shopping lists

one of my favorite things about grocery shopping now is the small quantities i buy of things that will last me for a week. while it does pose some challenges, as some things only come in certain quantities, in general it's quite thrilling to know that one piece of chicken or a quarter pound of shrimp will be enough for a couple meals (i generally eat about 4 ounces at a time, and try to make the majority of each meal protein).

i love when all my stuff is at the register and it all looks so wholesome and healthy together. while there are still a few products i want to replace with wholer, more natural options, in general i've been feeling pretty good about what i eat. 

like so many people, i have a limited budget and aim to grocery shop with that in mind. at the same time, i don't eat that much now, so i really believe that what i do eat should be very good quality. places like trader joe's and costco are crucial because they offer high quality at low prices and i coupon where i can, although often it's the junkiest things for which coupons are available, so we stick to using them mainly for household items, health and beauty products, cat food, coffee, etc. though i will say, frozen vegetables are a great coupon item, and they come in handy since often whole, fresh vegetables go bad because of how slowly i use them. plus i don't have to deal with produce pressure.

here are some of my staples...

trader joe's (it's own category since products are exclusive)

frozen turkey meatballs

reduced carb whole wheat tortillas

seaweed snacks

marinara sauce

fresh mozzarella sticks (string cheese)

canned chicken in broth (i use for chicken salad)

cocktail sauce (tj's brand is very low in sugar)

baby brie (cutest things ever!)

protein

oscar mayer deli fresh rotisserie chicken (this is one of those processed ones i want to phase out)

wholly guacamole 100 cal packs (these are good because avocados go bad too quickly and it's not overly seasoned so can be used in many capacities, not just tex mex)

cooked jumbo shrimp

grilled chicken

egg beaters whites

dairy

fage 2% greek yogurt 

feta cheese

laughing cow light garlic & herb 

jarlsberg lite  

skim plus milk (high in protein)

grocery

blue diamond salt and vinegar almonds (for some reason, these aren't a trigger like you'd think they would be)

blue diamond wasabi soy almonds (same here)

suzie's thin cakes in "lightly salted corn" and "corn, quinoa and sesame" (good vehicle for protein)

ak mak crackers (good vehicle for protein)

sabra hummus in classic and supremely spicy (costco sells 16 individual cups of the classic for $6.99!)

hidden valley light ranch dressing

fruits and vegetables

steamfresh vegetables 

lemons (for water)

seedless cucumbers (for hummus or guacamole)

kalamata olives

scallions

dill

do you have products to recommend? i'd love to hear about them!!