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December 10, 2014

What A Dietitian Buys at the Grocery Store

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Hi friends! It has been ages since I’ve done a what I buy when I grocery shop post, so I thought I would mix it up today and share what I picked up on my Monday night trip to Whole Foods. For fresh stuff, I prefer going to Whole Foods since the quality of the produce (and meat/seafood) is so good. When I need to get a lot of pantry items and canned goods, I’ll usually hit Giant instead because it’s cheaper. I also sometimes mix it up and go to Trader Joe’s!

On Monday, here’s what I picked up in terms of produce. Baby spinach, microgreens, guacamole (the best), avocadoes, limes, cilantro, a green pepper, grapes, and frozen wild blueberries and frozen cubed sweet potato (good for tossing into stews).

IMG_7135

On the grain-ish front, I picked up a couple packages of 90 second plain brown basmati rice, plain Ezekiel bread + Ezekiel cinnamon raisin English muffins (both in the freezer section), a Kit’s Organic Peanut Butter bar (love these – they are made by Clif), a couple apple spice Chia Pods (so tasty as a snack or easy light breakfast), another Tandoor Chef Channa Masala to keep in the freezer in case of emergency, and some frozen quinoa with vegetables to keep on hand for lazy nights, too. If you add beans it would be a solid meal! My random impulse purchase was the Engine 2 whole grain morning blend – I’ve never tried this before but though it looked fun. 🙂 It was in the frozen foods area near the fruit.

IMG_7137

On the dairy/animal product front, normally I would have gotten milk and eggs, but we already had some, so I stuck with yogurt. A few Fage yogurts, a Siggi’s coconut (I love their ginger yogurt but haven’t tried this one yet – sounded good), and a couple Blue Hill yogurts that sounded amazing and also had good ingredient lists. Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato?! Yum! Hope they are as good as they sound!

IMG_7138

I also picked up some feta (makes it betta), an organic rotisserie chicken (which went into making my Mexican Lasagna), and a few cans of beans. The kidney beans and the black beans were for the lasagna, too.

IMG_7139

So there you have it! What I bought on Monday night. Obviously this isn’t an all inclusive list of things I’d want on hand for the week to put together a healthy meal because we already had some stuff on hand. Other things I buy often that I didn’t buy on Monday:

  • milk, cottage cheese, eggs
  • arugula
  • bananas (if we are out of bananas, life is very sad)
  • oranges, kiwi, etc. – whatever fruit looks good
  • other canned beans (chickpeas, lentils, etc.) – to go on my lunch salads
  • broccoli slaw (great on salads or in wraps/on sandwiches)
  • microwave string beans <—awesome
  • hummus
  • crackers (I like the Blue Diamond artisan nut thins)
  • oats
  • canned tuna
  • canned tomato sauce (to make my Saucy Tomato & Artichoke Chicken!)
  • quinoa, barley, etc.
  • whole wheat/grain or quinoa pasta
  • salsa, pasta sauce
  • olive oil, lemons, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard – for my homemade balsamic vinaigrette 
  • garlic (for all the things)
  • canned beets (I’m normally too lazy to make them fresh)
  • chia seeds/ground flaxseed (for my Flour Free Breakfast Pancake)
  • nut butter
  • almond milk for baking/smoothies
  • whole/chopped nuts (to top my Perfect Microwave Banana Oatmeal) and to snack on
  • more snack bars (Larabar, Kashi nut + seed bars, etc.)

For a trip down memory lane, check out the two previous grocery shopping posts I wrote – the first in 2011 and the second in 2013! It hasn’t changed much. 🙂

  • What I Buy When I Grocery Shop – 2011, when I was in grad school in Chapel Hill
  • What I Buy When I Grocery Shop part 2 – in 2013, back here in the DC area
    What’s a cool new to you product you discovered lately at the grocery store? 

p.s. I’m honored to have been quoted in a great Washington Post article yesterday: 5 Ways to Fight the Winter Holiday Bulge. Happy to see they went with a mindful/intuitive focus!

