I have been making changes in the groceries that I buy and bring home. I've stopped buying junk food and sugar kids' cereals, switching out snacks for occasional treats of popsicles, pretzels and popcorn to our daily options of yogurt, fruit and light string cheese.
The biggest challenge for me in making healthier meals for our family, is that the best foods and the healthiest are often more expensive. Some things like oats, beans, peanut butter, eggs and some fruits and veggies are the cheapest options. I want to bring more variety and healthier meals into our family meals. I also get bored with making food for me at home for lunch and sometimes find it easier to pick up something to eat for me. This is a habit I want to change.
I'm also on a quest to find healthier side items to serve for dinner. I've stopped buying boxed rice mixes because of their high sodium content, but would like to find an alternative to seasoning veggies, pasta and brown rice than the obvious use of spices. I also looking for alternatives to the high sodium and sugar contents of marinades, BBQ sauce and other condiments.
It is not always easy to make good food choices with a family. From one of my favorite blogs, Self's Eat Like Me dated 4/11/11 posted by Cristin Dillon RD, I found this healthy grocery list:
Grains
100% Whole Wheat Bread
Old Fashioned Rolled or Steel Cut Oats
Brown Basmati Rice
Whole Grain Cereal
(Cheerios, Kashi Heart to Heart, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Shredded Wheat)
Kashi or Back to Nature Wheat Crackers
Van's Whole Wheat Waffles
Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat Bagels
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Whole Wheat Pasta
Quinoa
Fruit
Fresh Whole Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Pears, Bananas, Grapes)
Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries)
Melon (Cantaloupe, Honey Dew, Watermelon)
Tropical Fruits (Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Kiwi)
Dried Fruit (without added sugar or sulfites)
Frozen Fruit (plain, no syrup)
Canned Fruit (packed in 100% juice or light syrup)
Vegetables
Dark Green Leafy (Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, Romaine. Collards)
Dark Green (broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Green Bell Peppers, Asparagus, Green Beans)
Dark Orange/Yellow (Butternut & Acorn Squash, Zucchini, Carrots, Pumpkins, Sweet Potatoes)
Red (Tomatoes, Red Peppers)
Starchy (Red Potatoes, Corn)
Frozen Vegetables (without sauce)
Canned Vegetables (packed in low salt water and drained before use)
Milk
Skim or 1% Milk
2% Reduced Fat Shredded Cheeses
Low Fat or Fat Free Yogurts (Greek or Regular)
1-2% Cottage Cheese
Reduced Fat String Cheese
Meat & Beans
Lean Beef Cuts (there are 29 of them on www.beefwhatsfordinner.com)
Boneless-Skinless Chicken & Turkey
Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops
Pork Tenderloin
All Natural Chicken Sausages
White Fish (cod, haddock, tilapia)
Fatty Fish (salmon, tuna)
Shellfish (scallops, shrimp, lobster, crab)
Dried or Canned Beans (Black, Kidney, Cannellini, Pinto, Black Eyed Peas)
Lentils
Healthy Fats & Oils
Almonds & Almond Butter
Peanuts & All Natural Peanut Butter
Cashews
Pistachios
Walnuts
Olive Oil
Canola or Vegetable Oil
Avocados
What About Treats?!
Of course there is always a little room for treats and processed foods so you can build an "Others" category on your list. Again, by listing this separately you keep a good eye on how many treats and processed foods you are selecting. You can make the decision of whether you want to choose 1 or 2 "real" treats (full fat / high calorie) or 2-3 "diet" treats (reduced fat / reduced calorie). There is certainly a limit to how many you can choose because these foods should not make up more than 10% or so of your total daily calories.
For your best all-natural options try shopping at a store like Whole Foods or look for the organic/natural food aisle in your everyday grocery store.
The biggest challenge for me in making healthier meals for our family, is that the best foods and the healthiest are often more expensive. Some things like oats, beans, peanut butter, eggs and some fruits and veggies are the cheapest options. I want to bring more variety and healthier meals into our family meals. I also get bored with making food for me at home for lunch and sometimes find it easier to pick up something to eat for me. This is a habit I want to change.
I'm also on a quest to find healthier side items to serve for dinner. I've stopped buying boxed rice mixes because of their high sodium content, but would like to find an alternative to seasoning veggies, pasta and brown rice than the obvious use of spices. I also looking for alternatives to the high sodium and sugar contents of marinades, BBQ sauce and other condiments.
It is not always easy to make good food choices with a family. From one of my favorite blogs, Self's Eat Like Me dated 4/11/11 posted by Cristin Dillon RD, I found this healthy grocery list:
Grains
100% Whole Wheat Bread
Old Fashioned Rolled or Steel Cut Oats
Brown Basmati Rice
Whole Grain Cereal
(Cheerios, Kashi Heart to Heart, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Shredded Wheat)
Kashi or Back to Nature Wheat Crackers
Van's Whole Wheat Waffles
Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat Bagels
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Whole Wheat Pasta
Quinoa
Fruit
Fresh Whole Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Pears, Bananas, Grapes)
Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries)
Melon (Cantaloupe, Honey Dew, Watermelon)
Tropical Fruits (Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Kiwi)
Dried Fruit (without added sugar or sulfites)
Frozen Fruit (plain, no syrup)
Canned Fruit (packed in 100% juice or light syrup)
Vegetables
Dark Green Leafy (Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, Romaine. Collards)
Dark Green (broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Green Bell Peppers, Asparagus, Green Beans)
Dark Orange/Yellow (Butternut & Acorn Squash, Zucchini, Carrots, Pumpkins, Sweet Potatoes)
Red (Tomatoes, Red Peppers)
Starchy (Red Potatoes, Corn)
Frozen Vegetables (without sauce)
Canned Vegetables (packed in low salt water and drained before use)
Milk
Skim or 1% Milk
2% Reduced Fat Shredded Cheeses
Low Fat or Fat Free Yogurts (Greek or Regular)
1-2% Cottage Cheese
Reduced Fat String Cheese
Meat & Beans
Lean Beef Cuts (there are 29 of them on www.beefwhatsfordinner.com)
Boneless-Skinless Chicken & Turkey
Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops
Pork Tenderloin
All Natural Chicken Sausages
White Fish (cod, haddock, tilapia)
Fatty Fish (salmon, tuna)
Shellfish (scallops, shrimp, lobster, crab)
Dried or Canned Beans (Black, Kidney, Cannellini, Pinto, Black Eyed Peas)
Lentils
Healthy Fats & Oils
Almonds & Almond Butter
Peanuts & All Natural Peanut Butter
Cashews
Pistachios
Walnuts
Olive Oil
Canola or Vegetable Oil
Avocados
What About Treats?!
Of course there is always a little room for treats and processed foods so you can build an "Others" category on your list. Again, by listing this separately you keep a good eye on how many treats and processed foods you are selecting. You can make the decision of whether you want to choose 1 or 2 "real" treats (full fat / high calorie) or 2-3 "diet" treats (reduced fat / reduced calorie). There is certainly a limit to how many you can choose because these foods should not make up more than 10% or so of your total daily calories.
For your best all-natural options try shopping at a store like Whole Foods or look for the organic/natural food aisle in your everyday grocery store.
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