nutrition: inside my grocery shop

Probably one of the most frequently requests I get for content is to share more insight into my grocery shops.  For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my grocery shop Instagram story.   I got such positive feedback from you guys on it that I thought it might be better to do some “inside my grocery shop” posts here on the blog (where they won’t disappear on you in 24 hours and I can say a little bit more about what I’m buying and why!).  Please note however, I share these because they’re requested, not because I’m saying that everything I’m buying is the ‘right’ choice or should work for you!

So here was what I ended up with last week:

GRAINS:

I always, always, always like to have a loaf of bread on hand.  I was torn between my favorite (Trader Joe’s Tuscan Whole Wheat) and the Ezekiel (just to mix things up) so I ended up getting both and will keep them in the freezer so they last!  The pretzel bites I’ll use as snacks (I find a small handful pre-workout is perfect for me) – I like anything that combines protein and carbohydrate all in one easy bite 🙂  We always have at least one box of whole grain cereal on hand (Quaker Oatmeal Squares is one of our favorites) and I got the Farro to utilize in a quick tofu & veggie stir-fry!

VEGETABLES:

Pretty self explanatory here.  I used the zucchini and peppers (along with a white onion and garlic cloves I had on hand) to make a veggie-packed marinara sauce, the tomatoes I throw into salads or on burgers, the sweet potato I use to bake up french fries.  The onion, carrots and cucumber I use for salads or for recreating my favorite veggie sandwich!  The spinach I get for my homemade spinach walnut pesto, to throw in with eggs for an egg & veggie scramble and for green smoothies and finally salad greens for salads (my summer obsession!)

FRUIT:

I always like to keep a mix of dried, fresh and frozen fruit on hand – it makes it so there’s no excuse not to be able to sneak some fruit into your day (not that I have that issue…but my husband does!).  I use the frozen strawberries in smoothies (like my favorite 4-ingredient green smoothie) and smoothie bowls (like this 3-ingredient totally customizable smoothie bowl).  The fresh fruit I’ll snack on, throw into yogurt bowls, oatmeal, on top of waffles or pancakes…the sky’s the limit!  The dried fruit I’ll eat for snacks or put into salads and the OJ I just drink straight 🙂

HEART HEALTHY FATS:

I have olive oil on hand (I find I only have to buy that every 2-3 weeks depending on what I’m cooking/eating each week) but I needed an avocado (always!), a few nuts (for homemade trail mix, to throw into salads or baked goods) and canola oil which I like to keep on-hand for baking (my own personal preference, I know canola oil can be controversial so do what feels best to you, but I like it for baking).

 DAIRY (& DAIRY ALTERNATIVES):

This is my favorite soy milk at Trader Joe’s so whenever I go there, I get this.  I use soymilk in my coffee (it’s what makes it so foamy!) and with my cereal.  I always have a tub of plain greek yogurt on hand – I use it for smoothies, yogurt bowls, in place of sour cream in Mexican dishes and in place of some of the butter when I bake.  The butter I needed for baking (because I’m out!) and the Earth Balance is what I prefer to put on my toast and to make my grilled cheeses with.  These Skinny Cow bars have been (for whatever reason) my after-dinner craving so I re-stocked my stash of those as well 🙂  Finally I got string cheese – I like to keep this on hand for easy protein options for snack or to cut up and throw into salads.

PROTEIN:

Last but certainly not least, my protein sources!  The ground turkey breast was used for my favorite veggie & turkey packed pasta sauce but can also be made into turkey burgers, turkey meatballs, turkey lasagna…anything goes!  The boneless skinless chicken thighs are actually for Ollie (yes he gets crock-pot made chicken for his meals!) but we would totally eat these too!  As an added bonus, thighs tend to be cheaper than breasts and work just as well in most dishes!  I always like to have hummus on hand for dipping veggies into for quick and easy snacks or sides or lathering up my sandwiches with.    I’ve also got some beans (black and garbanzo) – I like to buy no salt added or low sodium when I can, but this was what they had so this is what I got!  I’ll throw these into salads, burrito bowls, quesadillas or even burgers!  They’re an excellent source of protein for not a lot of money, which is always nice in my book.  Same goes for eggs – did you know they’re actually the perfect protein?  They contain all 9 essential amino acids that you need!  Hard boiled they make perfect snacks or can be tossed into salads and they’re an easy vehicle for veggies if you scramble them up!  Finally, we always have canned tuna in the house for tuna melts or to top salads with.

That’s it for this week!  Any product questions, feel free to ask below!

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