- anne
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37 comments
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    December 10, 2014 · 10:43AM:
    Siggs is my new favorite yogurt! I agree - the quality at Whole Foods cannot be beat. Thanks for sharing your haul!
    Reply
  • Shel@PeachyPalate
    December 10, 2014 · 11:56AM:
    It's not new but I love canned salmon! Always a staple! A cooked roast organic chicken is super duper handy! And stores have just started stocking dino kale here...delighted!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 12:10PM:
      I love canned salmon (and tuna) too! So great for quick lunches.
      Reply
  • Les @ The Balanced Berry
    December 10, 2014 · 12:01PM:
    Thanks so much for sharing Anne - this is a great haul. I will definitely be sharing with friends looking for healthy grocery options :) I recently found Cashew Meal at Trader Joe's and have had a really fun time baking with it. It has a really nutty flavor and awesome texture. I even made a Cranberry Bliss Bar copycat using cashew meal as the crust base and it turned out awesome!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 12:10PM:
      Yum, please share the link with us for those bars, they sound great!
      Reply
      • Les @ The Balanced Berry
        December 10, 2014 · 12:12PM:
        Sure thing! The link is here: http://www.thebalancedberry.com/2014/12/09/gluten-free-cranberry-bliss-bars/ :)
        Reply
        • Anne
          December 10, 2014 · 12:35PM:
          Cool thanks!
          Reply
  • Cheri @ Overactive Blogger
    December 10, 2014 · 12:35PM:
    Lots of green! Love it!
    Reply
  • Lindsley Harner December 10, 2014 · 12:56PM:
    Love the Fage yogurt and it's my mainstay yogurt. Interested why you do not buy to 0% or Fat Free version. That is what I use and add my own frozen fruit.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 1:54PM:
      Here's why, via a guest post I wrote awhile ago! http://www.katheats.com/why-this-registered-dietitian-eats-more-fat
      Reply
  • Stephanie
    December 10, 2014 · 12:59PM:
    Love this post! I'm nosy and seeing what other people buy at the grocery store makes me happy.
    Reply
  • Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
    December 10, 2014 · 1:27PM:
    Congrats on the quote from Washington Post. Siggi's is by far my favorite yogurt.
    Reply
  • Laura December 10, 2014 · 1:33PM:
    That coconut Siggi's is sooooo good. Love that it's from grass fed cows.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 1:53PM:
      Me too :)
      Reply
  • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
    December 10, 2014 · 1:47PM:
    Kit's Organic CASHEW bars are THE best!
    Reply
  • Kristy @ Chocolateslopes
    December 10, 2014 · 3:42PM:
    I just discovered your blog from Twitter. Great post idea and I love the menu options. I wish I had a Whole Foods near my me!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 5:15PM:
      Thanks for stopping by! :)
      Reply
  • Erin @ Erin's Inside Job
    December 10, 2014 · 4:05PM:
    I love food and reading about food. I can't tell you how many times I find new grocery stores and just wander around. So basically, thanks for this post. I have been eating Stonyfield's Vanilla Petite Creme yogurt every day for like 2 weeks. It is so delicious and pretty decently good for you. I CANT STOP. Siggis is great and they had a pumpkin spice one that I waited too long to buy and now I cant find it :( My husband and I are moving into our permanent place here in Chicago on Friday and I can't wait to do some real grocery shopping and be reunited with my foods from home. I am about done with this temporary housing!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 5:14PM:
      I'll have to look for that Vanilla Petite Creme - sounds delicious and I love Stonyfield!
      Reply
  • Susy December 10, 2014 · 5:29PM:
    I LOVE Whole Foods' fresh guacamole. My problem is that my fiancé doesn't care for it and I obviously can't eat the whole thing in one sitting. How do you keep it fresh once you've opened it? Great post! Love all your eats!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 5:52PM:
      We usually eat it pretty quickly (heh), but try squeezing some lemon on top of it - that will help slow down the browning!
