Sunday Harris Teeter Grocery Haul

Well for the first time in a long time, I woke up in my own bed on a Sunday…and it felt so good! I love to travel, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nice to get back into a normal routine without being super pressed for time, trying to get Sunday errands done in a small window of time. It’s a tradition for Matt and I to do our grocery shopping (at least the big one) on Sunday mornings, giving us the rest of the afternoon to prep our food for the week, because, not sure about you, but the window of time we have during the week to make anything is pretty small. When I don’t have the chance to prep my food, I often find myself scrambling to find “filler” foods, Kind or RX bars. I end up spending more money on those fillers, and it’s not nearly as healthy. So, needless to say, it’s a great feeling to head into the week fully stocked with healthy food options.

Right now, I don’t have any specific physique goals. Rather, I’m focusing on my internal health and feeling better on the whole. So, while I may not be focusing on a certain number of macros to hit each week, I’m focusing on how I feel after eating certain foods and really trying to reconnect with my body. So, without further adieu, here’s today’s grocery haul with a few side notes to keep this blog to. the. point.

My List for the Week: 

Cod.: This lean (aka, little to no fat) fish is a protein powerhouse at about 21g/4 ounce serving. I’ll grill it on the Foreman and have it as one of my protein sources for the week.

1 Rotisserie Chicken: Busy bee hack: Had a baby shower today, so my meal prep time was pretty small today. I take the skin off and shred the chick to have for the week. It’s a great replacement for deli meat and it’s on sale for $4.99 at Teets (Harris Teeter) every Sunday…so #winning

Sweet potatoes: Each week, I’m attempting to diversify my main carb sources. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of different  antioxidants, vitamins A , C,  magnese, fiber, and they are kind to my digestive system. Plus, they’re delish.

1 carton of strawberries: I have pretty strong allergies to a lot of different fruits, so strawberries are pretty much my fruit staple. More Vitamin C (because I spend almost every day at the gym…aka the adult germ factory) for the win.

Sweet Peppers: One of our quick weekday dinners involves cutting these little babies up and cooking them with onions and the sweet Italian sausages referred to below.

Spinach: Already washed and bagged because, for some reason, I HATE washing leafy greens. It’s basically the bane of my existence, so I’m willing to pay the extra $$ for my sanity. Spinach, a great source of iron and surprisingly protein (at least for a vegetable), I’ll add spinach into my morning smoothies, mix it into egg whites, or steam it as a side. I don’t like spinach in my salad, but it does make for a very healthy addition if you’re into that.

Lettuce (see above side note): I eat salads every day. That will never change. I’ll typically venture to the grocery store 2 a week to make sure my lettuce is fresh.

Al Fresco Sweet Italian Sausages: A great week night, easy dinner for Matt and I. We chop up these links (which also have excellent macros and surprisingly low sodium if you get the kind that are uncooked) and mix them in a pan with chopped up peppers and onions. YUM!

Hummus & Carrots: A solid snacking option. I do make sure to measure out my hummus because, man, I could probably down a whole tub. No lie. I’ll also measure out my carrots because they can be a tad high in sugar for vegetables.

Butternut Squash: This is a newbie this week. I’m trying to eat more seasonally, and I do like squash, so we’ll see how this goes. I’ll keep you posted. If anyone has a suggestion on how to bake this baby…comment below 🙂

Spaghetti Squash: A decent “replacement” for pasta. I hate even saying that because it’s really not pasta and in no way does it taste like pasta. But I actually like the semi-sweetness it has and it’s fun to twirl.

Almonds: A great source of healthy fats, vitamin E and Magnesium…great when it’s that time of the month ladies 🙂

Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt: Not gonna lie, I am not a yogurt fan. It’s just never been my thing. But, there are a lot of probiotic benefits to this, so I’m giving it a go. I can’t do greek yogurt because of the whey, so I’m giving this one a go. I’ll sprinkle some Bear Naked granola into a serving just to add a little flava flave.

Kevita Lemon-Cayenne Sparking Probiotic Beverage: because #guthealth and I can only drink so much water.

Almond-Cashew Milk: Another staple in a dairy-free life. I play around with different nutmilks all the time, but I’m kinda diggin the slight sweentess that the coconut is adding.

Fresh Salsa: I put this sh** on everything

As you can see, this was a very veggie-heavy grocery haul. We have a lot of items that we just don’t go through in a week, like:

• coffee
• spices, mustard, hot sauce…all that jazzy goodness
• liquid and powdered stevia
• Kamut Puffs (these are an awesome cereal choice if you’re watching your macros),
• Sunwarrior Protien Powder (my FAVE vegan protein powder. It has a great amino profile and doesn’t upset my stomach.)
• Nutritional Yeast ( a staple for all my non-dairy compadres that still like a little cheesy goodness).
•  Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (more gut health)
• PB2
• nut butters (PRO TIP: Make sure that whatever nut butter your getting only consists of that nut. There shouldn’t be a bunch of added ingredients, like sugar). 
• Frozen Vegetables like broccoli and brussel sprouts

Hope this little glimpse gave you a few ideas for healthy staples that you can include in your grocery shopping! If you’re interested in what I actually did with these groceries, check out this meal prep blog. I’m a pretty routine person, but by switching a couple things up each week, I keep things a little entertaining, observe how my body reacts to different foods, and expand my “budding” palate. Staying on track doesn’t have to be time-consuming and wallet-draining. It just requires a little pre-planning and some time in the kitchen. And I bet your wallet will thank you when you aren’t scrambling to your local 7-11 or Mickey D’s for a quick-fix. Until next time kiddos,

 

~Xtina