Tag: Highly Nutritious Foods

Shopping for Nutritious Food

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March is National Nutrition Month, a yearly campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The month presents the perfect opportunity for learning to make better food choices and for developing healthy eating habits. The theme this year is Personalize Your Plate.

I created a month long series around National Nutrition Month. Last week I posted Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods. It shares the benefits of eating highly nutritious food. Find the list of foods there.

This week is the bridge between knowing what to eat and preparing delicious, highly nutritious meals. I went shopping for nutritious food, using last week’s list as my guide. Next week, you get a peek at those daily meals and snacks. And finally, during week four, I’ll share tips for keeping the nutrition habit going.

Shopping for Nutritious Food title meme

Shopping for Nutritious Food

Using last week’s list of foods as a guide, I created seven days worth of meals. I plotted out breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks for each day. From the meal plan, which I’ll share next week, I wrote out a shopping list.

Although I initially intended to set a budget for groceries, I decided against that idea. I still shopped carefully, choosing my local Aldi store because of low prices yet high standards for produce and products.

I also appreciate that Aldi is dedicated to sustainable business practices while supplying quality foods at affordable prices. They have in place a doable plan for reducing their environmental impact including reducing packaging and moving to 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.

Aldi is eliminating styrofoam from packaging by the end of this year. And they’ve never offered single use plastic shopping bags at checkout. Shoppers may purchase or bring from home reusable bags, purchase brown paper bags or use the assortment of cardboard boxes that the store makes available.

Shopping for Nutritious Food Aldi
Shopping for nutritious food at Aldi.

The Grocery List

Today I shopped from my list and only deviated from it when I found a cream colored ceramic tea cannister for sale in the store. I unsuccessfully looked and looked for one recently and felt such delight today in finding the last one available in the store.

So that my shopping receipt accurately reflected what I spent on nutritious food, I bought the tea cannister separately.

Based on last week’s nutritious foods list, and the meals I planned around that list, here’s exactly what I purchased today:

Veggies

  • yellow onions – one bag of six
  • kale, chopped – one bag
  • leafy lettuce – one bunch
  • grape tomatoes – one package
  • baby portabella mushrooms – one package
  • radishes – one package
  • yellow, red and orange sweet peppers – one package
  • green bell peppers – three
  • sweet potatoes – one 3 lb bag
  • potatoes – one 10 lb bag
  • asparagus – one bunch
  • Brussels sprouts (fresh) – one package
  • celery – two bunches
  • cauliflower – one head
Shopping for Nutritious Food potatoes
Shopping for nutritious food – potatoes and onions

Fruits

  • bananas – one bunch of six bananas
  • apples – one 3 lb bag
  • Cara Cara oranges – one package of six oranges
  • blueberries – one carton
  • strawberries – one carton
  • avocadoes – three
  • frozen mixed fruit – one medium package
  • frozen strawberries and bananas – one large package
Shopping for Nutritious Food peppers
Shopping for nutritious food – peppers

Beans and Grains

  • canned black beans – one
  • brown rice and quinoa pasta – one package

Miscellaneous

  • vegetable broth – one carton
  • tomato paste – one small can
  • diced tomatoes – one can

On Hand at Home

I already had these items at home:

  • broccoli
  • lemon
  • dry navy beans
  • dry red lentils and dry brown lentils
  • brown rice
  • gluten free oats
  • walnuts
  • almond milk
  • sugar free peanut butter
  • olive oil
  • salsa
  • non GMO tortilla chips
  • assortment of spices, herbs, sea salt, black pepper
  • assortment of teas
Shopping for Nutritious Food gluten free pasta
Shopping for nutritious food – gluten free pasta

Amount Spent

The total for my shopping trip today…$63.20, including tax. This nutritious food will sustain and nourish two people for at least a week. The meal planning is for seven days however some of the items will last longer than that.

For seven breakfasts, lunches and dinners, for two people, that’s about $1.50 per meal. It’s actually less than that when I factor in two snacks per day, for two people as well.

Shopping for Nutritious Food amount
Amount spent, shopping for nutritious food

Next Week – Nutritious Meals

I bought everything on my shopping list at Aldi this morning. Typically I shop at three different stores: Natural Grocers, Walmart Market and Aldi. Today other shopping excursions were not required.

Tomorrow is Day One of seven days of nutritious meals. Next Wednesday, which is Day Seven, I’ll share those daily meals in another blog post.

I’m excited to show the variety that is possible when eating highly nutritious food. Stay tuned!

Shopping for Nutritious Food week of food
What a week of nutritious food looks like.

Cooking Helps from Amazon:

 


 

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Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

March is National Nutrition Month, a yearly campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. What a great opportunity to make better food choices and to develop healthy eating habits. The theme this year is Personalize Your Plate.

The month presents an excellent opportunity as well to me as a health blogger. Because I post in Journey once a week, the month long event breaks down naturally into four connected posts.

This week I lead off with Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods. I provide a sampling of the best, most nutritious foods to add to your shopping list.

