Carol’s Comments

Carol’s Grocery Shopping List

My must-haves for healthy weekly food preparation.
These are the things I ideally have on hand every week. Buying this much organic depends on my food budget that week. I decide what kind of meat/fish/dinner dish I’m going to have that week or a specialty ethnic meal and then I’ll get the things I need for that. Everything I cook must take less than 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. Sometimes I’ll get things ready before hand (chopping veggies, pre-cooking chicken, etc.) so all I have to do is throw it in a skillet or the oven, then it’s a lot quicker!.

Nuts: almonds, walnuts
Organic Raisins
Organic Whole Milk Yogurt
Plain Enhanced Soy Milk
Canned legumes: black, navy (organic)
Whole Grain or Rice Pasta (We’re off the white stuff @ home!)
Brown Rice (I also buy the Bhutanese Red Rice from Harris Teeter and mix them. It’s nutty and luscious!)
Plenty of greens for salads, sandwiches and stir frys: Spinach, Mixed Greens, Arugula, Romaine, Red, Cilantro to name a few
Garlic!
Red and Yellow Onions
Bell Peppers (organic if I can get them on sale!)
Broccoli or Green Beans, Red Cabbage for salads, sometimes squash
Small Red Potatoes
Baby Organic Carrots and Celery: Great for stocking lunches
Just make sure you have a variety of colors in your veggies and you eat them!
Cereals Buy low sugar, and the least processed, most whole wheat you can. Buy organic when possible
Oatmeal
Whole wheat Eggos
Frozen organic berries

Cheeses (to add to certain dishes) Definitely pick up the bagged grated.
Lunch meat: Usually turkey and as unprocessed as I can find and afford that week
Eggs
Regular Cream Cheese
Real Unsalted Butter
Olive Oil
Annie’s Salad Dressing or Paul Newman
Organic Peanut Butter

Organic Apples (because we eat the skin and we have them everyday
Bananas
Avocado
Grapefruit
Tangelos
Kiwis Just make sure you have a variety of fruit all year, they’re within easy reach and you eat them!

Canned tuna (Light, packed in water. Have 1 x week, usually as a snack with crackers)

Whole Wheat or Rice crackers
Whole Wheat Bread
Some kind of cookie for Kids lunches: One or two
Some type of chip for kid’s lunches (just pack small portions)

Main regulators of a healthy metabolism, leading to the perfect weight:

Eating lots of fresh and minimally processed foods
Drinking plenty of water. Make it your main beverage!
Monitoring Junk Food Intake and making healthy choices for snacking
Greatly reducing Sugar consumption
Staying away from “Diets”!
Maintaining an active lifestyle
Getting enough sleep
Finding ways to cope with stress besides food and anger
Live a life filled with joy, inner peace, meaningful work, and loving and serving others