May 13, 2013

Clean-Eating Grocery List


I love shopping. Who doesn't?

Well, basically I just really love spending money. Which is probably why I cry in my checkbook by the end of every month, but that's another story. 

So since I live a healthier way, I kinda change my shopping habit a little bit. I used to stay at the chocolate and snack aisle in the supermarket for quite long but these days I really forbid myself to go there.

When it comes to shopping for fresh food, it can get overwhelming in a hurry. Look, the key to a fresh pantry and fridge is "less is more". And you see that buying so many veggies all at once in a month is not so good because it lasts only for a while and you'll ended up throwing up them on the 2nd week of the month. 



So here's my tip: divide your grocery shopping schedule into two times a month. 

As a busy working woman (phew! :p), I understand the difficulty in always having fresh on hand. You can't always run to the grocer, and sometimes you want to just reach into the cupboard/freezer/fridge and have something almost make itself. I get it. Having a few tried and trues on hand helps with those harried days and nights, will make mealtimes run smoother, and still keep your diet clean.

What exactly is a clean diet? It may vary from person to person but for me it is one that contains unprocessed, whole foods. Here are some tips for going 'clean', as well as a list of some things I always try to have on hand for quick meal prep. Again, I am not a dietitian nor a nutritionist, this is just something that I do for my life and it helps me a lot with losing fats. Or weight, you may call it.

Oh anyway, if something sounds unfamiliar to you, do a little research. I am constantly learning about new, interesting, good-for-you foods. You, too, will be amazed at the options out there.

Hit the jump and I have five main tips to start your clean diet and grocery shopping list, here we go:





1. Start by saying goodbye to a few main evils: all white stuff (including sugar, white rice, white bread, etc), sweets, and alcohols. This doesn't mean can't detour every now and then… well, you decide what works for you.

If you can't help and constantly coming back and forth in front of instant noodle and Nutella aisle, just stay away from that area. You'll get used to it as I am too, exactly like that. 

Just stay away from me, you filthy evil, the naughtiest and tastiest of them all!



2. You don't have to go toss everything and start from scratch in one day. Switching to 100 percent clean foods can be challenging and even costly at first. Give it time, and take it easy on yourself. Try replacing one food item at a time. Sub in instant noodles for plain white pasta, or skip the Snickers and buy some peanut butter instead. As yo continually add in the good, your taste buds will change, and you will naturally want good, clean, whole foods.


3. Planning is everything. It is better to plan your meals. It might sound like a lot of work, but planning will actually save you time and money on the back end. You'll have all the ingredients you need for the week anyways.

Oops, different kind of plan, sorry :p


4. Buy fresh. Buy fresh apples rather than jarred applesauce, fresh oranges instead of juices. Groceries that come straight from nature are always better for you.


5. Become a label reader. Come on, people seriously need to read more. Read carefully to search for clues that the food you're choosing is low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and also high in vitamins and minerals.  Be careful because label reading can be tricky. Foods that are labeled "sugar-free" or "fat-free" can still contain a small amount of sugar and fat. A product labeled "light" can still be high in calories. I think I may write about this label reading tips on a separate posts, in the mean time, just make sure you grow a habit of label reading. 



Below is practically my grocery list as my guidance when I go buying groceries. 

Let's start it with something greens, Vegetables:
  • Cucumber, for my detox water
  • Lettuce
  • Greenbeans, you can choose the frozen ones
  • Broccoli and/or Cauliflowers
  • Spinach
  • Onions
  • Garlic or Minced Garlic if you're lazy cutting them, well I do
  • Tomatoes
  • Celery
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Paprika
  • Carrot/Baby Carrot
  • Peppers/Chili
  • Lemon
  • Mint Leaves (i need to use a little bit of mint leaves to add the taste of my detox water, sometimes the supermarkets only have bucket of mint leaves that's actually too much for me, so then i secretly picked 4-5leaves and put it inside my lemon bag :p please don't copy me this time)



Okay so the next list will be Fruits:
  • Fresh berries (strawberries and blueberries are my favorite items for breakfast so I am not gonna skip them)
  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Bananas
  • Kiwis
  • Melon/watermelon
  • Unsweetened dried fruits (raisin)


The same goes with fruit and veggies, don't just stock it up your fridge with them once a month, you need at least 2 times of grocery shopping in a month so that your fridge will always fresh and nothing's ended up uneaten in the garbage cans.

