First of all, I know you've probably heard the term "shop the perimeter," which means that you should try to stick mostly to buying fresh produce, meats and dairy, and leave the packaged goods found in the middle aisles to a minimum. But that doesn't mean that there aren't good packaged goods available, or that everything on the perimeter is fair game.
Here are some staples that I buy:
Breads:
- Ezekiel brand breads – Most often found in the freezer section. This brand of bread has several types to choose from. My favorite is the cinnamon raisin! It's delicious toasted with some natural peanut butter! They have tortillas as well.
- Alvarado Street Bakery brand breads – They have wonderful breads, rolls, hamburger buns and hot dog buns and all of them are clean. I found them at Sprouts.
- Trader Joe’s brand whole grain breads - The two in particular that I know are clean are the Sprouted Multi-Grain bread and the California Protein bread.
- Ak Mak Whole Wheat Crackers are your best bet. Otherwise, check out the ingredients and go for those with fewer ingredients, no high fructose corn syrup, and high fiber content.
Dairy & Non-Dairy:
Dairy is constantly a source confusion for clean eaters. Some people say stay away completely, others say full fat is best, and some tell you to go fat free. I personally avoid all dairy milk and have switched completely to unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It only has 30 calories and tastes good.
- Cottage cheese (for those who eat it) – Full fat is best, but you can also use low fat. (NOT fat free. It has extra crap added to it to make up for the fat.)
- Yogurt – Always opt for Greek yogurt when you can, because it has a ton more protein. Plain yogurt (regular or Greek) is the only way to go. The sweetened yogurts have way too much sugar. You can always mix in your own fruits and dab of honey or maple syrup if you need it flavored. I like mine with some honey, cinnamon and berries.
- Cheese – Cheese is another thing that should only be eaten in it's full fat version. Low fat cheese has simply been processed more. But it is definitely high fat, so eat cheese only in moderation. Adding a little bit of a strong cheese, like feta or Parmesan, goes a long way. Real grated Parmesan cheese is acceptable in moderation. (Note: Kraft brand Parmesan cheese is not clean. If it can sit on a shelf or in a cupboard for weeks or months, it’s not clean. Buy the stuff in the refrigerator section.)
- Unsweetened almond milk - I like the vanilla variety
- Unsweetened rice milk (made from brown rice, not white)
- Unsweetened LIGHT coconut milk – This is NOT the stuff in the cartons. This is the stuff in the cans.
- Eggs - These are a staple, especially egg whites. While most of the nutrition is in the yolks, eat them in moderation. Egg whites you can eat as many of as you like.
- Chicken & Turkey – Boneless, skinless poultry breasts are your best friends if you eat meat. The breast is the way to go. If you can afford organic meats, it’s always a better way to go.
- Beef:
Beef can be part of a clean eating diet so long as you choose lean cuts. A butcher can help you select these. I personally hardly ever eat beef anymore, but find that sometimes the 96% lean ground beef tastes better than ground turkey in some recipes. - Pork – Pork tenderloins or chops can be a good lean protein.
- Fish – Fish is a great clean protein and should be eaten often. Just be careful of super high mercury containing fish, such as shark or swordfish.
This is where you really want to stock up. If you are confused about when to buy organic, a good general rule is to choose organic for produce that has thin skin such as peaches, nectarines and all berries, and purchase regular produce for produce that has thicker skin like bananas and oranges. Google “The Dirty Dozen” if you want to have a list of the worst pesticide laden produce.
So this is where “Shop The Perimeter” really comes in. The produce section is your friend. Load up when you can as you’ll want most of your eating plan to be generated from this section of the store. I always start my shopping trip here and my cart is half filled before I move on.
Fruits::
- Apples
- Oranges
- Grapefruits
- Banana
- Avocados
- Berries of all kinds
- Cherries
- Kiwi
- Star fruit
- Any other fresh fruit you enjoy
- Carrots
- Celery
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Bell Peppers in any color
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Squash of any variety
- Kale
- Chard
- Collard greens
- Okra
- Green beans
- Tomatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Onions of any variety
- Any other fresh veggie you enjoy
When you do venture into the aisles of the store, you should only be there for a few, food related items such as:
- Tea – particularly green tea, but black tea has a high level of antioxidants as well.
- Coffee – also high in antioxidants
- Oatmeal – Just the plain kind. Nothing flavored. Opt for steel cut oats or traditional rolled oats.
- Canned items with no added sugar – There is a lot of debate as to whether or not canned items, even without added sugar and salt, are clean due to the BPA’s in the cans. But if you do decide to purchase things like beans or tomato sauce in a can, read the ingredients! There should be no added sugar (sugar, evaporated cane juice, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc…) in the list. Also, watch the sodium content in canned goods. It can add up quick!
- Dry beans and legumes - like lentils, black beans, chickpeas, etc.
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat or whole grain (like brown rice) pasta
- Other whole grains such as barley
- Nuts – Again, read the ingredients here. Nuts should be the only ingredient on the package. Usually, this means you’ll be buying raw nuts.
- Seeds – Quinoa is a seed and it’s wonderful stuff. I use it a lot. Sun flower seeds, sesame seeds, chia or flaxseed are all good choices.
- Nut butters-- I am a huge lover of peanut butter and almond butter! Just be sure to buy the natural kind that has one ingredient- nuts! You can also make your own.
- Honey (raw is best. It has a cloudy appearance, not clear).
- Pure Maple Syrup – Not the bottle syrups you get in restaurants. The real stuff.
- Molasses – Look for the unsulfured variety.
- Stevia - while there is a lot of controversy over sugar substitutes, stevia comes from a plant and is considered safe to use. I like the liquid variety-- a little goes a long way! I add a drop or two to my plain yogurt, or coffee and tea.
- Spices – spices are a great way to flavor your food without adding calories or fat. My favorites are cinnamon, basil, oregano, garlic, cilantro and cumin.
- Hummus-- I love hummus and eat it with veggies all the time. You can easily make your own, or check ingredients for a clean variety. I love the sprouted hummus at my local Roots store, but you can't always find it other places.
- Lentils-- Trader Joe's has them already cooked, but they are easy to make and pack a lot of protein! Add them to salads or soups.
- Lara bars and Quest bars-- these are the only two "bars" I eat. Lara bars are all natural and can be found at most stores. They have only a handful of natural ingredients are are a great option for an on-the-go snack. Quest bars can only be found in GNC stores, at Roots, or we get them on Amazon. They are the healthiest protein bars around, and they taste amazing! We always have strawberry cheesecake and cookie dough varieties on hand.
So there you have it. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means, but it should give you a good start. I hope it helps! Please let me know if you have any questions!
No comments:
Post a Comment