10 food groups to buy on your next grocery shopping

Hey there!

Today I wanted to share a post regarding to what I buy normally from the store. I thought about the fact, that some people may not know, what’s considered “a healthy food” and what to buy, when you’ve decided to make some healthier choices in your everyday meal planning. I’m not saying there are bad and good foods, but there are definitely the choices, that you can make, while grocery shopping, which are better for you.

I’m writing down the basic products I always buy, with some comments why I buy them. Of course my list varies from time to time. For example, when I decide to bake something special. But overall, I always buy the same things. It also makes it sooo much easier, while being at the store – I’m saving so much time and I don’t have to think about my shopping ahead so much.

Vegetables for cooking

Vegetable choices depend on the season, but overall I always will get some zucchini, onions, garlic, carrots and paprikas. Also from time to time I crave for cauliflower or broccoli. If I’m lazier, I’ll get some frozen vegetable mixes (cauliflower, carrot, broccoli etc). You’ll always find vegetables in my fridge, on my counter and some frozen ones in my freezer. I also have some frozen peas, frozen dill and parsley. These vegetables are so important inside my dishes, whether I’m cooking a stew kind of dish, pasta, omelette, soup or whatever. You’ll always find some vegetables inside these dishes!

Why are veggies good?
– Lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants & fiber
– Keep you fuller for a longer time, becaause of the good carbs
– Reducing health risks
– There are so many veggies and they are suitable in almost every dish!

Vegetables for salads and sides

Cucumber and tomatoes are also always on my list. I also try to get some greens depending, what I crave for. The greens that I choose are spinach, rucola, ice salad, cabbage or chinese cabbage. I love to make easy and simple salads or just cut them up as a side for my dish. Or put them on my sandwich.

Did you know that tomatoes for example can improve your vision, guard your skin health & protect you against cancer?!

Dairy products

I’m a huge dairy product fan, because they contain loads of protein and they are so good with several dishes or as a snack. Also, they keep me full! While grocery shopping, I choose the products, which are with no added sugar. For example cottage cheese, unflavored quark cream, protein yogurts without sugar, kefir for making smoothies and 2,5% milk for making porridge. If I buy cheese, I choose the one, which has lower fat percentage or buy feta cheese.

Quark and cottage cheese are healthy thanks to their high ratios of protein, calcium, Vitamin A & B.

Eggs

There are always eggs in my fridge. I literally feel like I can’t live without them. I think I eat them basically every day. Whether I’m cooking an omelette, just a fried egg, boiled eggs or use them for baking. They are so good and fill me up for longer! I did also some research on how many eggs, it’s safe to eat per day, as I like them so much. So, I found that up to 3 whole eggs per day, is perfectly okay according to some studies and it can even be beneficial to your health.

Eggs are so fulfilling that they make you eat fewer calories and therefore helping you to a more sustainable weight.

Fruits

In the fruit aisle, I always spend a lot of time. My favorites are pears, bananas, apples and tangerines. I always get these, because they’re cheap and fulfilling. Sometimes I also get some melon, oranges, mangos, pomelo, grapefruit or something else, which is cheap at the moment.

I also love berries, but I don’t buy them from the store, because they can be quite expensive. I get my berries during summertime and freeze them, so I can have them anytime I want. From my freezer you can normally find blueberries, strawberries, cherries and gooseberries. These are so easy to add to your smoothies, porridge or desserts.

Berries are also considered among one of the healthiest foods in the world according to Healthline.

Meat and fish products

I don’t eat a lot of meat, but if I do, I always buy whether chicken or turkey. I prefer to buy lean chicken fillet, turkey minced meat or chicken minced meat. For omelettes and sandwiches I sometimes buy chicken or turkey ham or low-fat smoked pork loin ham. Maybe like once in a few months, I also get some bacon to eat with eggs. I don’t really like other meats, so I never buy them.

If I’m craving for fish, I get salmon fillet or tuna. I’m guilty of not eating enough of fish. Lately I’ve been trying to add more salmon to my menu, but it’s quite expensive, so I don’t really have it every week. I don’t really like other meats, so I never buy them.

Salmon helps to improve your brain health and reduces the stress levels and anxiety.

Other carb-loaded products

I always have some of these products at home. If I’m cooking a dish I always choose whether whole-grain pasta, whole-grain rice, rice noodles, buckwheat or (not so often) potatoes. For my porridge, I like to use whole grain oats or some other whole grain products. Also, I always get some bread, whether it’s rye bread or oat bread. If I don’t feel like eating bread, I substitute it with corn cakes.

It is good to eat whole-grain products especially in the morning, because they keep your blood sugar levels normal and keep you also fuller for a longer time.

Good fats

For snacks, I also have some nut mixes and seeds at home. I like to add seeds and nuts on my porridge or in a dessert (f.e. yogurt with fruits & nuts). A good source of fat are also avocados. These I also buy from time to time. Avocados are great on my sandwich or with my eggs. For cooking, I use olive oil and coconut oil.

I love to add a little bit of seeds to my morning porridge, because seeds are also full of good vitamins!

Other protein products I buy

I like to eat porridge and drink smoothies, while I also want to get more protein. I occasionally add some protein powders to these dishes. If I’m in a rush, I will have a protein bar for a meal replacement. Sometimes I also add some peanut butter to my porridge, if I happen to have it at home. I also keep some protein pancake mix at home, if I want some pancakes and I don’t have any bananas to make banana pancakes.

Peanut butter is really simple to make yourself! You can just get some peanuts and make the peanut butter in a food processor! Then you can also be sure, that it doesn’t contain any sugar.

Drinks

I left drinks to the last, because I rarely buy drinks. The drinks I have every day are water, coffee and tea. I drink tap water, so I don’t buy it. My coffee is black and tea without sugar. I don’t drink milk, but I only buy it for making porridge. Also, I don’t drink kefir, but I use it for making smoothies or desserts. A few times in a week I buy some non-calorie energy drink to get me energized. But of course, you don’t really need them. I just buy them sometimes to get a bit more energy and because I really like the taste.

Sugarfree energy drinks like NOCCO contain BCAAs (branched amino acids), which are beneficial, because they help with muscle growth, enhance exercise performance and make you more energized during and after exercising.

Overall my grocery shopping is always very similar – the cart is usually filled with a lot of vegetables and fruits, alongside with eggs, dairy products, some whole-grain products, meat or fish and some good fats. As you can see, I don’t buy any processed foods, because I like to cook myself. I don’t make the grocery shopping and the cooking really complicated, as long as it’s healthy.

I’d love to hear about your basic grocery shopping. What are your main food products you buy all the time? What’s the one thing you just always have to have in your fridge? Let me know in the comments below.

Sincerely,
Melissa 🖤

Some references:
The Wholesome Fork: http://www.thewholesomefork.com
Healthline: https://www.healthline.com
Health: https://www.health.com
Good to Know: https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk
Loodusvägi: https://loodusvagi.ee