What does that mean you may ask? Well, I try to eat like Queen but on a student’s budget. First off, I suggest planning! So, Some people are more free-spirited but I have realized through trial and error that planning is key to MAINTAINING a healthier lifestyle.
Step 1: Sit your bum down and make your list!
This can be easily accomplished on your cell phone or if you’d like to go the more traditional route, using pen and paper that’s totally fine too. Choose your preference!
Step 2: Figure out what you’d like to eat
I typically prep my lunches and dinners for Monday-Thursday, but if your just starting off and this seems So, overwhelming, try prepping for 2-3 days at a time.
*Remember if you are doing this, you must build in time during one day of the week to cook for the upcoming 2-3 days that you did not prepare for.
Step 3: Organize your list
“Get in and get out!”
This may seem a little weird, but I like to organize my list into categories e. g poultry, dairy, vegetables and etc. It makes my grocery run more efficient since most of the things that are grouped together are in the same part of the store.
An example of my shopping list is outlined below, which you can work from and hopefully pick up some ideas! The key to cutting costs is to buy items that are frequently used in bulk (based on your household size). Hence, The only items that I religiously pick up at the store are fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables.
*Note: I don’t buy every single item on the example list each week
Meat
- Rotisserie chicken
- Chicken breasts
- Sirloin steak
- Ground turkey
- Lean ground beef
- Applegate chicken sausage (no preservatives, no MSG, gluten free)
- Turkey bacon (low sodium)
- Deli Oven roasted Turkey/chicken (low sodium and used sparingly)
Dairy & Dairy Alternatives
- Greek yogurt (My favorites: Chobani, Dannon Triple Zero)
- Low fat cheese
- Vanilla unsweetened almond milk (my GO-TO)
Grains, Nuts & Seeds
- Quaker Oats Old Fashioned.
- Muesli
- Granola ( KIND Protein Bars & Purely Elizabeth brands or I make my own)
- Brown rice (not instant)
- Quinoa
- Almonds (unsalted, dry roast or lightly salted)
- Sunflower seeds (unsalted de-shelled)
- Chia Seeds
- Whole-meal bread (Whole wheat, Rye)
- Rice Cakes (Original low sodium, or caramel
Oils, Butter, and sugar
- Coconut oil
- Olive Oil
- Almond butter (all natural) and Skippy Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
- PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
- Coconut sugar (substitute for brown/white sugar)
Fruit
- Frozen pineapples and strawberries (for smoothies)
- Bananas
- Apples (granny smith, gala, honey crisp)
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Avocado
- Lemons and Limes (use to flavor water or food)
- Cantaloupe
- Melon
- Clementine’s
Vegetables
- Sweet potato
- Spinach (add to smoothies, salads, or steam)
- Broccoli
- Frozen Edamame
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Mixed lettuce leaves
- Mixed bell peppers
- Purple and yellow onions
Condiments, Herbs & Spices
- Cinnamon
- All natural raw honey
- Balsamic vinegar
- Low fat salad dressing (Balsamic vinaigrette)
- White wine vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar (my favorite brand linked. Purchased from Amazon)
- Fresh garlic
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Himalayan Pink Sea Salt (use sparingly)
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Braggs liquid aminos (soy sauce substitute, low sodium.
Baking essentials
- Almond Flour
- Coconut flour
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla extract (no sugar added)
- Cacao or Cocoa powder (Unsweetened)
- Dark Chocolate chips
- Pure Maple Syrup
Treats
- Bark-Thins (Dark chocolate almond kind is my FAV)
- No Bake Chocolate PB Energy Balls check them out!
- Homemade chocolate PB granola bars
I hope this list is able to help you gals and guys pick up some of the basic foods to start your week off right! Let me know if you’d like to hear a future post on meal prep and how I actually put this list to use?
Xoxo,
The Active Medic