Having trouble making healthy eating choices? Your overall strategy for avoiding that hangry feeling while trying to lose weight is to have access to fresh healthy foods at all times.
This means working a weekly trip to the grocery store in that includes stocking up on lots of healthy, fresh veggies, fruits and other nutritious foods.
Let’s run through grocery store sections and cover some nutrition-filled staples to keep on hand:
Produce section:
Fresh salad ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, sprouts and other perishable favorites. Kale and cabbage for cooking. Don’t buy them all at once – pick a few for each week’s supply.
Fruit like bananas and apples (both great for digestion – just choose smaller portions).
Frozen foods section:
Cookable veggies like broccoli, spinach, green beans, corn.
Meat and deli:
- Lean chicken, lean ground turkey. Alternate forms of red meat every once in a while – like lamb and buffalo.
- Lean cold-cut turkey breast.
Dairy:
Eggs, lowfat milk, aged cheeses like cheddar, plain yogurt.
Canned foods:
Healthy, low-sodium soups. Cans and bags of beans.
Breads, pastas and cereals:
Choose whole-grain varieties. Brown rice and quinoa.
Snacks:
Whole-grain crackers. Unpopped popcorn.
Oils:
Extra virgin olive oil, unrefined coconut oil, sesame oil.
Packaged goods:
Stock up on storage containers.
Small sandwich bags keep portions of things like crackers under control. Grab and go!
Purchase a portable lunch box that’s easy to clean. Prepare and package your snacks ahead of time so you’ll have them on the go. Pick up a couple of freezer packs to keep your food fresh.
Some ideas for quick healthy snacks include:
- Whole grain crackers, a small amount of cheese or natural peanut butter, and a half an apple.
- A hard-boiled egg and small container of cooked broccoli.
- Homemade yogurt dip and cucumber slices.
- Healthy turkey jerky and a cup of blueberries.
If it turns out that you grow to love certain healthy snacks, be sure to keep them in the rotation. If you get bored of the same old food, you can always change it up with new healthy snacking ideas.
Do your food prep ahead of time. Select a day or a few days of the week to prepare meal staples like whole grains (i.e. brown rice) in advance, to stock the fridge.
Cook and store chicken to use in recipes each day. Boil up some eggs to grab and go as needed. Fill up lunch boxes at night so you can take along a healthy meal.
Fueling your body on time and with the right foods will ensure that you can meet your weight loss goals and get healthy too.