Oh yeah, don't forget to buy fruits and veggies that are in season and locally grown. They taste better, and cost less.



Okay the next category which is also my favorite, Grains:
  • Skip the white products, seriously.
  • Go for whole grain breads
  • Brown rice
  • Whole Wheat Flour
  • Whole Wheat Cereals
  • Whole Wheat Pasta
  • Brown Sugar


  • Skinless chicken breast
  • Raw salmon
  • Canned Tuna (in water)
  • Beef Tender
  • Shrimps


Dairy Product? of course you'll need them:
  • Greek Yogurt (can't get enough, my favorite)
  • Non fat Skim Milk
  • Almond Milk/Soy Milk (choose one which suits your taste)
  • Eggs (organic)

Farmer's Union Greek Yogurt (Rp. 65.000 - Lotte Mart Gandaria City), Photo taken from my Instagram @clicheaulait 

Don't buy pre-sweetened or flavored yogurts, which can be very high in sugar and calories. Instead, buy plain yogurt and add your own flavor with a tablespoon of fresh fruit or jam.

So the last category will be Nuts, Seeds, Oils, Condiments, and yadda yadda:
  • Unsalted almonds (for night snacks, or you can also go for Non Fat Peanut Butter)
  • Olive Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Sesame Oil
  • Cinnamon Powder
  • Vanilla Powder
  • Honey
  • Fat Free Mustard
  • Sea Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Balsamico Vinegar
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • Fresh Salsa
  • Barbecue Sauce
  • Gochujang Paste (Korean Red Pepper Paste, oh I just love this so much)
  • and other stuffs I probably forgot to include in this list….


Remember that many sauces and condiments are surprisingly high in sodium and sugar. Look for sugar-free varieties. Keep track of sodium levels, especially if you are supposed to be restricting sodium in your diet.

Snacks? Hmm I should really add this category but since it's not a necessities I'm just going to put it here, okay? 
  • Quacker snacks
  • Protein Bars
  • Cereal Bars
  • Oatmeal snacks 
  • Dark chocolate pieces (containing more than 70% cocoa)
  • and of course Peanut Butter


Again, remember to choose the less sugar ones :)



So I think that's practically my basic grocery guidance, you can also apply in your daily life. Maybe you'll question that why I didn't put any tofu or tempeh, well it because I simply don't like it. And it goes also with Juices, that I am not recommending for it contains extra sugar which is bad for your diet.

Wow, didn't thought I am writing this much. So yeah, as a bonus, this is a downloadable and printable grocery shopping list that you can use as a guidance for your next shopping schedule.

 




So that's all from me, a quick update as you know from my last post, I just had a surgery and currently recovering. All went well, and I am so ready to get back on track :)

Thank you for all the supports!



Tschau~
B


5 comments:

  1. pfff such a long post, am i really supposed to read everything? :P jitak nih

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  2. Dear KonohaSenpu sensei, yes you are supposed to read everything or else I'm going to eat those salmon sashimis in front of you. :p :*

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  3. I love! shall we follow? let me know xse
    www.supongoestilo.blogspot.nl

    ReplyDelete

  4. Bung, nice blog hehe. Buy organic fruit and veggies bung. Also, choose locally grown product since imported one is high in pesticide and preservative, much costly too. I personally prefer fruits with skin that i have to peel to lessen the amount of chems going inside ma bodeh :D

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  5. D'aaaw thanks for the additional tips, Nisa :D And yes agree, locally grown product is much better, especially the seasonal product :)

    ReplyDelete