starter grocery list + Paleo Roast Pork with Apple Chutney & Butternut Squash

'i want to be healthier.'

you do? ok, read!

first off, breathe. don't over-complicate things.  this process does not go from 0-60 in 3 seconds and you won't either. it's a gradual thing. a lifestyle thing.  one that you will see and feel the effects of if you just stick with it.  little by little, a little becomes a lot.  we know by now that proper nutrition and physical fitness is a package deal. can't have one without the other.  i will be focusing on the nutrition part of the equation for now as this is where your journey begins:

here is a staple starter grocery list to save, print out, and take with you to the grocery store.  i go into detail about each section below and provide some of my favorite brands and where to get'em. keep reading.

key:

WF = Whole Foods

SFM = Sprouts Farmers Market

WM = Walmart

TG = Target

TJ = Trader Joes

HEB = HEB Pantry (local)

K = Kroger (local)

ALL = available at all listed stores

grains / cereals / breads

• Ezekiel brand breads and tortillas WF, SP
• Ezekiel cereal varieties WF, SP, WM, K, HEB
• Alvarado Street Bakery brand bread WF, SP
• La Tortilla Factory tortillas & wraps WF, SP, WM, K, HEB
• Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat Bread WM, K, HEB, TG
• Sara Lee 45 Calories & Delightful brand bread HEB, WM, K, TG
• Trader Joe's whole grain breads TJ
• Sprouts Farmers Market whole grain breads SFM

i find that rolled, quick oats, oat bran, rice, quinoa, and couscous are cheapest when bought in bulk.  whip out your calculator and do the math if you must and compare the price per lb to whatever way you previously purchased these items.  yeah, those Uncle Ben's single serving rice pouches are DELICIOUSLY easy to prepare and taste so good, but they just aren't cost-effective and you know it! buy your rice in bulk and season it yourself.

flours / nuts / oils

• Bob's Red Mill flour varieties  WF, SP, HEB, K, WM, TG
• flours & nuts from the bulk bins of WF, HEB, or SP
• choose unrefined, virgin, and cold-pressed oils ALL
• roasted & unsalted mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans)  in bulk WF, SP, HEB

starchy veggies 

• fresh & frozen are best. if you must do canned, look for a low/no sodium option. these are veggies that are carbohydrate rich, higher in sugar content, have an adverse affect on blood glucose levels, and load you with energy. any on the list above will do; pick your fave. if unsure about how to classify a particular veggie, use this helpful list of starchy veggies. ALL

non-starchy veggies

• fresh & frozen are best. if you must do canned, look for a low/no sodium option.  these are veggies that contain fewer calories and carbs, lower sugar content, and have little to no effect on blood glucose levels and are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals. any on the  list above will do; pick your fave. if unsure how to classify a particular veggie use this helpful list of non-starchy veggies. ALL

fruit

• fresh & frozen are best.  beware of packaged and canned fruit which can contain crazy high amounts of sugar. read your labels!  don't forget avocado is a fruit and high and good fat. we know fruit is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and natural sugar, but the sugar content does vary per fruit, so choose wisely.  here's a chart of some of the most popular and available fruit choices that gives you an accurate depiction of the sugar content for a 1 cup serving. ALL

here's a more detailed list:

dairy

• Lactaid brand milk & cottage cheese ALL
• Greek yogurt brands: Fage, Chiobani, Oikos, Trader Joes ALL
• Laughing Cow Spreadable Cheese Wedges ALL
• Mini Babybel light cheese ALL

non-dairy

• Blue Diamond, Silk unsweetened vanilla and original almond milk ALL
• Lisanatti Almond Cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella) WF, SFM
• Tofutti non-dairy cream cheese spread WFM, TJ, SFM, HEB, K
• Trader Joe's canned light coconut milk TJ

