What’s in My Grocery Basket
Alex and I spent the weekend in Ohio hanging out with family and friends. One of my very best friends is getting married so I was excited to come home for her bridal shower and bachelorette party. It was so much fun celebrating with her and hanging out with other old friends.
Unfortunately, traveling & visiting friends can make the healthy eating thing a bit more of a challenge. I managed to eat fairly well but I definitely added in more sweets and snacks than I normally would.
So it’s a new week and a new start! I loaded up my (virtual) grocery cart with tons of foods that make eating healthy a little easier. I thought I’d share what some of those favorites are and how I plan to use them:
Sweet Potatoes– they’re so versatile! They add a great flavor to tacos or burritos and they make an easy side dish simply by roasting.
Avocados– I can never have enough avocados. I love adding them on top of tacos, chilis, or salads. Sometimes they’ll take the place of a sandwich spread or I’ll just add some on top of a veggie burger.
Bananas– I don’t really love bananas on their own (although they’re a great portable snack!) but they’re a perfect base for smoothies and they can be baked into cookies and muffins to add some healthy sweetness.
Apples– I can’t even think of a more convenient snack. I plan on packing these with me when I go to work. They’re perfectly portioned for an afternoon snack.. If I need a little more substantial of a snack, I’ll just combine it with a little peanut butter. Is there anything peanut butter doesn’t go with?
Frozen Meals– I know thay probably sounds counterintuitive to healthy eating but there are some great options out there! And let’s face it, we’ve all had those days where things don’t go as planned and you just need something that doesn’t require anything more than the push of a button. Some of my favorite dinners to keep on hand are from Amy’s & Kashi. Be sure to check the nutritional information and the ingredients (just because that pizza is organic doesn’t mean it’s low calorie…) I love Amy’s black bean enchiladas and the Kashi’s Pesto Pasta dinners. In general I look for meals that have less than 400 calories and at least 10g of protein.
Honestly, keeping healthy snacks and meals around is one of the best ways to keep your eating on track. The other trick? Don’t stock your pantry with things you can’t resist! If temptation is facing you every time you open the pantry door, it’s hard to keep saying no.
I feel the same way about sweet potatoes and bananas. I actually cannot eat a banana on it’s own, but mixed in with smoothies, bananas are perfection 🙂
The one thing that is always in my basket is red bell peppers…so good!
It seems that every week I tend to buy-
Spinach, eggs, banana, and organic half & half (gotta have my coffee or I turn into the Wicked Witch of the West)
Spinach morphs so easily into breakfast, lunch or dinner
B: Scrambled eggs with spinach or a green smoothie
L: Spinach salad
D: Sauteed spinach to top whatever it is I’m eating
That’s such a good point! I love ingredients that can be used for so many different things!
Great picks! I’d definitely add some kale to the list. I’ve always got my fridge stocked with kale 😉
Looks just like mine! However, have you found that lately sweet potatoes have been cooking up a bit dry and tasteless? Maybe it’s just the WholeFoods and Trader Joes here in California. In NYC I used to get the most amazing purple skinned yams with white insides that tasted so sweet and luscious! They are like $2.50 each here at Safeway haha. Dang!!
xx Jill
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It’s funny how sweet potatoes seem to be part of every blogger’s grocery list – except of mine. I’m just not a fan.
Staples for me are apples, bananas, chickpeas, cottage cheese, oatmeal, peanut butter and zucchini plus any other vegetables I’m feeling like. And chocolate. …
I go through phases with sweet potatoes. I hadn’t bought any all winter and then suddenly I just started craving them! And chocolate… that’s a must 😉
We do not share the same grocery list – which is GOOD… I will never buy the last sweet potato and tell you to “suck it”! BAHHH HA HA HA AH AHA HA 😉
Hahaha no sweet potato fights between us 😉