      Reply
      • Susy December 11, 2014 · 4:42PM:
        Great tip! Thank you!
        Reply
        • Rainey December 14, 2014 · 12:20AM:
          Try putting the pit in the container and then place a piece of plastic wrap so that it sits directly on the guac and then place a plastic air tight lid on top. Helps keep the air from turning it brown. Have you ever tried Wholly Guacamole? I get it at Costco. It is delicious and it comes in single serving containers.
          Reply
  • Courtney!
    December 10, 2014 · 5:51PM:
    I'm really curious about the sweet potato yogurt! I just recently discovered how CHEAP the precut produce is at Wal-Mart. I typically avoid that place like the plague, but I've been finding diced butternut squash, crinkle cut sweet potatoes and okra for only like $2. I think these are basic staples at most grocery stores, but 'our' Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are a 40 minute drive, and we don't have many other options close to home.
    Reply
  • Carol Morton December 10, 2014 · 6:01PM:
    How do you use your Exekiel bread? My gym recommends Exekiel bread and tortillas heavily, but they are annoyingly crumbly! And forget trying to make a sandwich.... I have to eat it with a fork. Tell me what you do, please!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 7:03PM:
      Really? The tortillas are crumbly, but I don't think the bread is at all! I always toast the bread (straight out of the freezer), though, maybe that's the difference? For the tortillas, my tip is to wrap the tortilla in foil, then peel away the layers as you eat. Much cleaner!
      Reply
  • Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola
    December 10, 2014 · 6:28PM:
    I don't normally like coconut stuff but I love coconut yogurt :)
    Reply
  • Alisha @ Real Girl Running
    December 10, 2014 · 6:43PM:
    Thanks Anne! I love it when you find new products to try at the supermarket. We usually buy our groceries online and get them delivered to save some time in our weekend, but we were just saying that it means you tend to buy the same products over and over again, without really see what else is out there. So I am looking for new ideas, and here some are :)
    Reply
  • Maria Kennedy December 10, 2014 · 8:22PM:
    Looks like my cart too...too funny, miss you!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 10, 2014 · 8:40PM:
      Miss you too!!
      Reply
  • Christina @ The Beautiful Balance
    December 10, 2014 · 9:46PM:
    I've seen Siggs at whole foods and I'll have to pick it up next time I'm there!
    Reply
  • Kirtley @ The Gist of Fit
    December 11, 2014 · 8:13AM:
    I'm the same w grocery shopping for basically the same stuff...When you stick to the perimeter of the store and eat plant based, that happens easily :)
    Reply
  • Miriam December 11, 2014 · 11:19AM:
    What an interesting post - thanks for sharing, Anne! I'm curious...how many bananas do you and Matt go through every week? I've been having your banana oatmeal every day for breakfast for about a month (I'm surprised I'm not tired of it yet, but it's so delicious and filling!), and I realized that I have to buy like 12+ bananas every week for me and my husband. It just feels like so many bananas!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 11, 2014 · 11:47AM:
      Omg yes, approximately a thousand bananas per week, lol. I have one every day!
      Reply
  • Kathleen December 13, 2014 · 4:21PM:
    Great post! ;) Can't wait to hear how you like the Engine 2 morning blend... I think it's a tasty and quick oatmeal alternate!
    Reply
  • meaghan karanasios December 15, 2014 · 11:52PM:
    I love the engine 2 diet products. They make really tasty vegetarian burgers. The Thai basil burger is my favorite! Also if you go to their website, the have great recipes. The sweet potato lasagna is to die for! I really recommend trying it some time!
    Reply
  • Maggie @ Veg Fiend
    December 21, 2014 · 3:37PM:
    Those chia pods look pretty cool! Cute packaging, too :) I always want to buy these little gems, but then I'm like oooh... I can probably make it at home (but then I never do, haha). I should just go for it in the moment.
    Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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