I go grocery shopping at least once a week. Usually to pick up a few miscellaneous things I may have forgotten about in my original trip or to find the perfect addition to a new recipe I want to try.
When shopping, try to stay around the perimeter of the store; that’s where the best good-for-you food is located. Shop local when possible or convenient ❤ Support your local farmers!
Fruits – Eat the fresh or freeze them to put in smoothies. Use when you need them!
Bananas
Apples
Peaches in season; recently obsessed
Berries blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
Veggies – I try to get fresh or farm fresh whenever possible- but I grew up on canned veggies, so I don’t descriminate (:
green beans
corn on the cob seasonally
broccoli
cauliflower
romaine/iceburg or spinach
sweet potatoes/onions and garlic as needed
baby carrots
black beans & refried beans
SO MUCH CHEESE – I always have a huge assortment of cheeses stocked
Cheddar
Mozzarella
Pepper jack
Provolone especially for my taco shells!
Parmesan
Laughing Cow cheese every flavour is amazing
MEAT – I buy meat in bulk and freeze it so I always have something ready to work with
Chicken usually breast meat on sale, also used grind for meatloaves, chicken patties and burgers; I’ll rarely get wings or bone-in anything.. coz let’s face it. I don’t want to have to deal with that.
Al Fresco Chicken sausages recently obsessed
Ground beef 80/20 minimum
BACON BACON BACON always when its on sale… I don’t even care how much I already have. Thick cut, maple flavoured… anything but the center cut.
Shrimp
Canned tuna and tuna packets in canned tuna aisle
Brown and serve sausage frozen section
Linguica and Pork/Steak on occasion
Dairy/Milk – these are really just in the same aisle where I shop..
Greek yoghurt I used to buy the individual containers, but now I pick up a couple of large vanilla containers and add some mix-ins to create my own flavours
Almond milk
Eggs large brown eggs by a dozen and a half; and I want to try duck eggs, too!
Coffee creamer I am a coffee fiend. I always have at least three different flavours in my fridge.
Powdered peanut butter chocolate/regular the peanut butter company brand is personally my favourite, but I also use PB2
Natural peanut butter for baking; I tend to get carried away with it if I have it all the time
Bread/Grains – I freeze my bread and bagels and defrost them as I need them. I can’t go through bread very quickly so this makes sure that it stays fresh longer!
Bagel thins/Bagel chunks
Wraps (Tumaro/Fiber One and others)
Sandwich thins
Old fashioned oats overnight protein oats (proats) have become a staple in my diet
Wonton/Eggroll wrappers in refrigerated section near tofu
Wraps/pita/Josephs alternative breads found near the deli!
Other/Condiments – the underdogs of my fridge and pantry
Sugar-free Jell-O pudding or gelatin mix I use any flavour imaginable to mix into my Greek yoghurt to create different flavours and it gives it such an incredible texture
Light mayo
Sour cream
Cream cheese plain, flavoured, whipped.. doesn’t matter to me
Mustard
Honey I make a bomb honey mustard sauce. I named it Stoopid Sauce coz its stoopid good.
Walden Farms zero calories dressings stay away from the peanut spreads, though! They’re gross!
Salsa
jams/jelly/preserves
Favourites
Another reminder that I have not been paid, sponsored or otherwise compensated by any of these companies for anything I’ve written.
You can buy some of these products at major retailers like Target or big-brand markets like Stop & Shop and Shaw’s, too but I tend to get better discounts and coupons from the health stores.
Quest bars! Quest chips! Quest powder! I use them ALL. Find out more on their website and take a look at Kiwi’s Quest Review Its a short video that I did for a class project, but all opinions are my own! They have made improvements to some of their formulas since I posted it, like their chips and I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet. I’m lucky enough to have been chosen to be a part of QuestLabs so I can order new or improved products before they hit the shelves
Optimum Nutrition Their 100% whey protein powders are UH-mazing. I think I’ve tried just about every flavour. OK that’s not true… but every one I’ve tried, I’ve loved! I can’t speak for any of the other whey protein, casein, or egg proteins, but having such a wide variety to choose from is awesome. They have something for every body.
In addition to the whey protein, I have also used their BCAA (the watermelon flavour legit tastes like watermelon juice!) as my intra-workout supplement. I’ve also tried to replace my afternoon coffee/energy drink with the AmiN.O. Energy and the taste is OK (I got the new caramel latte flavour) but I haven’t used it enough to give a good comparison. I’ll let you know! I have yet to try their pre-workout supplement.. but I’m sure its as good as their other products!
Cellucor is another brand that can do no wrong in my eyes. Every whey powder flavour I’ve tried has been better than the last; and they have TONS to choose from. C4 has been my go-to pre-workout supplement and I’ve LOVED it since the first time I’ve taken it. (I’ve also tried MuscleTech SX-7 Black Onyx pre-workout.. with similar results, but the flavour of the C4 is soooo much better to me.) Though, I’ve heard that your body can become accustomed to the pre-workout supplements, so I like to switch them up every once and a while to keep things interesting. Cellucor also offers an amino supplement, but I just haven’t tried it yet.
Lenny & Larry’s cookies. I shouldn’t even have to say anymore. They finally come in single serve sizes (instead of trying to halve the cookie… I mean, seriously… who wants to stop at half when they’re this good??!)
Power Crunch has some really amazing protein treats. Their Proto-Whey is pretty good, though I’ve only tried the chocolate. (I got a free sample by signing up for one on the website; that might not be available anymore) They also have three varieties of protein bars so you can find something that suits your taste; ALL. DELICIOUS.
Nuts N More protein nut butters. HOLY. SHIT. I didn’t think peanut butter could get any better. But this company did it by packing it full of protein and delicious flavours. I haven’t tried them all, but I’m damn determined to. I personally prefer the texture of this brand to Buff Bake and WAY more than the free sample I got from Legendary Foods. You might still be able to email them for free samples.. I wasn’t really impressed with the nuts, either… but other people I’ve talked to loved them… so give it a go and let me know what you thought of them.
FlapJacked makes protein packed pancake/baking mix that I have never used but have heard nothing but great things about! However, I want to talk to you about Mighty Muffins. Not only can you make a perfectly soft, gooey and delicious protein muffin in less than a minute, but add a little extra water, throw it on a waffle iron and you have fuckin’ protein. WAFFLES. Kodiak Cakes also makes a BOMB pancake/waffle mix in original buttermilk, dark chocolate and crunchy peanut butter. So… there’s that.
Oh Yeah! has recently made it onto the protein bar scene, and let me tell you… the One bars are. TO. DIE. FOR. Seriously. Every flavour (with the exception of the newest cinnamon roll that I haven’t gotten my hands on… yet) has been incredible. Not too sweet, the perfect chewy, but not too chewy texture.. absolute perfection. The Victory Bars leave a a lot to be desired in comparison, but everyone has different tastes.. don’t take my word for it! They have other bars, too… but the stats (calories, sugar, etc) are a little high for my preference. Has anyone tried them? Let me know what you think!
I’m sure I’ve missed a few things, but this is a pretty comprehensive list… Let me know what else YOU consider a must-have in your pantry. Are there any other products or brands you swear by? Sound off in the comments… I love trying new stuff!
The Joy of Mindful (tr)Eating 