Ever get thoroughly confused when you’re grocery shopping as to what foods are actually healthy? There are LOTS of opinions out there on the matter. Which can make putting together a “simple” healthy / Clean-ish Foods grocery list seem like an impossible task.
What is considered healthy?
As a child of the 80’s I was raised in the era of glamorizing Fat Free, Low Fat, & Slim Fast as “healthy”. Then came the Low Carb, NO Sugar, Atkins craze. Then South beach, Weight Watchers, & Nutri- system, and let’s not even get into weight loss supplements… hcg shots, Hydroxycut (ephedra), you get the idea.
Sadly I tried most of these 🤦♀️, and while some were effective for short term weight loss, NONE were a HEALTHY long term solution for LIVING my life.
So when I first heard the term “Clean Eating” I chalked it up to being another “fad” thrown out to add to the noise & confusion.
Turns out it’s not a fad AT ALL! Clean Eating IS all about SIMPLIFYING & stripping down nutrition to the BASICS. It’s also the way of looking at food that has allowed me to no longer yo-yo or crash diet, and to truly live a healthy & balanced life free of “restriction”.
So…
What is Clean Eating?
Clean Eating is eating foods in their most WHOLE and NATURAL state, or at the very least MINIMALLY processed.
Avoiding C.R.A.P.
C arbonated Sugary Beverages
R efined Sugar
A rtificial Flavors & Colors
P ackaged & Processed foods
& Eating More F.O.O.D.
F resh Fruits & Veggies
O rganic Lean Proteins
O mega 3 Fatty Acids
D rink MORE Water
There are varying degrees of what some people constitute “clean eating”, and by no means do I eat clean 100% of the time.
I’ve found so much freedom in adapting our lifestyle as a family to the 80/20 Clean Foods method, or what I call “Clean-ish”.
As a rule of thumb for our family we get 80% of our groceries shopping the PERIMETER of the grocery store where all the fresh fruits, veggies, meats and whole foods are kept, and limit the 20% of what we buy to the center aisles where the processed foods are.
We also made the decision to limit Dairy, Gluten, Corn, & Soy (I can go into why in a different blog), but mainly because they are all linked to creating more inflammation in the body, & are known to be commonly the most genetically modified, & used as “fillers” & additives in TONS of processed foods.
Why we want to avoid Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is harmful because when the body is more inflamed or has repeated exposure to GMO foods, it is less able to fight off toxins and operate at its highest potential, which leads to DIS-EASE and has also been linked to cancer.
So you won’t find many processed snacks or foods in our home, and we have made it a family rule to eliminate eat fast food all together. Unless it’s Chick Filet 😉 (we don’t live near one, so when we are traveling and find one, it’s a novelty stop) .
Below I’ve provided a list of items we shop for and keep as staples in our home. I’ve also provided a blank printable form at the end of this blog so you can create your own.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND…
Our conversion to a “Clean Foods” household didn’t happen overnight. Each time we grocery shop we just looked for healthier alternatives. When we started this journey, we began by reading labels, & avoiding things that had added corn, soy, and sugar. Then we started to get Organic Meats, Dairy, Fruits, & Veg. Then we eliminated dairy. And finally, we started finding “better bads”, swapping out common snacks for healthier alternatives. It’s been a PROCESS.
We started meal prepping on the weekends or figuring out what meals we could make on the fly instead of buying frozen entrees. We stopped eating Fast Food and learned to keep healthier snacks on had, or found places to eat out that would not work against us and our goals to make better choices.
Now, we buy organic when and where possible, often in bulk (as you’ll see on my list below). I use Costco for things like Organic Meats, Eggs, and Veggies, because it’s so much more cost effective and it doesn’t go bad.
I share more of my personal Meal Prep Hacks and a list of how I do it HERE
Below is a summary of my personal grocery list, and if you’re a member of my Virtual Wellness Studio I go into much more detail about how I prepare meals, recipes, and methods for portion control. If you want more info on how you can join my Virtual Wellness Studio or Learn more about my Mindful Nourishment Program CLICK HERE
PRINTABLE GROCERY LIST:
