Picture It! You are walking through the grocery store, checking out the deals, browsing the center aisles, and thinking to yourself, what should I / we eat this week? Maybe you have some things written down on a piece of paper but you end up deviating from that list. Before you know it, you are getting stressed out because you don't know what to get and your patience is growing thin due to the crowd of people, or maybe your kids begging you to buy them something! Does this, or a version of this, sound familiar to you?
In the words of Tosca Reno, author of The Eat Clean Diet, "You'll soon realize that Eating Clean takes the guesswork out of shopping."
I frequently talk about the fact that I sit down for about 30 minutes or so each weekend and plan out my meals for the upcoming week. When I post my meal plan, I get a lot of comments saying how much work it looks like I've done. I sometimes think that scares people away; however, that 30 minutes of work sets me up for a healthy week, a great looking grocery list, and in the end, I am actually saving time throughout the week since I am prepared.
Tip #1: In whatever way works for you, figure out what you plan to eat for the week and write it down! I like to use the chart below but I know that doesn't work for everyone. As you are writing out what you plan to eat for the week, have a notepad there to make your grocery list. I always like to search for new recipes to try so it's perfect to have my list there so that when I find a recipe I want to try, I just write down all of the ingredients that I need.
Tip #2: Once the list is made, STICK TO IT! How many times do you end up coming home with that bag of chips or cookies that you didn't plan on getting? By sticking to your list, you will be more efficient and end up spending less money.
Tip #3: Do not go to the grocery store hungry! Studies have shown when grocery shopping on an empty stomach, we tend to over buy, and worse yet, we over buy on bad choices.
Ok so what exactly does a clean eating grocery list look like? Well, that obviously depends on what meals you plan to make; however, here are some ideas that you can stock up on:
Now that we have that down, let's talk about actually going to the grocery store. Have you ever heard the phrase "Shop the Perimeter?" What this means is you want to stick to the outer walls of the grocery store. That is where all of the fresh food is. Of course, you are going to need to go down a few of the center aisles but by then, your cart will be full of fresh food and you won't have as much room for packaged foods. When grocery shopping, you want to avoid a couple of the tempting aisles such as the chips and cookies. Maybe even the aisle with the soda/pop if you find that to be tempting too. Before putting something in you cart you want to check out the food label. My rule of thumb is, if you can't pronounce a lot of the ingredients, then it's probably not a good choice! In particular, when shopping the frozen foods aisle, anything that is just heat and serve and in a box is most likely not something you want to be buying. While a lot of frozen meals may say "low fat" or be low in calories, they are typically loaded with sodium. If you can't buy fresh vegetables, frozen are a good alternative, as long as vegetables are the only ingredient listed on the food label. If you stick with fresh foods and whole grains, you are good to go! Feel free to check out some of my
Clean Eating Recipes to help you out!
Do you think you could be making better food choices? Do you need some help making the transition? I run health and fitness support groups that are lead online through a closed Facebook group. I help customize meal plans, deal with social and emotional eating, cravings, give nutritional tips/advice, and more! I will provide you with support and accountability that you need to get the great results that you deserve!
Happy Shopping!
Labels: Clean Eating, Clean Eating Grocery List, Clean Eating Shopping Tips, Customized Meal Planning, Meal Planning Ideas, Successfully Fit
