Grocery List For Weight Loss Success

This entry was posted on June 22, 2012, in Healthy Tips and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 24 Comments

A reader recently asked me what a grocery list for my household might look like. What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?

This one is for you Amanda K. I know you do have some dietary restrictions, if there’s something on this list you can’t have please comment below, I will work on some substitutions. That goes for everyone, I welcome your questions!

A note on grocery shopping, shop the perimeter where all the fresh food is and skip the isles as much as you can. I got this tip from my favorite cookbook Pretty Delicious and live by it. I love Trader Joe’s but I understand not everyone has one in their neighborhood, so I am walking you through a shopping trip to Vons, the most basic grocery store I can think of.

Cheese-

  • Goat Cheese
  • Sharp Cheddar
  • Parmesan- a block of it not the stuff in the shaker it lasts a long time
  • Gruyère

Bread-

  • Sourdough
  • Whole Wheat from the bakery (not the preservative filled nasty “Wonder”)
  • Whole Wheat Tortillas

Milk-

  • Organic 2%, for my toddler
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • Coffee Mate Natural Bliss

Butter-

  • Unsalted REAL Butter
  • Earth Balance Vegetable Spread

Greek Yogurt-

  • 0% Unsweetened Greek Yogurt
  • Frozen Greek Yogurt

Lean Meat- Look for what’s on sale and stock up.

  • Whole Chicken
  • Chicken Breasts
  • Chicken Sausages
  • Bacon, oh yeah the real stuff
  • Ground Turkey
  • Pork Chops
  • Top Sirloin Steaks, get the big ones they are cheaper and you can cut yourself or cook whole and slice thinly.

Fish-  Pick only what’s on sale and stock up.

  • Mahi Mahi
  • Salmon
  • Smoked Salmon
  • Tilapia
  • Tuna both Fresh and Canned

**I am allergic to shell fish, but if I wasn’t I would stock up on:

  • Shrimp
  • Scallops
  • Crab both Fresh and Canned

Produce- Get only what’s on sale you will save money and in season produce is so much tastier!

To be truthful I grab anything and everything, the items with a * mean I always have them in the house. If I have never cooked with something I search the internet for recipes that include it and try it out. You can do that on this site too, there is a SEARCH BAR to the top right  ——->>

  • Corn on the Cob
  • Frozen Corn Kernels, so great to always have and grab a handful!  *
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Asparagus
  • Green Beans, frozen is good too *
  • Zucchini, all the different soft squashes
  • Bell Peppers
  • Jalapeno *
  • Avocados
  • Tomatoes
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Baby Spinach *
  • Arugula *
  • Potatoes *
  • Garlic *
  • Shallots
  • Fugi Apples *
  • Strawberries and Blueberries, frozen are good too *
  • Bananas
  • Peaches, frozen good too *
  • Dried Cranberries *
  • Dried Cherries
  • Dried Peaches

Cans- It is cheaper to buy dried beans, but I have a bad hand the easier the better.

  • Black Beans
  • Pinto Beans
  • Kidney Beans
  • Tomatoes, crushed, sauce and paste… what can I say, I’m Italian.
  • Chicken Broth-low sodium. I like the Boxes with the tab on top.
  • Coffee
  • Almond Butter

As you can see it is a very produce heavy list. I try to fill my plate up with greens and then I can have a BIG meal without a lot of calories. Check out my Metabolism Boosting Veggie Skillet it’s a great example of a big meal with a low calorie count.

Now that you have a full pantry and fridge it’s time to cook. Pick a lean protein and type it into the SEARCH BAR to the TOP RIGHT or just go directly to Family Style Dinners, Lunches and Side Dishes, Rise and Shine Breakfasts or Sweet Treats and Snacks.

NOTE: This is just what my personal grocery list might look like, I am not a dietitian just a gal who lost 150 lbs in 12 months. Just like when I’m at the actual store, I’m sure I have forgotten something, so check back for updates.

HAPPY COOKING!

24 thoughts on “Grocery List For Weight Loss Success”

  2. The only gluten free things that I would need to change is of course the bread I will substitue either home made or Ezekiel 4:9 breads. Also anything that comes in a can needs to be checked out just to make sure. Other than it looks good. I appreciate it.

  5. I just started following your blog, congratulations on the weight loss! I look forward to looking up some recipes, and I love the tip about shopping the perimeter, I’ve never thought about it like that before. Thanks!

  6. Happy I found this before I left for the grocery store! Trying desperately to lose weight and this tells me my list is on the right track! Thank you so much!!

  7. Love the list! However, I don’t eat meat or fish – do you have any other protein suggestions besides beans? Usually I try to eat enough peanut butter, nuts, tofu, or yogurt to cover my protein needs but sometimes I feel like I’m not getting enough.

