I remember when I was in college, what I was going to eat really wasn’t an issue. Cheese quesadilla? Sure. Chicken and pasta? Why not. Midnight pizza run after a night out? I was right there with my girlfriends. When I graduated, some things changed, but it wasn’t until TJ and I got married, and I started a job that was 45 minutes away from home, that I really began to assemble something that looked like a grocery list and planned out dinners for the week. I would typically head to the grocery store Sunday afternoon, buy all the food we needed with a meal plan for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, and be set for the week….

Yet, all that sort of fell apart when I became pregnant. What sounded good on Sunday was more than 90% not going to sound appealing on Wednesday. Knowing that it was going to take more effort, I decided that I would drop the meal planning and just listen to my body’s cravings for the day. As I started to do this, a few things happened. I felt more satisfied with what I was eating, and I stopped wasting as much food…. we would often purchase too much food, thinking that’s what we wanted, and when plans changed (i.e. a work lunch we didn’t think we had, a change in evening plans, etc…), the food went to waste. Something I wasn’t happy about. At all.

So, when little miss arrived, I went back and forth with what to do. Go back to the old method, or continue this new, maybe more mindful way? Well, the later won… and I’ve been doing it for the past 7 months. I know that meal planning works for so many different people. The act of planning out each snack, lunch, and dinner for all days of the week can keep people on a healthy regime. Yet, for me personally, I find that I provide my body with a variety of nutrients when I don’t plan each meal out at the beginning of the week (that’s for me personally). All that being said, what I do on a weekly basis, is purchase a bunch of fruit, vegetables, organic and grass-fed meats, and healthy snacks…. then decide each day what we will have. I’ve found that by the end of the week, we’ve gone through all of the food, and I’ve provided my body with all different types of meals… all filling, nutritious, and what my body was craving (I usually purchase for Monday-Friday… we eat out frequently on the weekends and decide on dinner the day of).

So, today, I decided I would share what I purchase in a week. Once I have all of these items, I am able to come up with a tasty meal based on what TJ and I are wanting… and more often than not there is the mid-day text exchange to decide what sounds good for dinner… anyone else?

Shopping List For A Week Of Groceries 

Fruits:

Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Apples
Bananas
Pears
Lately, we’ve been buying peaches, watermelons, + figs since they are currently in season
Avocado
Tomatoes 

Vegetables:

Brussel Sprouts (Trader Joes + Whole Foods have options that have already been halved which helps to cut down on preparation time)
Spinach (Salads, Smoothies)
Kale (Salads, Smoothies)
Asparagus
Green Beans
Zucchini, Yellow Squash (I love to spiralize these and make noodle based dishes. I toss in a little olive oil, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder… and they’re pretty tasty)
Bell Peppers (Such a great snack option, also love them for fajitas)
Carrots (I’ve been loving the tri-colored kind… excellent roasted. I also love baby carrots for snacking)
Riced Cauliflower (I love the Trader Joes’ packets… super simple quick meal. I created a “fried rice” and  a Spanish rice mixture. Last night I even had it with a ton of good spices and herbs.)
Sweet Potatoes (I get the true white sweet potatoes, as they don’t get as mushy as yams… I love them whole, or roasted… sometimes I put them in a kale salad, and often times with dinner instead of rice.)
Spaghetti Squash 

Protein:

Organic Chicken
Organic Turkey Slices
Black Beans (and Amy’s Vegetarian Refried Beans… so.good.)
Salmon
Shrimp (love shrimp tacos)
Edamame
Typically have grass fed red meat on the weekends

Grains and Carbs: (I buy these if I am out of them, so not every week)

Rolled Oats (I love Trader Joes’)
Muesli (Trader Joes has a great option)
Sourdough or Whole Wheat Bread (Trader Joes’ Sourdough)

Snacks + Drinks:

Peanut Butter Perfect Bar
Square Bars
Kite Hill Dairy Free Yogurt
Purely Elizabeth Granola
Kombucha
Boom Chicka Popcorn
Banana Snacks
Hummus (Trader Joes’ Mediterranean option, or Hope Hummus has tons of great flavors)
Veggie Burger

* Spices, condiments, + cooking oils are purchased on an as needed basis (as in, “Oh Crap,” we ran out of them!).

____________

{Outfit Details || Leggings (possibly one of my favorite pairs…incredibly soft!) | Sports Bra | Sweater | Shoes | Gym Bag | Sunglasses}