Quick guide to grocery shopping

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One of the biggest complaints people have about cooking is shopping for ingredients and having staple ingredients on-hand at any given time.
 
Regardless of what I plan to cook, I generally keep the same group of ingredients in my pantry at all times.  Those ingredients include:

1.    Salt
2.    Pepper
3.    Onions
4.    Garlic
5.    Chicken stock
6.    Olive oil
7.    Lemon juice
8.    Brown rice
9.    Brown rice pasta (I like brown rice pasta because its gluten-free)
10.    Canned crushed tomatoes
11.    Canned diced tomatoes
12.    Broccoli (frozen or fresh)
13.    Green beans (onions or garlic)
14.    Protein (chicken and fish)
15.    Oatmeal
16.    Eggs
17.    Whole grain bread (I prefer Ezekial Bread which is made from plant sprouts)
18.    Breakfast meat (I prefer uncured bacon because it has less sodium than turkey bacon)

With the above ingredients, I always have options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  They also are easily combined to make a variety of meals.

Finally, when you go to the grocery store, you should enter with a plan on how to navigate the terrain.  The one thing you must always do before going to the store is eat.  If you go to the grocery store hungry, you will not stay focused and will inevitably make bad choices.

Here are the sections of the grocery store you should visit and the order which you should visit:

1.    Produce section (choose veggies and fruits)
2.    Meat department (lean cuts chicken, beef and fish)
3.    Dairy (eggs, low fat milk and cheese)
4.    Frozen isle (for veggies you don’t want to buy fresh)
5.    Canned veggies (for tomatoes -- crushed tomatoes instead of buying premade sauce)

That leaves the middle of the store to fill-in the gaps in your cart.  You should purchase whole grains (bread, pasta, and plain popcorn), beans and other healthy supplements. I like humus, salsa and almonds for snacking.

I am a certified Crossfit Kettlebell instructor, triathlete and former trained dancer. I am not a nutritionist or a doctor. Information I share is based on my own research and experience. Before beginning a diet or fitness routine you should consult your physician or a health professional. For question and comments about this blog, contact me at akiia.james@abc11mail.com.