Shopping List for Healthy Eating using Michi's Ladder

So...are you one of those people who gets a bit confused when it comes to grocery shopping for healthy items?  I know of a way to help if you wanna read about it...

First of all you will want to plan your meals for the week.  I do this on the weekend and then break it down so I know what ingredients I need to purchase to keep myself on track.  I have found that if I have my healthy foods lined up it is so much easier for me to resist the poor choices that are presented to me each and every day out in the world.  Just this morning my friend on my vanpool asked me if I had a weeks worth of food in my cooler bag...LOL!  I told her no...I had 4 out of 5 of my meals in there plus my water bottle.  I eat 4 times a day in the office....I eat once a day at home (dinner).  So planning and packing ahead of time really saves me time, money and frustration.  :)

So...here is what I do....I know I have pretty much the same thing for breakfast each weekday...that consists of:
1/2 C Oats (dry measured)
1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I use the vitamin shoppe brand that doesn't have artificial sweeteners)
Dash of Cinnamin
1 poached egg (I cut back from 2 a couple of weeks ago)

My mid-morning snack is normally Shakeology w/1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder and a drop or two of Peppermint Extract or 1 TBS Natural Organic Peanut Butter.

For Lunch I will mix it up from time to time...but I tend to consistently have Raw Almonds and Organic Carrots....I will then have different cuts of lean protein like Chicken breast (3 to 6oz) or Tuna.  I have been known to have a baked Sweet Potato instead of the carrots!  :) Nice change of pace.  Feel free to throw some other healthy options in from time to time because I know how boring it can be if you have the same thing over and over for too long!  :)

My Afternoon snack usually consists of a piece of fruit and some Plain Non-Fat Yogurt with 1 TBS Agave Nectar.  And if this doesn't feel like enough I will add maybe some chunk light tuna or more lean protein like chicken or turkey. (not into the yogurt!)  LOL

Dinner can be the most difficult meal of the day for me...but if I plan it ahead and let my hubby know exactly what Protein I want then it is not bad.  Now that I am using Michi's Ladder I am finding that my Protein at dinner will more than likely be baked/broiled/grilled fish or baked/boiled boneless skinless white meat Chicken. (oddly enough...the list I am looking at right now, doesn't have chicken listed?)  I will have to dig into that later and see if they just forgot to add it.  But for the most part my dinner is a simple Protein and lots of Veggies.  :)

So...my simple grocery list consists of the following items to cover my needs for the week:

• Shakeology (make sure I am Home Direct so I never run out!)
• Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
• Oatmeal (I buy Quaker Old Fashioned or quick cooking)
• Eggs (or eggwhites if you really want to cut the cholesterol)
• Cinnamon 
• Peppermint Extract
• Organic Peanut Butter
• Organic baby Carrots (usually 1 pound works for me for a week of lunches)
• Raw Almonds (we buy the large 2 lb bags at Costco...they last for weeks)
• Sweet Potatoes ( a couple to 3 depending on how many times I want to have one at lunch or dinner)
• Plain Fat Free Yogurt (I get the Dannon Naturals in the 1 lb container)
• Organic blue Agave Nectar
• Fresh Fruit (bananas, oranges, pears, apples)
• Fresh Veggies ( cucumbers, green peppers, mushrooms for salads at dinner if you like)
• Chicken breasts
• Tuna (canned chunk light...not albacore)
• Salmon (frozen wild caught)
• Mahi Mahi (frozen wild caught)
• Pork Tenderloin
• Frozen Veggies (several varieties that the family enjoys)

I tend to only buy enough for the week...and that is simple enough to calculate based on 7 days worth of meals.  I do buy other items for my daughter's lunch....but I do encourage her to pick healthy options...sometimes it works...other times it doesn't.  I did add an app to her iPod touch that gives her healthy options for some of the foods she may be eating now.  :) As long as she uses it I think it will help her.  :)

I hope this helps anyone out there who feels overwhelmed by the thought of eating healthy and getting the shopping done to back it up.  It will be second nature once you put a plan into place and begin taking the steps needed to get it done. :)


Steps are as follows for my plan:

1. Make a Weekly Meal Plan
2. Create a Shopping List based on the meals needed for the week
3. Go to the store and use the Shopping list...don't sway from it.
4. When you get home, wash and prep your veggies and fruit so you can quickly pack them through the week.
5. If you choose to use Shakeology in your nutrition plan be ready to blend it up in the morning and have a container to keep it in for a later snack. (I have found that the blender bottles work great!)
6. Be sure to take your supplements each day around the same time.  I recommend taking them when you drink your Shakeology...if you aren't using Shakeology then I recommend taking them with a meal.
7. Pack any meal you will need away from home in a cooler bag and carry it with you.  This step is critical to success...if you have what you need on hand you won't be as likely to slip up on your nutrition. :)
8. Have plenty of filtered pure water on hand throughout the day to keep you hydrated. (we sometimes confuse dehydration with hunger)
9. Reward yourself ONCE a week with a "Cheat Meal"...not a Cheat Day...just a Meal.  You don't have to do this...but if you feel the need to do this, you will still have great success!