meat / seafood  / protein

• boneless & skinless turkey and chicken breast ALL
• 97-99% extra lean ground turkey, chicken, and beef ALL
• choose  cuts of beef with the least marbling
• leanest beef cuts: eye of round, sirloin tip and steak, top & bottom round roast & steak ALL
• shellfish: scallops, mussels, lobster, shrimp, crab ALL
• choose low sodium canned beans and rinse beans under cold water before cooking: navy, kidney, black, lima, chick peas, pinto, black-eyed peas. ALL
• HEB & Crystal Farms egg whites ALL, HEB
• fish: cod, salmon, tilapia, flounder, trout,  halibut, mahi mahi, perch, snapper, sole, tuna (canned and packed in water) ALL

seasonings / sauces / sweeteners

• Bragg's Liquid Aminos WM, WFM, SFM, K, HEB
• Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar WM, WFM, SFM, K, HEB
• all fresh herbs (sage, cilantro, oregano, basil, dill)  ALL
• any salt-free standalone spice or seasoning blend (Mrs. Dash, McCormick, Trader Joes, Generic brands ALL
• use fresh lemon / lime just for natural seasoning, flavoring & marinating ALL
• liquid smoke WM, TG, K, HEB
• Heinz low carb ketchup ALL

so do you just go buy the entire list at once? no! remember, i spoke with Tiara in HEB the other day and here's that grocery shopping advice i gave her in a nutshell: 'depending on how ambitious you feel, pick 2, or 3 recipes you know you'll be making in the next 2 weeks or so and do your grocery shopping based on those ingredients.  else, there's a good chance you may not use everything you purchased and have to throw it away.  we know some items have longer shelf lives of course, but the majority of what is thrown away is spoiled produce.' i try to limit my store visits to 2-3 times a month.  i make large batches of a recipe at a time, and we have those meals/leftovers for the next 2-3 days before switching to something new.  sometimes i'll cook two large batches of two different recipes at a time and alternate those meals for more variety.

 grocery shopping tips:

1. buy fresh AND frozen produce
2. only buy produce in-season and on sale to save $
3. make a list first and stick to it
4. don't shop when you're hungry
5. set a monthly or bi-weekly budget and don't go over it
6. buy meat in bulk and freeze what you don't use immediately
7. buy generic brands whenever possible
8. shop the perimeter of the store (fresh meat, bread, produce, dairy).  processed foods tend to rule those isles.

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Q: questions?  FIRE AWAY!  what would you like to see MORE of? what wasn't covered or covered in enough detail?  i need your feedback. email me or comment below.

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my featured FITzee meal of the week:

Paleo Pork Roast with Apple Chutney and Butternut Squash

all natural, dairy-free, gluten-free, Paleo friendly & smells and tastes like FALL.

place your FITzee Foods order to be shipped right to your doorstep now.

le

Sprouts Farmers Market *KATY*

 

that is HILARIOUS cause you know it's true!!!!  however this is also how stuff gets lost. forever.

i made Chiso some lemon-blueberry french toast Thursday morning that i cannot stop thinking about!  we will prolly have it for Easter breakfast tomorrow too.  this recipe will certainly be in the Fit Foodie Le ebook, and the nutritional stats are bananas! see? 156 cals, 3g fat, 6g fiber, 21g carbs, and 10 grams of protein! and yep for the whole she-bang.  2 slices of bread and all the toppings.

what Easter dish will you be making?

it's HEEEEERE!!! so i've been seeing the back of this building for MONTHS and had no earthy idea that it would be home to Sprouts Katy.  it's in the same lot as one of my gyms so you know what that means :lol: .  i literally pulled out of the gym parking lot, turned on my gps, and she made me turn right back in. #blondemoment!  anyway, the  future frequent trips won't do crazy damage  cause these prices.... WOW.  i was blown away.

something tells me these aren't just grand opening prices either!  you can even go to their website and print out your own coupons before hand.  also, Lifetime Fitness members get 5 dollars off their total bill at this location! not sure how long that lasts, but you can login to the Lifetime website and print out that coupon yourself too.

we walked through the doors and immediately went left to the bread section.  i found these new, 80 calorie light flour tortillas by La Tortilla Factory and i was not thinking straight and only got one package.  they were amazing and i have so many recipes for these guys!

i didn't take a pic of EVERYTHING this time lol, just a few landscape type shots.  the store isn't too big and i kinda like it that way. i go in HEB and get lost for hours but since everything is so close together in here, i'm in and out. i appreciate that.

sample mode ON.

just taking a peek! didn't grab any THIS time, but i'm glad to see they have multiple Arctic Zero flavors instead of just maple vanilla.  AND they have those 85 cal bars too!

we visited every single department (trust me).  the produce section was nothing short of amazing cause again, those prices! best i've ever seen. anyway, this was our last stop before heading to check out. popcorn!  i planned on getting a bag of Popcorn Indiana Kettle Corn and i was eyeing the bacon ranch flavor too until i saw these:

really now? olive oil, parmesan & garlic, and sea salt flavors.  awesomeness!  i'm on my second bag of parmesan garlic in 3 days. it's good.

first Sprouts shopping trip is a wrap!

one mo landscape shot at the front registers.

one of the kindest sales associates brought Chiso a cup of gummy bears while we waited! that was extremely nice of him.

indeed!

got another free grand opening grocery bag to add to my collection.  great experience, great store, and we will TOTALLY be back! a lot.

i got outta there with some good stuff- Justin's nut butters were 79 cents instead of the usual 99, cuties were just 3 bucks for that big crate, the cherry tomatoes were a whopping ONE dollar each, strawberries and blueberries were 2 for 3, and those bags of mini peppers were 2 for 5. yessssss!

i immediately whipped out those tortillas and went to work on these grilled chicken burritos.

alfalfa sprouts, tomato, grilled chicken, and homemade guac all rolled up.

the next day, Good Friday, we did an early family gym date.  we made grilled quesadillas  for our post workout meal this time!  Sprouts pineapples salsa and greek yogurt for dipping on the side.

and for dessert....

how did those get in there?

HAPPY EASTER, y'all!!!

le

WFM KATY <3

feast your eyes on the awesomeness that is Whole Foods Market............. KATY, TX.

i pulled up like 3 minutes before go time and hopped my butt right on in line.

they had some great grand opening deals, and fresh wild salmon was one of them!  they were selling like hot cakes under that tent up there for 5.99 a lb.

as i neared the door, i heard....music?  there was a live orchestra back there, even though you can't tell at all from this pic.  that's how WFM does it!  it didn't make the weather any warmer, but it was a nice touch.

this is the very first pic of the madness once i stepped foot in the store.  this is NOTHIN!  there were still a ton of peeps behind me.

:shock: the freshest produce ever in life :shock:

beautiful berries!

how can you not want one of everything?

so i was caught on camera using my own camera. (l)  #awkward!   i have no idea what station he was affiliated with but i do hope it was a major network LOL

beans, beans, the musical fruit!

the beloved bulk bins.  i couldn't pass up getting a couple scoops of pumpkin flax granola.

this is THE cleanest this area will ever be in life. lol

ok i have a confession.  my phone straight DIED a few minutes after i took this pic and i was devastated. seriously.  i went to bed with a full battery and did not put it on the charger and because i have soooooo much crap on my phone these days and have yet to order an SD card.  which means my battery is toast in a matter of hours. soooooo, i sped through the store and came back a few hours later with my bro for lunch.  hey i had a dr's appointment and was out anyway ;)

 i'll pick back up where i left off-

fresh

meat!

would i like a sample?  do you know who i am?

