Best Damn Grocery List....Ever
Hey yo, Have you ever been in the grocery store and felt paralyzed by all the options? Are you sick and tired of not knowing what to eat or what foods are "good" or "bad?" Of course you have, we all have. I have clients who stay away from the grocery store on purpose because of all the confusion it creates. With that in mind, I wanted to create something simple and effective for you when you go to the grocery store. A list. A simple list of all the foods that could help you no matter what your goal may be. This is the best damn grocery store list I could compiled. These are only items you will see in a big box grocery store, some local farmer's markets or Whole Foods may have a wider variety, but I wanted to keep it to things you could find where you shop now. I also didn't want to link it to anything, so that you would have all the information in this email for you to print off and go to the grocery store. Buffgandhi Supermarket Survival Guide Shopping time! Hit the grocery store prepared with our handy Supermarket Survival Guide, which will help you: • navigate the supermarket like a pro; • shop as efficiently as possible; • reduce temptations and distractions; and • ensure you get all kinds of healthy foods! A few notes: These shopping lists are to give you ideas. You don’t have to buy everything on the list! I suggest you start with a few of your favorites from each group. For example: • 3 veggies: spinach, carrots, broccoli • 3 fruits: blueberries, oranges, grapes • 3 proteins: extra-lean ground beef, salmon, lentils • 3 fats: coconut, avocado, almonds • 2 grains: oatmeal, wild rice If there’s something we’ve missed that fits the criteria, please feel free to try it. For instance, you might find other fresh fish than the ones we’ve mentioned, or another fruit or veggie. Always shop with a list, whether that’s mine or your own. If it’s not on the list, you don’t buy it. That saves you time, money, and having to throw out impulse buys. Good luck! Supermarket map Most supermarkets are laid out the same way: Most of the healthy stuff is around the edges. Most of the stuff to avoid is in the inner aisles. Here’s a sample supermarket layout to help you plan your attack. Stick mostly to the perimeter, where you’ll find lean protein plus fruits & veggies. Areas to avoid or visit sparingly are orange. Be especially cautious around the cash register and ends of the aisles, where there are often eye-catching displays of shit you don't need. 📷 Fruits & vegetables Look for colorful fruits and veggies and much as possible. Eat the rainbow! Look for what’s in season and/or local. It’ll be fresher, cheaper, and tastier. Purple & blue Eggplant Red cabbage Purple kale Beets Blueberries, blackberries, lingonberries Purple carrots Purple potatoes Black cherries Black/purple plums Orange & yellow Oranges Winter squash and pumpkin Orange peppers Carrots Cantaloupe Orange cauliflower Yams Apricots, peaches Mangos Dark green Spinach Beet greens (the tops of beets) Kale Broccoli Any other dark leafy green (e.g. turnip greens, collard greens) Brussels sprouts Fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, basil) Green beans, green peas Avocado Zucchini, cucumber (if you eat the peel) Red & pink Red peppers Tomatoes Strawberries Cherries Cranberries Red grapefruit Red-skinned apples Red grapes Red radishes Red lettuce, radicchio Rhubarb stems Misc Onions Garlic Mushrooms Cauliflower Celery Lean Protein Meat Lean/extra-lean cuts of beef Lamb Lean pork (e.g. pork tenderloin) Wild game (e.g. venison, elk) Poultry Chicken Turkey breast Duck Eggs & egg whites Fish Salmon Tilapia Cod Smaller fish like herring and mackerel Seafood Shrimp (fresh or plain frozen) Mussels, clams, scallops Crab, lobster Plant-based proteins Lentils Beans (to be used sparingly, body doesn't digest these well) Peas Hummus Tofu Vegetarian protein powders (e.g. hemp protein, brown rice protein, vegan blend) Good fats Of course, you’re taking your fish oil… right? Cold-pressed oils Extra-virgin olive oil Walnut oil Hemp seed oil Pumpkin seed oil Avocado seed oil Flax seed oil Extra-virgin coconut oil Grass-fed/organic butter Fresh avocado Nuts & seeds Raw, unflavored, unsalted nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts) Raw, unflavored, unsalted seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds) Ground flax seeds Fresh coconut Natural peanut butter Natural nut butter Whole grains Remember, you want whole grains. The whole thing. Oats (steel-cut or oat groats) Brown rice Wild rice Red rice Quinoa Wheat berries (whole wheat kernels) Spelt Kamut Label reading checklist LOOK FOR Whole foods No more than a few ingredients Food that is close to what it used to be Organic if possible Local if possible Minimal or no packaging AVOID Sugar (look for trick words and phrases) Other sweeteners Hydrogenated and fractionated oils such as corn or palm oil Additives, preservatives, and colouring Any other ingredients you don’t recognize More than a few ingredients Trick words & phrases “Syrup” – corn syrup, brown rice syrup, agave syrup, etc. Words ending in “ose” – sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc. Words starting with “malto” – maltodextrin, maltitol, etc. “Made with / contains real fruit” “Fortified with” Don’t be fooled! Ignore what the front of the package says. Look at the back of the package. Remember, if a packaged food claims to be “healthy”, it probably isn’t. “Organic sugar” is still sugar. Do eat all these foods? No, I do not. However, I work best off simple lists. This is a list to be used to help you when you go the grocery store. It isn't all encompassing, it is just a guide for you when you shop. Something to help you keep your health in mind while you go through the grocery store looking for food to buy and meals to prepare! I hope you are enjoying these blogs and if you have a topic you would like covered, please do not hesitate to send me a message and let me know! Yours in Fitness,
Buffgandhi