A Sample Grocery List

The keys to healthy eating are to have healthy options on hand and to plan ahead.  Obviously you don't necessarily need all of these groceries at one time.  However, you can print off these suggestions each week, and cross off what you don't want to buy or don't need.  Use the list to help you plan your meals.  You can copy and paste the document to delete the items you don’t like to make the process even easier.  You can add items to your own copy that I may have left off.  Just make sure they are healthy!

Of course it goes without saying, don’t ingest anything you are allergic to or anything your doctor has advised against.  Don’t eat raw meat, fish, or poultry.  If you are diabetic, then read food labels, avoid high sugar items, and overly starchy meals.  


Fresh Produce
Organic Baby Spinach, Mixed Greens, or Romaine Lettuce
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Baby Carrots
Organic Celery
Sweet Potatoes (or regular potatoes occasionally)
Peppers (Full of vitamin C)
Green Beans
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Avocado
Onions, Shallots, or Garlic (Believe it or not they are good for you!)
Lemon or Lime
Fresh Herbs
Mushrooms
Bananas
Organic Apples
Organic Berries
Organic Peaches
Organic Pears
Organic Grapes
Clementines
Melons
Pineapple

Grains
Whole Grain Sandwich Bread (I like Sara Lee 45-calorie slices)
Flat Out Wraps (in the deli section)

Mission Low Carb Wheat Tortillas (Taco Size)
Soft Corn Tortillas

La Tiara Taco Shells (only 40 calories per shell!)
Thomas 100 calorie Whole Grain English Muffins 

Thomas Bagel Thins
Brown Rice
Whole Wheat Pasta, Brown Rice Pasta, or Quinoa Pasta
High Fiber Cereal (Good Cereal Choices)
Low-fat Granola Bars
Oatmeal
Boboli Whole Wheat Pizza Crust or Whole Wheat Pitas

Processed Foods

(Proceed with caution!  These areas of the grocery store can lead to impulse buys.)
Low-Cal Salad Dressing (I prefer to make my own.)
Wheat Thins (Whole Grain or Reduced Fat)
EAS Carb Control Protein Shakes (Atkins or 100 Calorie Muscle Milk if fine too)
Tri-o-plex Protein Cookies  (It’s the best Chocolate Chip protein cookie I have ever tasted.  They are filling so one does the job.  It’s as close to Mrs. Field’s as you can get for 145 calories, 5g of fat, 11g of sugar, and 10g of protein.  Need I say more?)
Animal Crackers or Reduced-fat Vanilla Wafers
Amy's Organic Canned Soups
Canned Tuna, Salmon, or Crab
Salsa
Spanish Gardens Taco Seasoning  (The first ingredient on the list isn’t salt!  Woohoo!)
Black Beans (I like Kuner’s brand.)
Kidney Beans
Baked Kettle Chips (These are awesome, but still watch your serving size.)
Baked Tortilla Chips
Pizza Sauce
Marinara (Or better yet, make your own with canned crushed tomatoes, basil, and garlic)
Reduced Fat Alfredo Sauce (Only use ¼ cup on your pasta, add chicken or shrimp, and lots of veggies.)
Dijon or Spicy Mustard
Light Mayonnaise (I like Helmann's the best)
Hummus
Pre-cooked Bacon Strips for Sandwiches or Pizza (It's thinner and always lower calorie than the thick cut.)
Real Bacon Bits (Use them to top a salad, to flavor wilted spinach, or to season green beans.)
Green Tea Bags (20 Reasons to Drink Green Tea, and Even More Reasons to Drink Green Tea)
72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares (I like Ghirardelli.  Only 1 square a day.)
Dried Spices (Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland!)

Baking Section (Stay the course.  Don’t get distracted in this section!)
150 Calorie Betty Crocker Microwave Desserts (Eat sparingly!)
Stevia in the Raw
Agave Nectar

Local Honey

Fats & Vinegars
Cooking Spray
I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Buy it at Cosco, Sam’s, or Aldi for better pricing.)
Canola Oil
Smart Balance Light Spread or Brummel and Brown Spread
White Wine or Red Wine Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Distilled White Vinegar (For Cleaning Purposes)

Protein Sources (Buy Hormone/Antibiotic Free if you can.)
Raw Almonds or Cocoa Roasted Almonds (Emerald 100-calorie packs if you can find them.)
Rotisserie Chicken (Please don’t eat the skin.) or Raw Chicken Breast
Fresh Cut Deli Turkey, Roast Beef, or Ham
Natural Peanut Butter (I like Skippy the best.) or Almond Butter
Pork Loin or Pork Chops
Fillet Mignon or Sirloin
Eggs (Hormone/Antibiotic free) or Preferably Egg Beater's Egg Whites
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
Lean Ground Turkey, Lean Ground Beef, or Ground Sirloin
Turkey Sausage

Dairy
Babybel Light Cheese Rounds or Laughing Cow Light Cheese Spread (Both are in the gourmet cheese section)
2% Cheese Slices
2% Shredded Mozzarella or Colby Jack
2% String Cheese
Feta or Goat Cheese
Plain Greek Yogurt (Chobani or Oikos brands.  I like it with a spritz of lemon or lime to sub for sour cream.  If you prefer the sweet varieties, then add a little vanilla extract and a packet of Stevia in the Raw or a dash of Agave Nectar.)
Organic Skim Milk or Almond Milk (1-2% Milk will do if you can’t stand these options, but watch your portion size.)
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
Low-calorie pudding cups
Light Orange Juice (I know it’s not dairy, but it’s close to that section in the store.)

Frozen Foods
Breaded Tilapia Fillets (I use them to make fish tacos.)
Salmon Fillets (Defrost and bake it in a foil pack to keep it moist.)
Shrimp
Peas
Corn
Green Giant Brussel Sprouts in Butter Sauce (They are still low calorie!)
Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce or Broccoli in Cheese Sauce (They are still low calorie!)
Mixed Vegetables
Alexis Brand All Natural Sweet Potato Fries or Oven Fries (Spray them with cooking spray, bake them, and pay attention to the serving size!)
Veggie or Black Bean Burgers (Only if you like them.  They aren’t for everybody.)
Organic Mixed Berries or Organic Blueberries
Sorbet (1/4 cup serving)
Smart Ones Desserts, Skinny Cow Desserts, or 40 Calorie Fudgesicles (Eat sparingly!)
Whole Grain Waffles