It’s that day again, grocery shopping day. Typically when we go to the grocery store we go without much intention besides the idea that we must restock. So we buy all of the same staples for our breakfasts and lunches and when it comes to dinner we buy things that we may or may not make or grab a few extras and random items thinking theres probably something we can make with them. Grocery shopping is stressful and annoying and if you go once a week like most americans, you throw away a lot of food before you go again. This cheat sheet is designed for the individual who is looking to become more plant based, is very busy and works a full time job. First we have to talk about protein and why it should be your top priority in the grocery store.
If you’ve been toying with the idea of a plant based lifestyle, chances are you’ve asked a friend who is vegan and vegetarian where they get their protein from. Be careful who you ask here. Some people just need more protein than others and for some people having a low amount of protein in their diet is okay. For someone who is particularly active, you will just need more than a more sedentary person.
Sources of Protein:
TOFU- This is really one of the best sources and its the most versatile with so many recipes. The profile is great as it’s low in carbs and fat.
TEMPEH: Tempeh is very quick and easy to prep and has more of a macro profile that is higher in fat and carbs. It is fermented soy which has a ton of gut health benefits
TVP: This is something that is still new to me but form what I’ve read it is the best source or plant based protein you can get.
There are a lot of additional types of protein you can find when you’re plant based, like lentils, beans and even quinoa but they are all going to be much higher on the carb front than they are for protein. They are still a fantastic source of protein but you aren’t going to want to add additional carbohydrates to your plate when eating these.
Many green vegetables also carry a higher protein content which is amazing and is a great way to get your veggies in. Vegetables like broccoli, edamame, green peas, asparagus, brussels sprouts, artichokes, cauliflower and okra are all fantastic things to add to your cart if you’re hoping to add some veggies and some additional protein into your diet.
You’ve read it before and I’m here to tell you again, stick to the outside aisles of the grocery store. The stuff in the middle is all packaged, processed and full of sugar. Here are the aisles you may dive into when you’re at the store and you’ve stayed mostly on the outer aisles… coffee, protein or health food bars, bagels, nuts, canned veggies, rice, or rice noodles. Have kids? Yeah you’re probably going to dive into those center aisles a little more often you just have to mentally make a note to yourself that the food you’re buying there is for your children and not for you.
To keep things easy, I highly recommend eating the same breakfast everyday or maybe a variety of 2 different breakfasts. If you’re trying to prep something different everyday you’re likely to be more wasteful and lets face it, who has time for that? This is what I eat every morning for breakfast:
1/2 cup of Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled oats
1 scoop of Get Ampd Pro Cacao Protein powder
10 raw almonds
Same thing everyday, I know exactly how long it takes to prepare it and its also easy to travel with on the go.
Lunches should be in the same category, you have your go to meals that you rotate throughout the week for lunches. A lot of the same types of things over and over. This keeps it easy and when you’re ready to mix it up, you can add one new recipe into your rotation.
Dinner is obviously the most difficult meal to plan, especially if you’re cooking for a family. This is where I highly recommend doing a food delivery service. I use the plant based meal service Purple Carrot. My box of food comes every Wednesday and comes with 3 plant based dinner recipes that I personally cook. It keeps it interesting, we are always eating something new and it makes it easy to eat a lot of the same things for breakfast and lunch because I know dinner will be more special. It takes ZERO thought to put it together because everything is dropped off right at my front door.
Another plus to using this service is that it has dramatically improved how much waste I create. I am no longer buying produce with good intention of cooking it but getting lazy and ordering out. It has simplified the rest of my grocery shopping to where I am now always buying the same line of of items as I’m only shopping for breakfasts and lunches.
Ordering your groceries online. This has also been a life and a time saver for me. Many stores offer grocery ordering and delivering services. Someone else does your shopping and there is generally a very minimal charge. This way you can be sure you get everything on your list and won’t have to take multiple trips to the store. IN FACT, you will be making zero trips to the store. Many of the ordering apps also save your grocery list so the next time you log in you can quite literally just order the exact same list as the time before meaning it only takes a few clicks to get your groceries.
This is my grocery cheat sheet, if you were expecting to find a list of items here I’m sorry. I think it’s important to recognize that the items we are buying aren’t always the problem, sometimes its the way we are buying them that’s the problem. I wanted to give you tips to make your life easier when it comes to shopping. I hope this helps!
Intentionally Winging It,
Tif