Angus_The_Assassin

So I plan on going grocery shopping this weekend for next week's meals and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to get on track with what to buy, how to organize that list, plan my meals, etc. I am totally new to this and have to take control of my diet before it gets too late.

Rubystars

Try at least one new vegetable (I recommend Kohlrabi, if you're not already familiar with it).

Winter squash, like butternut is good and low calorie.

If it were summer, I'd recommend melons, like cantaloupe or honeydew, not sure if they are on sale right now.

Radishes are extremely low in calories, and can be baked or added to soups or replace potatoes in many recipes.

Cabbage (Savoy is the best tasting, the red/purple cabbage is also a nice change) is very low in calories, even sauerkraut is great over fat free or light weiners.

You can buy really low calorie soups in the soup aisle, look for ones that are 50 or 60 calories per serving. They are kind of brothy and low on bulk but what you do is add vegetables to them to fill them out.

I've had a lot of luck with healthy choice and lean cuisine frozen dinners as one meal a day (just try to get ones under 310 calories, some of them are pretty high in calories, but there are select varieties which are good).

Starkist Tuna in water is low in calories. I make a sandwich with it (no mayo, just bread and tuna). Canned crab meat is also low in calories.

Eggs are low calorie, like 80 a piece, and are a whole food. I usually eat 2 at a time boiled.

La Choy Chow mein is really low in calories (but high in salt), so is a good occasional treat.

Try sugar free fruit salad in a can (sugar free very cherry is good).

Sugar free jello also goes well with this.

RunbikeSki

So what are you goals? Just to adopt a healthier eating pattern, or are you out on your own for the first time and not sure what or how to cook?

One great strategy is the shop the perimeter of the store. In most stores the produce, dairy, meat, and frozen stuff are along the outer walls of the store. The middle aisles have all the processed, boxed, and canned stuff - often laden with extra salt, fats, and preservatives.

Another strategy is to not buy food with more than 5 components in the ingredients list. In any event always look at the nutritional label. There is a lot of information that can help you make healthy choices.

wannabefitgrl

I plan my meals and snacks for the coming week, so I can make sure I'm keeping to my selected macronutrient percentages (the % ratio of protein/carbs/fat that I take in; I can also make sure I'm not eating too many calories). The benefit of planning ahead is that I can utilize things I already have in the freezer or cupboard, then only buy the groceries I need to make the rest of my meals. I try to plan my meals around the grocery store ads so I can buy things that are on sale: if frozen chicken breast is on sale, I'll stock up. If yogurt is on sale this week, I'll plan snacks with yogurt. Next week, maybe cottage cheese is on sale, so I plan snacks with that. Between planning ahead and utilizing the sale ads, I've saved a lot. With meats, I buy a family pack when it's on sale and freeze the extra for later. (Just remember to go through your freezer every now and then so you're not constantly buying lots of new meat when you could just whip something out of the freezer!)

The tip about sticking to the perimeter is a great one. I rarely dip into the inner aisles unless I need some tuna or salsa or bread. I've gotten to know the store well enough that if I start at the back and work my way to the front, I can even re-order my grocery list that way which means I spend less time going through my list and just check off things as I go. It also saves back-tracking to aisles I'd already been to and I get in and out quickly. Of course, if you're new, I'd suggest getting to know the foods you could make a staple in your diet, or taking time to compare nutrition labels of different brands.

I've also found it helpful to spend an hour or two batch cooking on the weekends, which saves me time. I can cook some chicken and rice and roast broccoli on sunday to throw together as stir fry for a couple of lunches/dinners. It keeps me from making something unhealthy when I'm in a hurry, and because I tend to only make enough for a few meals, I can control my portions. It's just something I've found that works really well for me. Maybe some of those tips could work for you too!

tandoorichicken

The stuff that's the best for you is always around the perimeter of the grocery store (produce, meat, dairy). Stay out of the middle aisles!

VitoVino

Sounds good to me. Where I live all the markets put the beer on the perimeter.

ToriD1012

And if it's a high end store, the really good imports are nice and cold

VitoVino

A beer a day keeps the doctor away!

Well, actually they say 1 ounce of alcohol a day can be good for you, especially if it comes in the form of red wine.

Alcohol use: If you drink, keep it moderate - MayoClinic.com

Too bad I haven't been taking my "medicine". I've only had about 6 low cal brews since July because I didn't want to hinder my weight loss. But now that I'm on maintenance, let the moderation begin!

volleyballgranny

Both of those are good strategies. In addition to buying fresh, I tell my TOPS ladies to read labels. I count carbs, so I choose the thing with lowest carbs. If two things have similar carbs, I choose the one with highest fiber or lowest calories. If they are counting calories, I advise them to choose the one with lowest carbs when the calories are the same. To that end, you'll need a nutrition guide. I have downloaded one to my phone--or, you can access fitday on your phone and check the nutrition label that way (for things that don't have a printed label).