My Grocery List & Staple Items

I try to live my life by eating a clean, healthy diet. But what does "CLEAN" really mean!?

To me, clean foods are the foods that your great grandparents would have eaten. They are fresh from the animal or the ground, and found in their natural form. So, do sweet potatoes count as clean food to me? Yes. Do cheesy Dorito puffs count as clean food to me? Not so much. Could we ever find cheesy puffs in the natural world? Never! So, those are the things I try to stay away from as much as possible. Foods that have been totally altered to something unrecognizable, and filled with unhealthy preservatives and ingredients I'm not familiar with and can't come close to pronouncing!

Does that mean I eat perfectly all the time? Not at all! I am still human and still come across many temptations throughout the day. I'm a major sweets gal, so I have found healthy alternatives for when my biggest cravings hit. I try to go by the 80/20 rule: eat clean 80% of the time, and have fun the other 20% of the time! Just like one healthy meal doesn't make you fit and healthy, one unhealthy meal doesn't make you overweight. It's consistency and persistency that is key. :)

Here are some of my staples and healthy suggestions for a good checklist when you head to the grocery store (also lots of inspiration from the beautiful Beachbody coach Kati Heifner!):

Proteins

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
• Tuna (water packed), or White Meat Chicken (water packed)
• Fish (tilapia, cod, halibut, and on occasion salmon and sea bass)
• Shrimp
• Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
• Protein Powder (lactose free)
• Egg Whites or Eggs
• Rib eye Steaks or Roast
• Top Round Steaks or Roast 
• Top Sirloin 
• Flank Steak 
• Extra Lean Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)

Complex Carbs

• Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
• Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
• Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
• Oat Bran Cereal (watch sugar, less than 6 grams)
• Brown Rice
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Whole Wheat English Muffins
• Rice (brown, wild, jasmine)
  Quinoa
• Couscous
• Potatoes (red, new)
• Whole Wheat Pita (low carb!)
• Whole Wheat Tortillas (low carb!)
• Rice Cakes 

Fibrous Carbs & Vegetables (Fresh first, frozen second, canned last choice)

• Green Leafy Lettuce (NOT ICEBURG)/Bagged Salad
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• String Beans
• Black Beans
• Spinach
• Bell Peppers
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Pickles (not too many- high in sodium)
• Cabbage
• Sprouts
• Cucumber
• Green or Red Pepper
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Squash
• Spaghetti Squash 
• Pumpkin

Fruit

• Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
• Lemons or Limes
• Melons (not watermelon)
• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Dates
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Eat bananas, figs, pineapple, strawberries, peaches or plums sparingly (lots of natural sugar)
• No dried fruits, including raisins (loaded with sugar)

Healthy Fats

• Natural Style or Organic Peanut Butter/Almond Butter
• Olive Oil or Safflower Oil
• Nuts (peanuts, almonds)
• Flaxseed Oil
• Avocado

Dairy & Eggs

• Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Low or Non-Fat Milk (eat dairy only occasionally)
• Non-fat yogurt (look for low sugar only)
• Fat-free String Cheese (Weight Watcher's brand is delicious!)
• Fat-free Cream Cheese

Condiments & Misc.

• Fat-free Mayonnaise (on occasion)
• Ketchup (Heinz One Carb brand only)
• Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
• Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Balsamic or Raspberry Vinaigrette (Farm Grove)
• Salsa or Fresh Pico De Gallo
• Stevia
• Sugar Free Maple Syrup
• All Natural Fruit James
• Mustard (yellow or Dijon)
• Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc)
• Low Sodium fat-free vegetable or fat-free chicken broth
• Plain or reduced sodium tomatoes sauce, puree, paste (look for low sugar)
• Olive Oil cooking spray
• Sugar-free applesauce for baking (replacement for vegetable oil!)

Herbs & Spices

• Chili powder
• Mrs. Dash (all varieties)
• McCormick’s (all varieties)
• Butter Buds
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Basil
• Bay leaf
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Dill
• Ginger
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Paprika
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Curry Powder
• Red Pepper
• Marjoram
• Tarragon
• Dry Mustard
• Cumin
• Saffron
• Nutmeg
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Black Pepper
• Salt *ONLY AS NEEDED!

The KEY to my clean eating and weight loss success has been PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!

