Do you ever get lost in the sauce when you’re trying to plan a menu or shop for your family?
On the one hand, you don’t want to cause a ruckus with taking away your family’s favorite junk food, and on the other, you crave to feed them real, nourishing, whole foods that they actually LOVE!
Today, I’m going to share a list of my essentials with you that I always have on hand to feed my family, the best I know how. I tend to shop the perimeter, and only go on the “inside” for very few things, as most items that are within the aisles are junk foods or processed foods, that we’re removing from our diets.
I’m not saying they don’t get junk food now and again, because if I didn’t buy it, all I would hear is fussing, and I’m trying to slowly change them over to a better way of eating, not cause withdrawals where they feel deprived. Make sense?
Let’s jump in and start with the freezer.
These are the things I always seem to buy, no matter what, and I create new recipes each week from the list:
- Frozen fruit: strawberries and blueberries are a must! Smoothies, or even snacking on them frozen, can be a quick healthy snack to enjoy.
- Chicken breasts
- Chicken tenderloins
- Thinly sliced steaks
- Beef tips
- Turkey breast
- Shrimp
- Salmon
- Flounder
- Pork tenderloin, maybe once a month (this actually makes my stomach feel like it’s burning from the inside out, so I try to stay away from pork)
- Asparagus
- Brussels sprouts
- Mixed veggies
- Other frozen veggies we want for the week
Moving on to the fridge, and this one rotates pretty often, so I’m not always buying the same thing.
- Fat-free milk (for my cow-milk drinkers, although I don’t drink milk anymore)
- Cottage cheese
- Greek Yogurt
- Grass-fed butter
- Eggs
- Sliced cheese
- Nut butter (our favorite is almond butter!)
- Pickles
- Hummus
- Maple syrup
- All-fruit spread
- Applesauce, unsweetened
- Strawberries
- Kiwi
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Apples
- Oranges
- Kale
- Spinach
- Cabbage
- Other veggies or fruits we want for the week
Now let’s jump into the pantry.
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Raisins
- Medjool dates
- Almond flour
- Cacao powder
- Whole wheat flour
- Pure cane sugar (yep, unfortunately my family isn’t fully over the sugar…we’re slowly working our way towards breaking free of sugar, but for now, I do buy Morena pure cane sugar, which is non-GMO)
- Local honey
- Vanilla extract
- Spices galore
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
- Raw oats, preferred brand is Bob’s Red Mill
- Mom’s Best cereal (I seriously love their brand!)
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Garlic bulbs
- Bananas
- Dried beans (sometimes canned)
- Tomato sauce, preferably organic
- Whole-wheat pastas
- Brown rice
- Canned tuna, in water
So there’s a list to help you get started in learning how to shop for meals for your family.
When it comes to making the menu, having healthy snacks on hand, and providing some really great, nourishing foods for the ones you love most, it doesn’t have to be hard, just KISS (keep it simple sweetie!). Soon, I’ll be sharing some recipes that we love on the blog, so come back and check it out!
I hope this helps you get started in your family’s healthy journey. Don’t beat yourself up if you still buy some donuts or chips once in a while. Eventually, those will fade out, and your family will no longer want them. But for now, try adding in a couple healthy additions each week. You don’t need to go overboard and throw everything bad out of the house (although I’ve totally done that and made everyone in my house angry!!) LOL but if you start adding more good foods in, eventually, the bad stuff just gets crowded out.
One more thing, as you’re cooking, think on loving thoughts. This may sound totally weird to you, but I really do believe that when we cook with love, the food not only tastes better, but the enjoyment of the meal seems to flow better. Try it out and tell me if you saw a difference at your family’s dinner table!
Did you like this starter list? What would you add to the list above? I’d love to hear from you below!
