A Health Coach’s Grocery Guide

It’s well known that home-prepared meals are often more healthy and nutritious than those eaten in a restaurant where there is little control of ingredient quality.  Now don’t get me wrong, our family still eats out rather frequently in the name of convenience, but we try to eat more healthy meals at home than not…leveraging the 90/10 rule (eat healthy meals 80-90% of the time and allow yourself a bit of flexibility in the other 10-20%.)  

As I’ve mentioned regularly on this blog, the best rule of thumb for healthy eating is focusing on unprocessed, low-sugar, less-dairy, nutritious whole foods.  My preference is organic, where possible, heavily plant-based (this means I still eat certain, high-quality animal proteins on occasion which works best for my “bio-individuality”), and less things in boxes or cans with labels.  We do this in the name of improved immunity, mental performance, and overall physical health and prevention.  Combined with regular exercise and self-care, this approach has been game-changing for my personal health and energy-levels.  I choose to share my experience with as many people as possible, hoping to positively impact more lives!

With these guidelines in mind, I know a lot of people are still confused about what to buy when they walk into the grocery store.  The volume of choices can seem complicated and it’s important to remember that just because food is sold in a health-focused store, doesn’t mean it’s all healthy per-se.  As such, I wanted to share what my shopping list might typically include on any given trip.  I don’t buy all these items all the time, but they’re my personal preferences from what I’ve learned as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.   I hope this will help give you some idea of how you might customize this to your own tastes, local food availability, and dietary-guidelines!

I’ve grouped my list in how I might shop through the store:

So what do I cook with all these ingredients?  Soups, smoothies, chia pudding, overnight oats, salads, roasted or grilled veggie/protein/whole grain bowls, falafel burgers on greens, hard boiled eggs paired with seasoned avocado…the possibilities are endless.  Just get creative and worry less about recipes. 

And want ideas that may help this new healthy routine stick?  See if chopping veggies on a Sunday afternoon helps meals come together more quickly during the busy week.  Leave the produce that doesn’t require refrigeration on the counter so it’s easier to grab your attention.  Experiment with spices to make new, interesting flavors on simple foods.  Make little packs of nuts to take on the run. 

Happy shopping!

Photo credit: istock.com/Prostock-Studio