Grocery Basics For Healthy Eating
Healthy eating is one of the main parts of being overall healthy, so it’s very important to pay attention to it. It’s not only one of the crucial parts of getting in shape, but also one of the crucial parts of leading a healthy life.
Wanting to eat healthy and actually eating healthy are two different things.
Preparing healthy meals at home is easier when you have the basics within reach. However, shopping for healthy foods can be an overwhelming experience with all the different choices available, but don’t worry - you don’t need to buy all the fancy items found in the grocery aisles.
Having a grocery list can help you focus on what to get and stick to your healthy meal plans.
So in this post, I’m sharing a roundup of grocery basics that you can stock up on so you can make healthy and delicious meals all the time.
Grocery Basics For Healthy Eating
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are arguably the most important category on your grocery shopping list. They have tons of healthy benefits, and they need to be included in your meal plan.
When talking about healthy foods, fruits & veggies take the number 1 spot, so they need to be 1st on this list, too.
They don’t only have tons of healthy benefits, but they work with almost all diets (not all of them of course, for example, some fruits and vegetables aren’t suitable for the keto diet, but for most of them, they work amazingly) - plant-based diet, whole30 diet, gluten-free diet, dairy-free diet, etc.
Here is a list of some of my favorite fruits and veggies to get when going to the grocery store.
Fruits
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Berries
Pineapple
Watermelon
Kiwi
Mango
Avocado (a great source of unsaturated fats, since saturated fats are something you want to stay away from)
Cantaloupe
etc.
Vegetables
Tomatoes (even though it’s technically a fruit, we’ll put it on this list)
Cucumber
Bell peppers
Onion
Zucchini
Eggplant
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Potatoes
Asparagus
Sweet potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Lemon
Bok choy
Cabbage
Lettuce
Spinach
Kale
Artichokes
Carrots
Radishes
Garlic
etc.
Here’s a great recipe for incorporating more veggies into a dish.
Asian Inspired Green Veggie Stir Fry
434 calories
Ingredients:
½ cup Broccoli - 15.5 calories
½ cup Green beans - 19.5 calories
½ Zucchini, medium - 16.5 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
2 Tbsp Soy sauce (Tbsp) - 0 calories
¼ cup Peanuts (cups) - 192 calories
1 tsp Red pepper flakes, dash - 0 calories
Instructions:
Cube chicken. Chop veggies into small pieces. Put peanuts in a plastic bag, and crush with a hard object, e.g. an ice cream scoop.
Spray a pan with an oil spray.
Cook chicken for ~5 minutes, stirring frequently, on medium heat.
Add in the green beans, broccoli, and zucchini for another ~5 minutes.
Add in soy sauce and red pepper flakes.
Top with peanuts at the very end (they taste better crispy, not cooked!).
No chicken? Use fish, tofu, or beans.
Meat, Fish, & Seafood
Chicken
Beef
Turkey
Pork
Salmon
Tuna
Shrimp
Cod
Sardines
Crab
Eggs
etc.
Dairy Products
Milk
Yogurt
Greek yogurt
Cheese (all kinds of cheeses are fine when eaten in moderation, if you don’t have health issues when eating them, of course)
etc.
Plant-Based
This category is for plant-based replacements and foods.
Plant-based milk,
Plant-based yogurt,
Tofu,
tempeh,
etc.
For some inspiration, here is one of my favorite tofu recipes.
Tofu and Green Beans Stir Fry
345 calories
Ingredients:
5 oz Tofu, firm - 130 calories
2 cups Green beans - 78 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 119 calories
3 tsp Sesame seeds (tsp) - 18 calories
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced (Tbsp) - 0 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
Instructions:
Cut tofu into small pieces.
Add oil and garlic to pan.
Stir-fry tofu on lowest heat for ~20 minutes, stirring occasionally until all surfaces are browned.
Add in green beans, cook for ~5 minutes.
Top with rest of ingredients.
Healthy Fats
These healthy fats can be used for cooking, as well as for salad dressings or something similar (for example, extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings)
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Coconut oil
etc.
Grains
When it comes to grains, it’s always better to get whole grains.
Whole grain bread
Whole-grain pasta
White rice
Brown rice
Quinoa
Bulgur
Couscous
Oats
etc.
Here’s an amazing quinoa recipe, to inspire you to cook with healthy grains.
Quinoa Greek Style Salsad
444 calories
Ingredients:
1 Cucumber, small - 32 calories
1 cup Tomatoes, grape - 32 calories
½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked - 134 calories
½ cup Quinoa, cooked - 111 calories
¼ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta - 99.75 calories
2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) - 35 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
1 Basil, dash - 0 calories
1 Oregano, dash - 0 calories
Instructions:
Cook quinoa as instructed on package.
Slice cucumber and tomatoes.
Mix all ingredients.
No dairy? Use an oil-based vinaigrette.
Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings.
Beans & Lentils
Beans & lentils can be dried or canned, depending on the dish and what you prefer.
Black peans
White beans
Kidney beans
Chickpeas
Red lentils
Green lentils
Green beans
etc.
If you need some bean recipes, here’s my favorite one.
Mixed Beans & Avocado Bowl
476 calories
Ingredients:
½ Avocado, small - 116.5 calories
½ cup Rice, brown, cooked - 120 calories
⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta - 133 calories
1 Bell pepper, green - 27 calories
⅛ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked - 33.5 calories
⅛ cup Beans & legumes, black beans, cooked - 28.5 calories
1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) - 17.5 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
1 Basil, dash - 0 calories
1 Oregano, dash - 0 calories
Instructions:
Cook rice as instructed on package.
Rinse & drain garbanzo beans & black beans.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Top with vinaigrette & seasonings.
Diet changes: No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or extra avocado. Not feta specifically? Use any other kind of cheese.
Notes: 1/8 cup beans = 2 Tbsp beans. You can also use 1/4 cup of one type of beans (instead of 1/8 cup of 2 different types) if you prefer!
Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings.
Sauces, Spreads, and Condiments
For sauces like tomato sauce and ketchup, make sure to check the label and get the ones that don’t have any added sugar, as that is very important for healthy eating. You need to make sure the ingredients are clean.
Tomato sauce
Ketchup
Mustard
Hummus
Peanut butter
Soy sauce
Salad dressing (it’s very easy to make your own, and that’s always a healthier option, but if you find some with really good ingredients, those can be convenient)
etc.
Herbs and Spices
When it comes to herbs, get both the fresh and dried ones, so you have more options to choose from when cooking, as some dishes work better with fresh herbs, and some work better with dried herbs.
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme
Basil
Parsley
Chives
Dill
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Turmeric
Cayenne pepper
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Red pepper flakes
etc.
Nuts and Seeds
Sesame seeds
Cashews
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Pine nuts
Chia seeds
Peanuts
Pecans
Brazil nuts
etc.
Snacks
Granola bars (only those with clean ingredients)
Dried fruit