    • Hi Sarah,

      I think you are on right path with your proteins, maybe you just need to get creative and combine them. For instance my Caliente Baked Potato has beans and yogurt a great lunch or dinner and my Metabolism Boosting Veggie Skillet a is really versatile dinner or lunch add in more beans and any veggies that you have and top with some yogurt too.

      My Almond Butter and Banana Oatmeal has Almond Butter and Almond Milk. I also have some Oatmeal recipes with nuts in them, You can always add some yogurt to your morning oatmeal, it makes it creamy and delicious and adds the protein you are craving.

      I am assuming you don’t eat eggs or cheese as you did not include in your question, if you do I have a delicious Chilli Smothered Omelet, if not try out the chilli on it’s own, it is delicious with Tofu crumbled in and is wonderful with some Greek Yogurt Topping it YUM YUM!

      Usually I add links to everything I include in responses, but that is a LOT on this response :) Check out my “Search” bar on the right side right above the category section and below the “Follow My Blog” area. Type in any of these recipes and you will be brought to a page that includes it.

      I am sure you already know but Morning Star farms is full of preservatives and chemicals :( I was OBSESSED with their sausage patties for about 10 years (I was a vegetarian for 5 years myself). So try and stay away from their stuff, plus it’s sooo expensive.

      I hope I have helped out, there are also a TON of salad options that are really hearty, if you don’t do cheese then just add more beans or nuts. Go through the “Lunch and Side Dish” category, I eat vegetarian mostly all day and just have meat with dinner, so there should be a lot in there for you. Same with “Rise and Shine Breakfasts”.

      HAPPY COOKING!

      • I just found your blog through a pin on pinterest! I am so thankful for the question above, because I too don’t eat meat or fish! I am excited to try some of your recipes/suggestions!

        My other question is about suggestions for a very picky almost 4-yr-old. I want to get my daughter eating healthy too. She is not a very good eater, and I know that is my fault (I am a very picky eater too – I have lots of food issues, especially with textures!). Do you have any good suggestions? I am a single mom and a teacher, so it is not always easy to cook a big breakfast.

        Thanks so much for your help!

      • Hi Lindsey,

        I have a 3 year old, so I can sympathize with you. My pediatrician told me last year to just feed my daughter what we eat. If she refuses food all day by the end of the day she will eat anything you put in front of her. So I am lucky, she will eat most if what I make her but I do cook SPICY food sometimes and that is just not cool to force her to eat that so here are a few recipes that my daughter LOVES and that I make just for her but enjoy munching on myself:

        Breakfast-
        I make my daughter Scones and my Breakfast Cookies, make them on your day off and you have breakfast all week:

        http://tonetiki.com/2012/06/18/cranberry-peach-scones-w-white-chocolate-chips-218-calories/

        http://tonetiki.com/2012/05/14/giant-oatmeal-rasin-breakfast-cookies-172-calories/

        Lunch and Dinner-
        I love to cut up a Turkey Hot Dog and put on a plate with some fresh veggies or fruit and some cheese, that’s when I don’t have more than 5 minutes. When I have time I make a BIG batch of chicken strips and fries (try on your day off) and then I have chicken nuggets and fries anytime for her and they are healthy. She also loves my double baked potatoes, just use ketchup and bell pepper instead of jalapenos and hot sauce:

        http://tonetiki.com/2012/03/29/chicken-strips-and-fries-245-calories/

        http://tonetiki.com/2012/04/03/double-baked-cheesy-potatoes-143-calories/

        Hope that helps! You have given me an idea…. Kid Friendly Foods :)

        HAPPY COOKING!

  9. Pingback: Weight Loss Struggles: Being Around Food All Day. « Lose Weight by Eating!

  10. Hey audrey,
    thanks so much for posting this list. I see that you stock up on a lot of meat at one time. I am notorious for letting meat go bad. I’ve tried to freeze it and end up never using it. Apparently de-frosting meat intimidates me. What is your typical process for this? Do you usually cook all of that meat before it’s expiration date, or are you a freezer?
    Thanks so much!
    Allison

    • I freeze EVERYTHING! Here are the freezing rules:

      1. Defrost in the fridge overnight for safety, although I am known to leave stuff on the kitchen counter till it thaws.
      2. Freeze ONLY ONCE! So if you defrost something and change your mind, too late you gotta make it. BUT if you cook it, you can freeze again.

      That’s it! I freeze in “3 packs” because there are 3 of us in my little family. Also with my Cayenne Steak and Fajitas I like to season then freeze, that way all the work is already done and waiting in the freeze for me.

      It is difficult to answer questions and I am not alerted to them so please message me on my facebook page, I am there everyday and always answer. I can’t guarantee that I will see your questions here.
      https://www.facebook.com/loseweightbyeating

      HAPPY COOKING!
      Audrey

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