Getting Started

I thought I would post what I buy for 1-2 weeks. The bulk of my grocery shopping consists of fresh vegetables and fruit. They say (who's they?) to stay on the outside of the grocery store. The shelves are what hold all the processed foods. Now, there are a few shelf items I consistently buy. So, here is a rundown of my cupboard and fridge must haves. The items marked with a * are items that should be eaten sparingly. They are treats!

• Bananas
• Oranges
• Apples
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Asparagus
• Brussel Sprouts
• Avacados *
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• frozen grapes
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Whole Grain Spaghetti
• Organic Spaghetti Sauce (I have found that the organic has far less sugar)
• Organic Salsa (again, less sugar)
• Cereal (We always buy 3 kinds from Aldi. Simply Nature shredded wheat, Simply Nature toasted oats and Simply Nature honey toasted oats*)
• honey*
• agave nectar*
• molasses*
• whole wheat pastry flour
• whole wheat flour
• minced garlic
• canned beans
• 100 % maple syrup *
• flax seeds (if you buy them already ground up, they keep better in your freezer) 
• whole grain rice
• corn tortillas
• fruit leather*
• fruit cups (make sure the fruit is in 100% juice)*
• soy milk
• unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• chocolate soy milk *
• organic sugar *
• cocoa
• unsweetened baking chocolate *
• unsweetened applesauce
• yeast
• salt
• cans of olives
• cans of corn
• cans of green beans
• cans of a variety of beans (pinto, cannellini, kidney, garbanzo, etc)
• cans of black beans
• cans of diced tomatoes
• variety of nuts (Always almonds, cashews and pistachios) *
• peanut butter (completely natural- only peanuts)

This list may seem daunting at first. I have heard (and said) many a time... "eating healthy costs so much more money". Truth is, initially it will. I had to clean out and replace items in my pantry and fridge. But, now that I have my baking ingredients, canned goods and cereals, I find that I spend a lot less money than I did 20 days ago. I no longer stop at the drive through or get my giant soda pops. I spend far less at restaurants, because whole foods cost way less when out to eat. I do cook a lot more than I used to. I am making bread a few times a week and cooking lots of vegetables and making new dishes. Also, cooking with beans and rice and pasta is a whole let less expensive than cooking with meats and cheeses.


Side note: It is fun to see my daughter snacking on bananas and frozen grapes instead of processed crackers and other snacks. When whole foods are available, that's what we grab!

What's in your cupboards???