[blindweightwatcher] fw Anatomy of a Grocery List
- From: "Jan Bailey" <jb021951@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <blindweightwatcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:09:24 -0600
Anatomy of a Grocery List
By Leanne Ely, C.N.C.
Dear Friends,
On Wednesday's radio show (I have one in case you didn't know!
www.blogtalkradio.com/saving-dinner
), I answered a few questions about grocery shopping in particular. I have also
handled a couple of emails that were asking questions about grocery lists
and even a post on my Facebook page!
The questions had to do with grocery shopping: how to make a grocery list to
what to put on it and even how to shop. So here's how I do it and it works;
feel free to adjust as necessary for your family--
You make your grocery list according to what you eat! My grocery list and your
grocery list are going to look necessarily different because our likes and
dislikes are different, our family sizes are different, etc. There is a mindset
on how you make your list though, and I'm going to share mine.
First off, I have several things that help me make my food list for the week:
1) A plan for dinner (you knew I'd say that, didn't you? I use the Low Carb
Men-Mailer - I just love it. It's not only helped me slay the body clutter
on my booty, it's also a great way to eat so you don't feel bloated when you go
to bed)
2) A perpetual pantry list for breakfast, lunch and snacks (my "pantry"
includes stuff that gets refrigerated and frozen as well)
I don't make a list for my veggies. Instead, I know I'm going to need veggies
for the week, so I make my list to include salad greens, dark leafy greens
and whatever looks good, is on sale and is in season - those last two points
help keep my budget in line.
Next, I fill in with freezer veggies (I love multi-colored bell pepper strips,
green beans, snap peas, chopped turnip greens, collards, corn, etc.). I
make sure I keep about 2-3 frozen veggies on hand, buy fresh stuff as much as
is affordable and then - this is the important part! - I use up the stuff
that will go bad quickly, FIRST. So let's say I bought fresh baby spinach, a
head of red leaf lettuce and a bunch of broccoli to use this week. The fresh
spinach with an expiration date of 5 days from now will get used first, then
the salad greens and later on the broccoli, as that is the most hearty veggie.
There are several produce items I keep on hand in the fridge that last a long
time: celery (wrap it in foil to keep it fresh for several weeks), carrots,
apples and citrus. I have onions (red and yellow), garlic, shallots, sweet
potatoes and regular potatoes in my pantry closet. These foods get used
regularly
and I keep an eye on them so I can remember to replenish them as needed.
For breakfast, keep a list of things your family eats and that becomes your
perpetual breakfast shopping list. For me, I have frozen waffles,
salmonella-free
peanut butter (great breakfast to go is a toasted whole grain waffle with
peanut butter smeared over the top), eggs and egg substitute, whole grain bread,
whipped unsalted butter, steel cut oats, kefir, yogurt, frozen berries, orange
juice, protein powder and milk.
Lunch is always leftover food from the night before (yes, I always make extra,
it's just easier to not have to think about lunch the next day) or, on the
rare occasion I don't have any leftovers, I'll make a pot of soup and go for
that. Right now, I have a pot of 17-bean soup with sweet potatoes in it, yum!
I'm having that for dinner tonight with a spinach salad, btw!
Anyway, that's how I do it and it works well, keeps my budget in line and keeps
my nutrition pumped and my calories under control. If you want a free sample
of my basic plan, you can go to my site,
www.savingdinner.com
. Sign up for the free newsletters and we'll send you a link to get the free
menu. (Just click on the green button for a free sample menu).
Knowing how to grocery shop wisely is what will keep your wallet and your body
both healthy!
Love,
Leanne
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