Ok chicks I need your in put and assistance especially those of you who had had much success on your journey so far. My biggest problem is watching what I eat and I know it. Part of that problem is not always knowing what to buy and so on and so fourth. If you would be so kind to give me somethings besides fruits and veggis to pick up when I go grocery shopping? Even if its small recipes that you have that you feel has grown on you or anything that you may feel is help. Please I am getting sick of the same thing and once I get some other great ideas I really think I would be better at planning my meals. Thanks in advance!
The trick for me is staying on the outer perimeter of the grocery store. I only venture into the aisles for a few little things and avoid the temptation of cookies/chips etc altogether.
A normal trip for me... I hit up produce hard. I've grown to love fruits and veggies and they make up a big portion of what I eat. You can eat a LOT Of these things and end up with very little calories. Sounds good to me . Next I hit the meat counter. Lean cuts of beef, chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground chicken, lean turkey sausages, lean pork... it's all fair game. I venture into the aisles for a good low cal/high fiber cereal, a loaf of whole grain lite bread, some whole grain pasta, quinoas, wheat cous cous, brown rice, low carb tortillas, there are lots of great options . The cold case is my next stop.... milk, light yogurt, eggs, lowfat cheese, hummus, low calorie lunch meats, sugar free jello and pudding etc. Occasionally I'll stop in the freezer section for some frozen veggies or a couple kashi frozen meals to fill in the gaps if I'm having a busy day. And SF popsicles!
There are so many yummy foods out there! Good luck to you .
ETA my goal for my lunch and the dinner I make my family is 1/2 plate of veggies, 1/4 plate of starch (whole grain or potatoes usually), and 1/4 plate of protein, with a little healthy fat mixed in (mozzarella, olive oil, etc). Sometimes I mix it all together sometimes the things are seperated but it's the same basic principle. My kids and husband rarely complain. My 5 year old claims that his favorite meal is "chicken on the grill with artichokes" .
Well, I'm not sure how helpful I'll be, but I'll let you know what kind of things I usually get, if it'll maybe give you an idea or two you're interested in!
For breakfasts, I tend to go for low-calorie, high-fiber cereals with skim milk, or organic oatmeal with blueberries sweetened with a tablespoon of honey.
For lunches, I tend to go the super lazy route, and eat frozen lean-cuisine type things, from various brand names. I try to look for ones that say "without preservatives" but.. those are more rare.
I'm a very snacky person, so I also tend to make sure that I've got relatively low-calorie options for snacks on-hand, so I don't eat garbage just because I'm hungry! 100 calorie bags of lite butter-flavoured popcorn, or Ryvita toast with a bit of light (garlic and herb flavoured) cream cheese (yum). Also, rice crackers and Quaker Crispy Minis (eaten in a portion-controlled way) usually sate my snackiness!
For dinners, I'm a lot like Val. Stock up on all the veggies I didn't eat throughout the day by making sure they dominate my plate. Some kind of protein (usually chicken or turkey), and a carb of some kind.
This will usually mean dinner is... 1 cup of kamut pasta with tomato sauce, with a giant load of vegetables thrown in... and a chicken breast grilled and chopped up into it.
Or.. a bbq chicken breast with a light marinade, sometimes skewered with veggies, and rice made with spices, and chicken broth instead of water on the side.
I'm like Val too, where I stick to the "outer rim".
For breakfast I have Trader Joe's Steel Cut oatmeal. I get the frozen kind and its only 2 points - lots of fiber and about 200 calories.
I'm a big snacker, but I hate cooked vegetables, so I make sure that I have veggies to eat throughout the day, like peppers, cucumbers, tomatos and carrots. I usually have one-two servings of fruit (today its a cup of cherries) and then for dinner I have a protein and a starch, so like turkey and brown rice.
It's not a specific food...but here are some tips...
My biggest, BIGGEST tip for grocery shopping is always, always, always go after you eat a meal...like in the morning after breakfast or right after lunch or dinner. If I'm hungry I can't resist picking up the small things I don't need at all, like chips and dip, etc.
Also, make a list! One thing that helped me a LOT was planning meals. My husband and I sit and plan out meals each night for three weeks at a time, then go to the big grocery store (about 40 miles away) where things are cheaper and buy them. Make a shopping list, and stick to it no matter what! Planning meals helped me a TON with calorie counting as well, and took away the stress of figuring out each day what we were eating that night.
As for items...I love whole wheat frozen waffles for a quick breakfast, fat free cream cheese, light yogurts, oatmeal, cantaloupe and watermelon (you can slice them up and put them in sealed containers to take with you to work for a snack even), Fiber One bars, boneless skinless chicken breast...
I think these are so very good pointers! I think my biggest down fall with my diet is that I dont plan as much as I should. THis time when I grocery shop Im going to plan my meals and stick to my list. Thanks for all of your input.
Plan, Plan, Plan.
Go when you're full, and stick to the outer rim, only venturing to the middle to pick up frozen fruits and veggies, and things like brown rice and canned beans.
My meals are something like:
Bkfst- Fruit smoothie or greek yogurt topped with fruit and granola
Snack- Fruit or yogurt
Lunch- Pita w/ tons of veggies, applesauce, quesadillas, or a wrap
Dinner- Stir fry, veggie fajitas, Beans and rice
Please help me with my grocery list!!!!!
. Next I hit the meat counter. Lean cuts of beef, chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground chicken, lean turkey sausages, lean pork... it's all fair game. I venture into the aisles for a good low cal/high fiber cereal, a loaf of whole grain lite bread, some whole grain pasta, quinoas, wheat cous cous, brown rice, low carb tortillas, there are lots of great options 
. The cold case is my next stop.... milk, light yogurt, eggs, lowfat cheese, hummus, low calorie lunch meats, sugar free jello and pudding 
