Going To The Grocery Store.

I use to mess up every time I went to the grocery store. I would buy chips, boxed cakes, frozen meals, ice cream, etc. I use to tell myself that I would just eat a little. I would end up eating the whole bag of chips in 2-3 days. A whole boxed cake in a week (by myself). It was ridiculous. I finally had to admit to myself that I did not have self control. In fact, I had self "uncontrol". I was addicted to food. I loved the act of putting food in my mouth. It was actually fun for me....until the end of the week when I would step on the scale and realize I gained 5 pounds. Something had to change. I realized the grocery store was not going to change. They will always have chips and cookies and prepared foods and frozen dinners. I also knew that there was no way I could get around going to the grocery store. I finally had to start making decisions that would alter or change my buying behavior at the store.


1. Have a grocery shopping day planned so that you are prepared the day you go. If you know you are going on a Wednesday, take extra fruit to work with you or an extra granola bar. Eat a large salad (with a little salad dressing) before you go. This brings us to step 2.


2. GO ON A FULL STOMACH. It was a lot easier to buy foods such as fruit, vegetables, lean meats, etc. when I was too comfortable and not starving.

3. Buying fresh fruit and vegetables is like buying the "little black dress". If you're deciding what to splurge on it needs to be fresh fruit and vegetables. You can eat them anytime, they go with every meal, and they should be a staple in every refrigerator or counter top.


4. Make sure you are buying foods that have a lot of fiber (fruit, raw vegetables, cereals [not cap'n crunch or cinnamon toast crunch], granola, beans, etc).


5. Buy lean unprepared meats. (Chicken, turkey, fish [not seafood], lean ground beef, pork chops)


6. Avoid pre-breaded meat. (fish sticks, chicken patties, etc.)


7. Avoid canned vegetables. Canned vegetables contain too much sodium and have almost no nutritional value. (tomato sauces [not spaghetti or pizza sauce] and canned tomatoes are an exception.)


8. Avoid buying frozen cuisines and tv dinners. They are very fattening and contain a lot of sodium. They are also easy to prepare which will make them tempting to eat even when you are not really hungry. (tip: unhealthy snacks and fattening foods should not be made easy to access in your home. If you have chips [in my case, my husband buys them], have them hidden and out of sight. The fruit and vegetables should be in sight. I keep a bowl of fruit on my kitchen island and kitchen table. When I'm hungry or need a snack, i just grab something from the bowl and eat it.


9. Buy seasonings that will add flavor and enhance the meat and vegetables that you will be preparing. Seasonings and spices contain zero calories and are good for you. Buy different types of seasonings to give variety to your dishes. I like to use Lawry's seasoning salt and Cavender's Greek seasoning. I also use a lot of parsly, garlic, onions and basil. You buy what you like and use them often. Flavoring foods with seasoning and spices is a lot healthier than using the fat off of meat. This leads us to number 10.



10. Don't buy fat back or ham hock to season vegetables. Smoked turkey is a better option.


Staples for your pantry:

1. Honey

2. Spices

3. Olive Oil

4. Rice

5. Onions

6. Garlic

7. Oatmeal (or another whole grain hot cereal)

8. Cereal (etc. Shredded wheat [plain or frosted is okay], special k, cheerios, kashi, raisin bran)

9. Beans (dry or canned is okay)/lentils

10. Canned tomato products



Staples for your freezer:

1. Lean meat

2. Frozen Vegetables (back up for fresh vegetables)

3. Frozen pure fruit juice (check the label to make sure no sugar or fructose has been added)



Staples for your refrigerator:

1. Fruit

2. Vegetables

3. Milk (soy, goat or less than 2%)

4. Eggs or Tofu


Staples for you counter or kitchen table:

1. Fresh fruit

2. Fresh vegetables


The staples that are listed are not the only things you can have in the various places they are just the staples, meaning, these are the items you should have at all times.