Grocery Shopping Tips

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Going grocery shopping? Just a reminder to prepare fruits and veggies ahead of time. Wash and cut them as soon as you get home so they’re handy for salads, wraps, egg whites, shakes, on-the-go snacks, etc. Don’t buy the processed chips, cereals, pretzels, granola bars and microwaveable meals or anything you KNOW throws you off.

Pre-portion anything that comes in a bag or container with multiple servings (like nuts!). Start gradually transitioning the whole family. Believe me, I know it’s tough with young picky eaters. But don’t give up and be creative to make it work! It makes SUCH a difference to start eating cleaner–not just for abs and building muscle but also to avoid deficiencies, illnesses, aid digestion, skin, hair, and ENERGY … Just to name a few 😉

Powdered Peanut Butter

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Have you tried this yet? I’ve been using it. “Just Great Stuff” (peanuts crushed into powder) in my Shakeology for the last several months. It’s organic and seems to have cleaner ingredients than PB2. You can get it at some grocery stores or BettyLousInc.com and it comes in Chocolate too. I think it’s pricier on Amazon.

It’s not for everyone. PB has nutritional value, no one would argue that. But if you have a PB ADDICTION (3 tablespoons is a TEASE to me yet it’s 300 calories and that’s almost = to 1 of my small meals by itself) then this might be worth trying. My hubby is 6’6″ and works out like CRAZY; he can have his PB daily (Jealous!).

But this is great on Ezekiel toast and also for your post-lifting protein shake where you need to avoid PB as the fat content slows the protein delivery to your muscles. It only has 45 calories and 2g sugar per serving. Has 4g less protein than natural PB, but I can get that in 1 extra bite of turkey or chicken 🙂

Favorite Shoes

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What are your favorite shoes for Turbo or Insanity type workouts? These are Nike FlyKnits- so far they’re GREAT for running but they wouldn’t be enough support for Turbo or ANY of my workouts involving jumps and lateral movements. Lately I’ve been liking Nike LunarGlide 4’s for Turbo.

BUT, everyone is so different based on foot shape and issues. And remember…ANY shoe that is too broken down could cause your joints discomfort and/or injury–especially if you’re jumping on a hard cement surface with no jump mat.

Lunchspiration!

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This is a plain no-special-recipe turkey burger on Sesame Ezekiel toast (because we haven’t grocery shopped yet and we’re out of Ezekiel buns and English Mufffins). With 100-cal “Wholly Guacamole” and salsa to spoon on top of each bite. DELISH. You obviously can just put avocado slices on your burger too but we were out of avocado 🙁 Always good to have “back-up” substitutes 😉

Banana Chocolate Chip VitaTop

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You like?!?! For an occasional sweet treat to substitute instead of something worse, try this quick fix which also has 23g of protein. It’s a banana chocolate chip VitaTop, found in your grocery freezer section, {{warmed up}} with 1cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt sweetened with 2 “Stevia in the Raw” packets.

Made this way, it’s just 200calories, 23g protein and 15g sugar; not too bad! I just wouldn’t recommend this as a daily “habit” but more as an occasional treat when you feel that urge to splurge;) I added a couple banana slices for presentation purposes 😉

Pack Your Food!

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How often do you dine out/pick up food each week? Honestly, I still feel bloated and probably up a couple pounds from Disney. And it’s not even like I went crazy splurging and I worked out daily! Ughhh. Just goes to show, avoid dining out and pack your food AS MUCH AS HUMANELY POSSIBLE for work and travel.

Even the seemingly healthy menu items often have hidden ingredients making them high sodium, high fat, high sugar, high calorie, etc.

Ok, so now on to the next trip, but this one is a 100% vacation so there will be some skinny margaritas involved fer shizzle!:) But lots of working out too!

Travel Blender

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What’s your favorite travel blender? These are Just a couple of my post workout meals this morning after an awesome workout this morning with ShaunT! I LOVE having this Oster blender when I travel. It holds at least 20oz which is why I like it better than some others (I like a BIG Shakeology) and it’s light! Target usually carries it.

Eat What Your Body Needs

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Eat what your body NEEDS vs what you simply want 80-90% of the time. Depending on your goals. What percent do you think you achieve now?

To some just starting out, 90% clean eating will feel like deprivation because you haven’t acquired the taste for cleaner, less processed foods yet, you haven’t broken some habits yet, and maybe you haven’t gotten the family on board yet (so there’s temptation EVERYWHERE). So take steps towards improving how OFTEN. So take steps towards improving how OFTEN you eat clean:

1.  Transition to healthier foods for the whole family but don’t push it on them. Constantly try new things and healthier substitutes they LIKE. Throw out/donate and stop buying trigger foods/snacks/drinks that benefit NO ONE in the family. Make change fun and about them! I personally don’t push us all eating the same things-We might all have chicken for dinner but with variations…on a salad, in a wrap, on quinoa. Find what will work for you and your family.

2.  Find a daily bad habit you’re unable to break and BREAK IT once and for all! YOU ARE IN CONTROL of your thoughts which are impacting your actions and habits. Only YOU can do this!

3.  When temptation hits (not hunger; just temptation), distract yourself and/or leave the scene asap!

4.  Stop beating yourself up when you cave! But ID the trigger and improve!

5.  Grocery shopping – make your list and stick to it! Avoid high sugar yogurts, bars and cereals. Avoid the inside isles of chips, pretzels, and snack foods you and the family don’t need. Check labels for sugar, sodium, saturated fat, ingredients and note serving sizes. Aim for whole foods.

6.  Prep your meals for the week, clean and cut your fruits and veggies so they’re handy and ready. Set yourself up with successful habits that lead to amazing results:)

Pre-work out food

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Doesn’t this look good? My pre-workout snack today: Ezekiel toast with a half banana sliced.. No butter of course. This was 120 calories and pretty low on the glycemic index (which means you will burn more fat in your workout).

Shakeoloy is also low on the glycemic index unless you’re adding high glycemic index ingredients. And this was one hour prior to my workout. If it were 2-3 hrs before, I’d double this serving. Everyone has different needs though based on your metabolism, your size, etc. so try some things to see how it affects your energy and that you feel the food has had time to digest. You want your body focused on the “work” not still trying to digest.

Stay on Track

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Am I the only one who likes eating pretty much the same things every day? I love it and don’t often get sick of things.  I just tweak things here and there. When I’m in a HUGE hurry as I’m needing to catch a flight to CA soon, I just cook 100% egg whites, organic carton (just a half of small carton, 5 servings & 25g protein) and add some reduced fat cheddar cheese or feta & top with chuncky salsa! No time for cutting up veggies I don’t eat perfectly & I eat a LOT of the same foods every single day.  So I’m not sure how many pics of egg whites & salads you want to see. But let me know if it still helps keep you on track 🙂