingredients. Limit your time in the freezer section unless you are buying veggies, fruit, or meat! It is all about making balanced choices. Always include a protein into every meal and make veggies the main focus. Adding in fats and grains come last! It all starts at the grocery store. Do not even bother walking by the pop, chips, and sweets aisle. If you are strong enough to say no at the store you got this in the bag!

I suggest cleaning out your fridge and pantry. Throw away old, stale, and unhealthy treats and meals that you might be sitting on. This will make things so much easier as time goes on.

Do not buy all of these foods at once. Pick out some recipes and plan out what you need from this list. I have tons of recipes up to look through. I am also posting a blog covering a day of eating with tons to suggestions on how to structure your meals and what I normally would eat through the day! Stay tuned. I believe you can do this friends! Good Luck.