'air chilled' is a new term i said i'd google later. the tender was super juicy!

right, Matt?

and wow, that camera man was still there.

 these were so cute. and true.

we rounded a corner of the store and walked past the gourmet grilled cheese and specialty beer station.

it was a little after lunch time here and the store was CRACKIN'.

and then we saw a walking banana and had to get a pic!  and yes...i've officially been #photobombed by the lovely shopper behind us.

twice, smh!!!! who does these types of things!? i thought you only photobombed people you know!

we kept going and passed the delectable desserts...

just looking!

they had pizza samples left and right, mmmmm.

next up was the prepared foods section.

man...food presentation at its finest. *DROOLING*

this was matt's incentive for coming with me. free lunch!  he got a sammich at the sammich station.

gettin' mo samples...sushi samples.

it was a shrimp, avocado,  multigrain rice roll; lovely combo!

we turned around and saw several fresh food bars like the olive one above,

and this multicultural one.  variety is something WF never lacks!

so many overwhelming options to choose from.

 and uuuuuuuuweeeeeeee that 8.49 per lb. hurts my HEART!  especially when i remember when it was 2.99.........

last thing on this side of the store was the cool coffee bar.

more samples on the way to checkout- this tasted like kombaucha soda. not bad!

i meant to get some canned tuna while i was there so i cut through the frozen foods aisle and ran into this thing-  i thought it just rotated commercials and advertisements all day long, but nope, i touched the screen and was wowed immediately!

'touch a produce item for recipes and information.'

um, OK!!!

recipes, ideas, and tips galore! what a fantastic tool!

wait, how did i end up here?  focus!!!

got the tuna and headed to checkout, but not before passing up the to-go bakery case.... YUMMERS

seating area was CRAY-CRAY so we went home to eat.

i'm sure this area will be boomin' once Houston weather warms back up.

more samples outside!? of course! just some grilled fillet mignon, no big deal.

they even have their very own food truck(s).  i'm not surprised!

smelled amazing...

i'll save it for the next trip.

OH, a lady was standing at the door on our way out with a basket FULL of free grocery bags!  i loved this pattern the second i saw it.

juuuust expanding my grocery bag collection.

see, i didn't do too bad at all! this was nothin.

tuna, kettlecorn, bell peppers (5 for 5 dollar deal), pumpkin flax granola, and a loaf of seeduction bread for my mama.

aaaand the very last #foodie shot- half of Matt's reuben flat bread wrap. delish!

i think ALL but like one of my friends can stand grocery shopping lol!

Q: have you ever attended a store's grand opening? any store!

le

WFM FTW

AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!  a WHOLE FOODS MARKET is opening up on my sida town!!!!!

*high five* to my friend Carla for texting me this golden nugget of info as i had no idea, smh! this is both good & bad according to Sonny but i already promised myself to not go HAM in there.  i am asked repeatedly what my grocery bill is like as a few readers assumed i do all my shopping in Whole Foods and Trader Joes and that is sooooo not the case guys! i use both of these havens as specialty stores ONLY.  i'm a crazy foodie and grocery shopping is fun to me, but i have my limits :lol:.   i oogle at and am intrigued by weird, quirky, healthy & indulgent food combos, seasonings, snacks, treats, and all things FOOD. exhibit A:

this is currently in my snack corner and this is why i get *side-eyes* when i get home. you and i both know that nobody needs this stuff. all natural, double chocolate cookies, fig butter, chocolate covered pretzels, raspberry fruit spread, nori wraps....

let's be clear- i get my fresh produce and staple items from HEB, Wally World (Walmart), Sams, Fiesta,  Kroger... i'll even go to Food Town or the like if they are having a fantastic sale and the produce looks presentable. i don't by organic (severely overpriced in my opinion and i've seen, read, and tasted evidence to prove that the 'regular' produce is equal to or greater!) and that keeps my bill low.  the organic produce business is BOOMING!!!! but, it won't get any of my hard-earned money.

i often wonder what i'd be doing now had i not started this blog or had i postponed my decision yet again to compete in that bikini competition last Sept.  there are great moves, and then there are lessons.  you'll never know though if you don't step out on faith.  sometimes you can step out at your own pace, and sometimes you are evicted immediately, ready or not!

go boldly and confidently in the direction of your dreams!!!! don't let the fear of the unknown keep you from moving forward....only fear standing still.

