What’s on Your List?

Article by Amy Bragagnini, MS, RD
Posted on October 26, 2007

Most Americans have good intentions on following a healthy diet. They wake up in the morning convinced that they are going to eat a wholesome breakfast, a high fiber/low fat lunch, and a light dinner. However, given the hectic nature of our lifestyles, this does not always happen and many people tend to “grab” a candy bar from the vending machine and “pick-up” a pizza on the way home. Eating healthfully is not difficult, but it does take careful planning and preparation. It all begins with the grocery store shopping list! By creating a shopping list you will be able to plan week meals ahead of time, “pick-up” healthy foods to pack for a lunch, and “grab” wholesome foods that your entire family will enjoy having as a snack.

Your list should be made up primarily of plant-based foods. Choose fruits and vegetables that you can have as a snack (cut up carrots/broccoli/cauliflower and have with low fat dip), add to soups or sauces (sliced zucchini, mushrooms, onions), or bring as a snack to work (apples, oranges, bananas etc). You may even try to pick a new fruit or vegetable a week and introduce your family to new flavors and textures. Make sure you include whole grain products to use for sandwiches (12 grain bread), cereal (raisin bran or shredded wheat), or entrée meals (whole wheat pasta, brown rice). Protein and meat choices should consist mostly of lean cuts of fish, poultry and lean meats. Look for sales on frozen meats; this allows you to always have potential entrée items on hand. I would recommend preparing a few healthy entrées over the weekend to have for the following week. In addition to frozen meats, frozen dinners work perfect for in a time crunch. Choose low fat and low sodium versions with good portion sizes and pair them with a salad for a quick and easy dinner. Dairy products should be low in fat; for those that are lactose intolerant choose soy/rice based products and calcium fortified orange juice. Try to avoid purchasing processed sweets and high fat snacks altogether. It is much easier to eat healthy foods when you don’t have the bag of potato chips or box of cookies as an option. Instead stock up on healthy nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, and yogurt for snack time.