Good Evening my fellow health seekers!
Today, as most of my Sundays are, was all about preparation. While it is super important to keep yourself prepared throughout the week, I find that spending some quality time getting as much as I can ready for the week to come on Sunday helps me immensely during the week. I prepare as many of my lunches and snacks as possible, so on those days when I'm running late (because it happens) I have healthy stuff I can grab, stuff in my lunch bag and go. I have found that when I depend on making every meal the day of I almost always make worse choices and while preparing my lunches the night before is super helpful, on the nights when I'm exhausted and fall asleep on the couch; I often find myself grabbing foods that aren't right for the day. I don't have unhealthy food in my house, but I will grab too much fruit or pack only salty snacks (pretzels and popcorn) which has me starving during the day and much more likely to be tempted by fast foods that offer more satisfying options. So I work really hard to make this as easy and healthy as possible for myself! I made myself three tri-color pasta salad lunches to take with this week, hard boiled some eggs, prepared my snacks and breakfast for Monday and made myself some tea for the week. I felt really good about all the yummy food I have to choose from for the week.
I went grocery shopping this weekend and after having had many people ask for shopping tips, I felt it would be helpful if I posted what I buy. Now, by no means am I perfect and I'm still learning every day how to eat better, shop better and live healthier; however, what I know now, I will share with all of you.
In the picture to the left you can see the staples of my shopping trips. From left to right, Mushrooms, mangoes, oranges, tea, nitrate free turkey, 15 grain bread, shrimp, zucchini squash, eggs, Greek yogurt, tuna, feta,eggplant, lettuce, all natural popcorn, salmon, bananas, unsweetened almond milk, grape tomatoes and almonds. I don't buy any red meat, except once in a while. We eat only nitrate free lunch meat, which at our local Meijer is only offered by one brand, Golden Legacy. However, it is important for me to note, it is the best tasting lunch meat we've ever had! You have to package it right because there are no preservatives so it doesn't last as long on it's own. I find that wrapping the turkey in paper towel then placing it back in the bag in the fridge helps absorb the moisture which is what causes it to spoil faster. You must ensure that every time you use the meat you replace the paper towel and you'll know because the paper towel will be wet. I use only unsweetened almond milk because it has more nutrients and less fat and calories than regular milk, even skim. Almonds are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, a great snack to help fill you up without too many calories. Fruit provides essential vitamins and minerals but I have recently found that limiting these items can help you lose more weight since they tend to have a lot of sugar. It's important to eat as many vegetables and whole grains as possible. We use 15 grain bread because it has a lot of fiber and is easier to digest than whole wheat. Tomatoes are a great snack that provide lots of important vitamins like cancer fighting lycopene and they are very low in calories, water based (so they fill you up) and easy to take on the road (grape tomatoes anyway). Water is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle and for those of us (me) who crave taste, I choose tea. I am IN LOVE with Tazo's Passion tea (they sell it in bags and iced tea packs at Meijer) I make a gallon every Sunday so I have it on hand for drinking throughout the day. I take a large bottle with me to work every day and drink some with dinner every night. I only ever use Stevia if I am going to sweeten anything, which is calorie free and all natural, unlike Splenda and other artificial sweeteners packed with chemicals. Cheese is another product that should be limited but can be very healthy and tasty when used right! I try and buy only lighter cheeses, feta, goat and mozzarella and use them sparingly with our meals. Last but not least, popcorn is an excellent light snack for work or on the go, you can pop your own, but you must be conscious not to use butter or oil. The great thing about Angie's Boom Chicka Pop is that it's all natural, gluten free, non-GMO, with a light sea salt flavor that gives it just enough taste. With very few ingredients it is one of the best packaged snack foods I have found to date!
Well I hope you found this post helpful and informative, perhaps you will take some of these items and put them on your shopping list this week. Later this week, I'll be featuring a healthy potato recipe, staples of my cupboard and a few healthy and delicious desserts! Keep reading for great recipes, tips and other fun stuff!
Let Every Move You Make Be An Expression Of Your Divinity!
