Our Family of Five’s Grocery Haul + Meal plan (Week of March 4th, 2024)
It’s been a while since I’ve shared a grocery haul here on the blog and I’m excited to share with you what we picked up this week.
My goal in sharing these with you is to inspire you with new recipes and meal ideas, to share examples of brands and new products you may not be aware of, and break down some nutrition labels for you and talk a little more about what they mean. I also hope that it’s helpful to see some real-life examples of what we shop for and eat ourselves as a busy family of 5 that includes a hungry teenager and a more-often-than-not picky 8 year old.
This week’s trip comes mostly from Whole Foods, but most of these ingredients can be found anywhere, especially if you know what to look for on those labels.
We bought both chicken breasts and thighs this week (keep reading for our meal plan for the week!). Labels for meat, poultry, eggs, and fish can be some of the most confusing to decode. When shopping for chicken, you want to look for words like “no antibiotics/hormones”, “organic”, “vegetarian fed”, “free-range” and “organic/non-gmo fed” on your labels. The more of these labels you can find on your packaging, the better!
Plenty of fresh seasonal fruits and veggies for the week like kale, cabbage, lemons, apples, carrots and spinach. And, a few not-so-in season ones like the blackberries, strawberries and raspberries that my pickier youngest kiddo got so excited about, they were definitely worth buying.
If I know that berries will help him feel more excited to eat some Greek yogurt for breakfast or will make a perfect addition to his cheese stick snack, I’m all for it, even if they’re technically not in season quite yet. Plus, they’re going to make a tasty topping to the smoothie bowls and chia seed pudding we’ll be having for breakfasts this week!
Grass-fed whole milk and some organic & antibiotic free chicken sausages.
We use milk for various things in our house from coffee to pancakes, and even making homemade yogurt. Dairy is very bio-individual and can be a great added ingredient for those who can tolerate it. As far as labels go, “100% grass-fed” and “organic” are two of the biggest ones to keep an eye out for - even better if you can find a milk that is both!
100% grass-fed dairy means that the cow it comes from has only eaten grass its whole life, which is great news because this means the cow has eaten exactly what it’s naturally meant to eat and digest.
And healthy animals = healthy products!
This also means your milk will have a higher nutritional content, less saturated fat, better Omega 3:6 ratio, a higher level of vitamin A & E and a higher antioxidant level.
The healthy fats that are present in full-fat dairy (like whole milk) help to temper the glycemic load of milk’s naturally occurring lactose, and can also help the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and even some antioxidants.
Last but not least, a couple of delicious pantry staples.
We use Redmond Real Salt to season our food and I also use it to make the solé water we drink every morning. Our favorite salt!
I really love this maple vanilla granola. We have it around the house regularly and it’s been my favorite for the last several months. I am a little picky when it comes to finding a granola that I do like, and while this one may not necessarily be considered the healthiest granola brand out there, it’s definitely better than many others out there and it’s absolutely delicious! If I had to rate it ingredient-wise, I’d give it about an 8 out of 10, which is pretty darn good when it comes to packaged foods!
Most popular store-bought granola brands are made with inflammatory oils, tons of added sugars, and a long list of highly processed ingredients (we should be aiming to stick to around 10 or less ingredients whenever possible when it comes to pre-made foods & snacks). I like this one because it’s sweetened with honey and maple syrup and is made with organic oats. Sure, they’re not sprouted (as oats should be for easier digestion) and it’s made with cold-pressed sunflower oil (which I’d consider a “better” on a scale of “good, better, best”) but it’s leaps and bounds better than others out there, for sure.
And finally, there’s the cacao nibs to add on top of smoothie bowls for some crunch and a few added antioxidants & chocolatey flavor.
This Week’s Meals:
Barley & Lentil Soup
Edamame Peanut Crunch Salad
Chicken & Rice Soup
Nourish Bowls with black beans, brown rice, kale, brussels sprouts, chicken & pumpkin seeds
Chia Seed Pudding
Acai smoothie bowls (with ALL the toppings!)
Chicken sausages, eggs, spinach & sourdough bread with grassfed butter.
A smoothie bowl we made with this week’s ingredients.
I hope you found some new ideas for this week!
All information presented in this website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and it is not, nor is it intended to be, construed as medical advice or instruction whatsoever. No action should be taken solely based on the contents of this website. This information isn’t intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition or disease, nor is it medical advice. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change.
By using my website, programs, products and services, you are in agreement to all parts of the above Disclaimer.