I meal plan/prep EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY! I cannot tell you how important this step is. Wake up early and take the few extra hours out of one day of your week that you are free to plan for the REST of the week. These extra few hours will save you a TON of time and stress in the long run! Every time you are hungry, your meals will be there to grab. There will be no chance for reaching for that bag of greasy potato chips because you are so starving you can't wait for your meal to be cooked! No more last minute McDonald's runs during your lunch break because you don't have time to get home and make a meal. HAVE YOUR MEALS READY and TAKE THEM WITH YOU!

On Sunday's, I go through my favorite easy cookbook or Pinterest recipes and pick out 2 family sized meals that I'd like to make- these meals are what is going to be divided out into proper portions in Tupperware containers for my lunch and dinner over the next 5 days. If you have children and a husband to be cooking for as well, make 3 or 4 family sized recipes! Another option is to have just 1 family sized recipe for you to make for your lunches, and to make all fresh dinners every night when you get home with your family- I know some people prefer that.

So here are my steps:

1) Make a grocery list of everything you need for your week's meals and snacks

2) Hit the grocery store! Be an early bird and hit the store first thing in the morning to avoid stress if you hate grocery shopping like me!

3) Make your meals! I typically have my lunches be very basic. I will grill up 5 chicken breasts lightly salted and seasoned, a big batch of fresh veggies (broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc), and a big batch of a complex carb (brown rice, quinoa, etc). 

4) Divide out into your 5 tupperware containers and store in the fridge!

5) Get out your ziploc baggies and portion out your snacks, too! I try to eat every 2-3 hours, so however many snacks you need each day at your job. I ate snacks twice a day, so that's 10 baggies of ready made snacks that you can grab as you head out the door!

*Some of my staples were figs, bell peppers with hummus, carrots with hummus/fat free ranch dressing, rice cake, celery with PB, protein bars, whey protein powder, you name it! Pick varieties from the grocery list and have fun with it!

Guess what!? You are now set for the ENTIRE WEEK!!!!! Success is YOURS!

Here are some of my sample meals that are staples in my househould! Another big thing is not fearing eating the SAME THINGS over and over! Once I found all of the deliciously healthy things that I loved and knew the correct portions of them, why would I make it harder on myself just to eat different foods? Make it EASY for yourself. Find your staples and make them! All the time! :)

Lean ground turkey seasoned with low sodium taco seasoning, all natural salsa and guacamole, romaine lettuce, all wrapped in a whole wheat wrap! One of my FAV dinners!

Avocado and potato salad, lean tip sirloin, steamed edemame!

Sauteed veggies (green bell pepper, onion, tomato, spinach) with a serving of fat free shredded mozzarella cheese in a whole wheat wrap! I make this weekly!

Plain greek yogurt (Fage brand) with stevia, tbsp of organic peanut butter, and pinch of vanilla extract topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries! Favorite mid-morning meal!

Carbless turkey burger (frozen Jennie-O patty) with Veggie Cheese, slice of tomato, on a bed of romaine lettuce and 3 pickles! I love this lunch!

One of my FAVORITE dinners: Turkey Meatball Recipe

Lovely PB&J Oatmeal Recipe for anytime of the day!

Another favorite that's one of the EASIEST recipes known to mankind! Basil Pesto Chicken Recipe with fresh broccoli on the side.

One of my favorite late afternoon snacks: 1/2 banana, tbsp organic peanut butter, lightly salted cucumber slices

I love these Ground Turkey Enchiladas for lunch or dinner!

Snack option: 2 cooked eggs with sprinkled cheddar cheese; lightly salted acorn squash

Snack option: carrots with spinach and artichoke hummus; serving of cantalope

Breakfast idea! Healthy "Egg McMuffin": whole wheat English muffin, 1 fried egg, 1 slice canadian bacon, 1 slice fat free cheese.

Small meal option: 3 slices of fresh deli turkey, strawberries, celery and hummus!

Vanilla Shakeology with cucumber slices and hummus!

Delicious dinner: Parmesan crusted tilapia on a bed of spinach salad!

Truth:  I hated meal prepping for awhile. It took me a few weeks to see how incredible it was (especially for my waistline), but I promise you, this is the best thing you can do for your BODY and your WALLET! It's been a huge money saver for me. You are WORTH this TIME AND INVESTMENT! Do it for yourself and your family!