The rest of the month looks like this:

Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods title meme

Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods

This week’s goal focuses on encouraging better food choices. The typical American diet includes high levels of sugar, fats, meats, eggs, cheese and processed foods. Additionally, we often sacrifice nutrition for convenience by stopping for fast food on the way home after a busy day.

And yet, nutrition is extremely important. What we put into our bodies, fuels our bodies. Highly nutritious foods helps the body and all its systems function better and maintain health. Poor quality foods contribute to the breaking down of the body and its systems, creating diseases and disorders.

We’d never put poor quality gasoline into our vehicles and expect them to operate well. And yet daily we consume low quality foods without a thought for how our bodies are affected by our choices.

I divided nutritious foods into categories. And, I am plant based. In good conscious I can’t recommend animal products. If you don’t feel ready to eliminate meat from your diet, include chicken or wild caught salmon in several meals during the week. I highly encourage you to go meatless as often as possible. Eggs feed viruses while dairy products create inflammation in the body and increase mucous production.

Veggies

A diet rich in vegetables lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes, prevents some types of cancer, eases digestive problems and improves eye health. Vegetables provide fiber, valuable vitamins and minerals, colors, textures and flavors. They are low in calories, sodium and cholesterol. Their antioxidants combat inflammation and diseases.

Choose from the following vegetables:

  • dark, leafy greens such as spinach and kale
  • potatoes and sweet potatoes
  • radishes
  • mushrooms
  • cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage
  • celery
  • onions and garlic
  • peppers – green, red, yellow and orange
  • asparagus
  • cucumbers
  • radishes
Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods veggies
Eat a variety of nutritious foods – veggies

Fruits

In recent years, people feared eating much fruit, due to the misconception that the sugar in fruit is the same as refined sugar. It’s not. The natural fructose and glucose found in fruit are different from refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Fruit digests quickly. And like veggies, fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, fiber, antioxidants and flavonoids. A diet high in fruit reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammation and diabetes. Fruit fights disease. They make great snacks instead of cookies, chips or fast food.

Choose from the following fruits:

  • bananas
  • apples
  • melons
  • berries such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blackberries
  • cherries
  • avocadoes
  • kiwis
  • figs
  • dates
  • grapes
  • lemons and limes
  • oranges and tangerines
  • mangoes
  • papayas
  • pears
  • pomegranates
Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods fruit
Eat a variety of nutritious foods – fruits

Legumes

Legumes of all kinds provide necessary fiber, protein, B vitamins, folate, calcium and zinc. They are low fat.  Beans are similar to meat, nutrition wise, without the saturated fats.

Legumes reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. They also help lower blood pressure and triglycerides.

Choose from the following legumes:

  • chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans
  • lentils
  • peas
  • kidney beans
  • black beans
  • pinto beans
  • navy beans
  • black eyed peas
  • purple hull beans
Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods purple hull beans
Eat a variety of nutritious foods – purple hull beans

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds provide fiber, vitamins, protein, healthy fats including omega-3s, iron, zinc and niacin.

These small powerhouses are rich in antioxidants that prevent cell damage and reduce the risks for inflammation and disease. They help lower cholesterol and triglycerides and blood sugar levels.

Choose from these nuts and seeds:

  • almonds
  • walnuts
  • cashews
  • pumpkins seeds
  • chia seeds
Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods walnuts
Eat a variety of nutritious foods – walnuts

Grains

Grains are a bit trickier. Some people, like me, don’t tolerate wheat and other grains containing gluten. Include wheat, cautiously, if you don’t show symptoms of gluten intolerance.

Healthy grains provide important nutrients, fiber and B vitamins. They improve heart health, lower the risk of strokes, support healthy digestion, help maintain weight and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Pastas made from brown rice are a healthy alternative to wheat pastas.

Choose from the following grains:

  • oats
  • brown rice
  • quinoa
Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods oats
Eat a variety of nutritious foods – oats

Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices provide valuable nutrients, antioxidants and health benefits. Use aromatic herbs and spices for cooking. The rest make excellent health boosting teas. Herbs and spices lower the risk for heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes. They contain anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties.

Choose from the following herbs and spices:

  • aromatic herbs including thyme, rosemary, basil, bay leaf, sage and oregano
  • cilantro
  • turmeric
  • ginger
  • cat’s claw
  • nettle leaf
  • lemon balm
  • rose hips
Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods sage
Eat a variety of nutritious foods – sage

Create Your Shopping List

As you plan meals for next week, choose from the list of highly nutritious foods and include as many as possible. Concentrate on veggies and fruits first and then add in legumes, grains, herbs, nuts and seeds.

As I plan my meals for next week, I am doing the same, incorporating as many of the listed foods as possible.

Watch for next week’s post of the shopping trip to see which foods I purchase for the meals for week three.

Let’s eat healthier, together!

Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods meal prep
Kale, navy beans, brown rice and onion.

 

Find these herbs at Amazon:

 


 

 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

I am not a medical practitioner. I study health and wellness related topics and share experiences from my own personal healing journey.