Q: what is your favorite SPECIALTY store?

come on, i wanna hear from you so i can go check it out too!

le

@ my desk

no more start/stop- catching up NOW.

good monday that is almost over to you!!

this will be crazy random but just stay with me.

i hope you guys are using and being creative the IG food pics- that's definitely some of my motivation for posting.

this was lunch @ my desk last Friday:

100 calorie multi-grain english muffin, grilled chicken breast, avocado, spicy mustard, and a crispy red bell pepper.  since my job is waaaaaaaaay closer to Trader Joe's than my house, i stopped by there to get a few specialty items on my lunch break that day.

more eggplant humus wish it came in a big TUB.

i can pronounce everything. that's the kind of ingredient list i like to see and the kind you should look for as often as possible.  also, natural, no additives or preservatives means eat it sooner than later! won't last but a few days.

also got some sweet sugar snap peas for dipping! in the car.

 i walked into TJ's with intent to restock my fig butter, but as soon as those double entrance doors parted, i walked straight up to a tower of pumpkin butter.  clever is that seasonal marketing. they also had honey apple butter and i couldn't leave without it.  i did leave the mango butter for next time though.

i hit up HEB, Whole Foods, and Sams this weekend to do my real shopping.  i got my sample on of course,

  *high five*, HEB.  but zero points for presentation.  steak pizzaiola, italian chicken sausage soup, and creamy potato casserole was served at one of their live sample stations. oh God, those potatoes though :shock: . i always grab a recipe card to see just what they put in those samples and they never fail to freak me out.  full-fat heavy cream and cream cheese is what made those potatoes so darn good!  but they were sample size sooooo i proceeded to enjoy.

i got outta there with my usual stuff plus a few specialty items.

my kitchen island stays just like this for the most part.  i like to keep my produce out where i can see it cause i'll forget about it in the fridge and it's more likely to spoil.  gonna go ahead and add 'personal grocery shopper' to my resume, seriously!!! i could do this every day.

i've been using the sesame Ezekiel bread for the past few weeks, so i picked up the cinnamon raisin loaf this time.

i have sweet and savory dishes in mind for this puppy.

fat-free feta and goat cheese are still two dairy cheeses i won't be giving up (will expand on that shortly), but i was inspired to try almond cheese from a fellow health and fitness IGer.  i figure i love almond milk, so i'd prolly like the cheese too. uh, yeah! it melts, grates, and tastes just like dairy cheese and nutritional stats are awesome.  i'm impressed and sold.  gonna try some rice cheese too.

i've been a fan of Blue Diamond brand almond milk since Hungry-Girl introduced me to it a few years ago, but decided to try the Silk brand because of the lower calorie count.

it is so much more creamier than i was expecting! i may have been converted indefinitely...

I picked up some of Sonny's fav granola from Whole Foods - pumpkin flax.  it's the best granola (nutrtion-wise) in the bulk aisle line up.  140 cals and 5g of sugar per serving. read your labels- granola is more like a treat/dessert as the sugar content can be super high for some of them.  a few spoonfuls over some cottage cheese or yogurt or a small serving of it is just enough.

 granola + almond milk = one great bed time snack.  if only i could stop eating bowl after bowl.

lunch today @ my desk:

seeing red today for meal 2-  grilled chicken breast, avocado, red bell pepper, tomato, spicy mustard and honey apple butter.  wrapped all up in a La Tortilla Factory white-wheat soft wrap with some strawberries on the side.

i snuck in some sugar snap peas and eggplant humus too.

we had some GORGEOUS weather in Houston today!! Sonny hates the cold and is already griping about having to stop his outside runs.  he still has time to take advantage though cause it will be hot again like tomorrow.

cajun crusted tilapia recipe coming up next.

le