Is there a basic, never be without
 

shopping list for newbies starting their new weight loss journey??

I can't get too crazy cause I'm going to do it for everyone here..so there is no way they'd go for avocado, sprouts, hummus etc..

I have a 2 yr old, 4 yr old, 10 yr old and a 17 yr old as well as my hubby..

so its gotta be something that is good and "normal".

We dont' do a lot of seafood here, I dislike all seafood..so since I cook I don't buy it..

So...whats a basic shopping list of things I must have???

I need to incorporate my main stuff I already have: chicken breast, ground turkey, ground beef, pork chops too..

TIA!

To me, my staples are:

Dried beans and brown rice
Whole wheat pasta
Other whole grain side dishes (WW couscous, pilafs, etc)
Light, whole wheat breads
Popcorn

All veggies, fruits, etc. This is where I spend the bulk of my budget. I eat a TON of veggies.

Lean proteins. For me, these are:
Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts and thighs
Pork Tenderloin and Loin Chops/Roasts
Beef Tenderloin or other lean cuts of beef
Super Lean ground beef (5-7% fat), ground turkey breast
Eggs

We are not big fish eaters here, so we don't get a lot of that, though I do pick up the odd can of tuna for sandwiches.

We round out our menus with light dairy - mostly 2% milk for coffee and nonfat yogurts (I like plain nonfat Fage greek yogurt and sugar free nonfat fruit flavored yogurts).

My list looks very much like Mandalinn's except that we are big seafood eaters, so I buy fish for at least 2x a week.

Here's what I almost always have available.

Pantry
Dried and canned beans (pinto, black, garbanzo, navy, red)
Brown rice
Whole grain pasta (mostly tortellini)
Quinoa
Steel cut oats
Popcorn (best snack ever)
Whole grain bread
Lentils
Canned tomatoes in all forms - whole, diced, paste, sauce (buy in bulk at Sam's Club)
Canned tuna
Canned chicken
Canned salmon
Lots of spices (I buy them in bulk from Penzey's)
Garlic & onions
Olive oil / peanut oil
Flour (whole grain and white), sugar, baking soda, etc. The usual pantry staples.
Kosher salt
Soy sauce
Panko bread crumbs

Fridge
2% milk
Butter
Eggs
Yogurt (both homemade and Fage brand Greek yogurt)
Sunspire whole fruit strawberry spread (with cane sugar)
Salsa (we go through a large bottle of salsa a week)
Light mayo
Dijon and yellow mustard
Barbecue sauce (DH likes it, I don't. So I'll sometimes put it on his food.)
Kraft Asian Sesame Light Dressing (the only dressing I buy rather than make)
Nature Made peanut butter with flax seed
Sharp cheddar cheese (both in block and shredded form - Costco or Sam's)
Tons of veggies (cabbage, broccoli, celery, zucchini, squash, cabbage, carrots, baby spinach, etc)
Apples (I eat an apple a day or more)
Whatever fruit is on sale (usually pears, grapes, nectarines, sometimes melon)

Freezer
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Whole chickens (when we can get them unprocessed and not Butterball brand)
Pork loin (we buy whole loins from Sam's club and cut them into roasts and chops and freeze them)
Beef brisket
Extra lean ground beef (93/7)
Lean ground turkey
Salmon
Mahi (again, buy frozen filets in bulk at Sam's Club)
Frozen mixed berries (Costco)
Frozen blueberries (Costco)

I think that's about it - I'm sitting upstairs trying to picture the various parts of my kitchen now. :) Out of that I can make meals and snacks for us with food left over.

About once a month I'll do a big cooking spree and make a ton of tomato sauce for pizzas and pasta and freeze it. I'll take the chicken carcasses and make chicken broth. I'll make a triple batch of chili and freeze it (before the beans are added). Generally I'll make a bunch of stuff and freeze all of it in smaller portions so that we've got stuff to fall back on if I'm busy or don't feel like cooking much.

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Off topic but - Photochick, they have canned chicken? Where do you buy it?

I buy it with the canned tuna... HTH

I get mine at either Costco or Sam's Club.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...=5&item=198827

It's great for things like curried chicken salad, casseroles, and so forth.

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I'm not going to make a whole list, but the two most important things of my diet...

oatmeal!- high fiber breakfast is soooo important in staying satisfied

protein- I can't emphasize enough how much you'll regret it if you don't have protein at every meal. It really keeps you full and happy. Keep the chicken, beans, etc in stock always, and don't forget the cheese! Low fat cheese is definitely worth the extra 50 calories, for what it gives you.

Good luck!

I like this list from the magazine Muscle & Fitness Hers. It's definitely not all inclusive but includes a lot of information and "normal" foods like berries and sweet potatoes.
http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/nutrition/64

Lots of fresh veggies! I mean a lot! Most of the meals I make are veg centered (like vegetable curry, stirfries, "fried" brown rice and veggies, etc.)

I always buy whole grain breads, tortillas, and pasta. We go through quite a bit of brown rice, steel cut oatmeal, and quinoa too.

As far as protein (we eat little meat) so we buy dried beans, tofu, seitan, tempeh, plain yogurt, eggs, fresh fish, cheese, nut butters, and sometimes lean chicken or pork. I always have canned tuna and salmon around.

veggies
protein (eggs, fish, chicken, turkey)
olive oil
apples, grapefruit
skim milk