What to get at the Grocery Store

Heading to the grocery store and don’t know what to get to maintain a healthy diet? Here are some suggestions for you.

 

Good Sources of Protein:

• Egg – A fantastic source of protein. I like to have 1 whole egg for every 3 whites for some flavor.
• Liquid Egg Whites - This is just pure egg whites. Easier than cracking all the eggs and tossing out the yolk.
• Skinless Chicken Breast or Cutlets - Lean, inexpensive, high quality protein; this should be a staple in your diet.
• Lean Ground Turkey – A very good lean high quality protein..
• Top Round Steak – Nice lean cut of meat. Has more fat than chicken but great source of meat.
• Filet Mignon - Tasty lean cut of meat.
• Buffalo - Lean red meat, very tasty.
• Flounder - Inexpensive lean fish.
• Cod - Inexpensive lean fish.
• Pollock - Lean fish.
• Wild Salmon - Healthy fatty fish. Get the salmon wild because the quality is a lot better.
• Canned Tuna - Lean inexpensive fish. If you worry about your sodium you might want to cut down on this. Make sure you get the one in water not oil.
• Turkey Bacon - Leaner than regular bacon, not something you should have all the time but if you are a bacon lover so give this a try.
• Lean Ground Beef - Make sure you get something that is at least 90% lean.
• Cottage Cheese - Slow digesting form of protein. Great for having when you have to go a long time in-between meals and also excellent to have before bed.
• Pork Tenderloin - Inexpensive lean protein.
• Wild Sea Bass - Lean high quality protein.
• Wild Swordfish - Lean high quality protein.

 

Protein to Avoid:

• Skinned Chicken - The skin just adds extra fat that you don't need.
• Breaded Chicken - The bread crumbs add simple carbs that you don't need.
• Deli Meat - Made with too many chemicals. Low quality of meat.
• Bacon - Too Fatty, but too good to resist.
• Farmed Fish - Have less omega-3s than wild fish, recent studies show that the farm raised fish's fat is unhealthy.
• Fatty Ground Beef - Any ground beef that is below 85% is too fatty for me. Yes, they make tasty burgers or meatballs but that amount of fat is just too high to have on a regular basis.
• Fatty Cuts of Red Meat - Just look at the steaks, if the outside of the steak has some fat on it but the body of the steak is all red then that is fine. All you have to do with those steaks is cut the fat off the edges. If the body of the steak is riddled with white fat you are getting a low quality highly fatty steak that might taste good but won't be good for you.

Good Sources of Carbohydrates:

• Oatmeal - Either the slow cooked version or the quick one minute is fine. Have oatmeal with your first meal every day. It is a great slow digesting carb.
• Steel Cut Oats - Similar to oatmeal. Slow digesting carb.
• Fruit - All fruits are great but some are better than others for different reasons. Blueberries are at the top of the list for antioxidants and bananas are great for post-workout carbs. The majority of them digest faster than complex carbs so they are best used in the AM or pre and post workout.
• Vegetables - Like fruit you really can't go wrong when you eat veggies. During the off-season all veggies are great to have but when you are looking to diet I stick with just the green ones as they have less calories and net carbs. Veggies are a great source of fiber. Try to have some in every meal.
• Sweet Potatoes/Yams - Tasty slow digesting carb. Add a little Splenda and you will be in heaven.
• Brown Rice - Staple of a slow digesting carb.
• White Rice - Faster digesting carb.
• Whole Wheat Bread - Great slow digesting carb.
• Cream Of Wheat - Substitute for white rice. Faster digesting carb.
• Cream of Rice - Substitute for white rice. Faster digesting carb.

Carbohydrates to Avoid:

• Cereal - Most cereals today are loaded with sugar. Oatmeal is a better option. Add some blueberries and Splenda to it and I promise it will be as sweet as you need. On top of that you will be getting a much healthier carb source.
• Candy - Loaded with sugar.
• Chips - Loaded with simple carbs and bad fats.
• Ice Cream - Loaded with sugar.
• Soda - Diet version is fine but the regular stuff is just sugar water.
• Sugar Juice - Eat the entire fruit which has all the nutrients and is better for you.

Good Sources of Fats:

• Olive Oil/Flaxseed Oil - Great source of fat. Great to add to dishes.
• Fish Oil - Staple source of healthy fats.
• Almond Butter/Cashew Butter - Derived from the nuts but a good source of fat.
• Almonds - Great source of fat and small amount of protein.
• Pecans - Great source of fat and small amount of protein.
• Walnuts - Great source of fat and small amount of protein.
• Cashews - Great source of fat and small amount of protein.
• Natural Peanut Butter - Not processed. Great source of fat and some protein. Love adding this to my shakes during the day.
• Avocados - Healthy fat source. Love it in my sushi.

Fats to Avoid:

• Fried Anything – Just not good for you.
• Butter and Margarine - Not healthy to add to the bread. Add oil instead.
• Palm Oil and Coconut Oil - Not healthy fat source.
• Vegetable Shortening - Not healthy fat source.