Written by our Health Coach, Ashley Strommen with Illest Optimist
Healthy Grocery Shopping List
What do you buy when you go grocery shopping? What foods and beverages are on your shopping list? Do you purchase online or in store?
These are questions I get asked daily. We all know what we purchase is a direct reflection of what ends up in our stomach. So when you go grocery shopping and purchase only processed foods, you can’t be surprised when the weight won’t drop or if you have negative symptoms you can’t get rid of. Instead, purchase foods and drinks that nourish you and give you strength.
In-Store Shopping List
- Cucumbers: diced into salads, or slice into water
- Avocados: cut up in salads, use as a dip for carrots (mixed with salt pepper and Sriracha)
- Lettuce/greens: salads, and lettuce cups, smoothies
- Lemons + Limes: morning lemon waters, and in homemade vinaigrettes
- Oranges: As a snack
- Apples: As a snack
- Bananas (let ripen, peel, and freeze to use in smoothies)
- Sweet potatoes: Baked into fries with cinnamon and coconut oil
- Parsley: chop into salads
- Green beens, carrots and other veggies: boiled or baked and used as dipping tools in avocado or hummus
- Garlic: used in soups, salads, and roasted on avocado toast
- Zucchini: pan fried for dinner topped with fish, or used for zucchini noodles
- Nuts: for example raw cashews and almonds to snack on and to top on salads
- Assorted fish/meat/eggs: hormone/antibiotic free, free range, and wild caught
- Nut milk or coconut milk: for smoothies
- Coconut oil: for cooking, oil pulling, and as a moisturizer
- Dijon mustard + Extra Virgin Olive Oil: when mixed with lemon juice makes the best vinaigrette
- Local honey: fab sweetener for everything
- Gluten-free toast: because life doesn’t exist without avotoast
- Nut Butter: My fav is almond butter (life changing on apples)
- Millet/Black Rice/Quinoa: gluten-free grains that cook quick, are delicious, and incredibly healthy
Were do you grocery shop and how can I save money?
The first objection to healthy eating that I hear from everyone beginning a healthy lifestyle is that whole foods are too expensive. The truth is I was spending about twice as much eating frozen, pre-packaged, and fast food then I ever have spent making things fresh. You can buy a TON of produce for the price of a Pizza Hut order.
Favorite In-Store Grocery Shopping
- Sams Club + Costco: I am a huge fan of these bulk stores when picking up produce, especially for families. They have fabulous deals on fruit, veggies, meat, seafood, and nuts. Remember to stock up only on the items you know you will eat quickly, won’t go bad (brown rice), or that can be frozen.
- Aldi’s: Aldis is the leading low-price grocer, operating in 32 states. Switching from national brands to ALDI exclusive brands can save them up to 50 percent. Yah, that’s a big chunk o’ change.
- Natural Food Stores: I always split up my shopping between 2 stores. The ones where I buy the majority of my food (Sam’s or Aldi’s) and another locale where I pick up my specialty items that can’t be found there. This is the place I purchase my coconut water, cocao powder, turmeric, and organic produce (if you have the funds to go Organic do so, if not try to abide by the dirty dozen). This could be Whole Foods, your local farmers market, or Sprouts.
Online Shopping List
- Gluten Free Oats: great for breakfast, topped with some local honey, and fruit
- Apple Cider Vinegar: put in morning lemon water for additional detox
- Coconut Aminos: great substitution for soy sauce if looking to get away from soy
- Coconut Water: best natural hydrator out there
- Organic cocao powder: great in smoothies
- Dates: sweeten up smoothies
- Essential Whey: Use protein to bulk up muscles
- Line of Defense: the BEST at keeping your immune system up and keep colds/flu’s away
- 37 Superfoods+: creates sustainable energy
Favorite Online Shopping
- www.vitacost.com: Great prices, amazing products
- www.mynurish.com: Get your 37 Superfoods+ and Line of Defense shipped directly to your door
Now that you have an arsenal of shopping tricks you can go about in the world filled with promise and hope. Do so with a smile too. Grocery shopping should be a fun experience that gets you truly excited for the week ahead. Food is nourishment and we hope you fall in love with ingredients as much as we do.