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Eating clean is not terribly difficult, but you may have noticed that a healthy diet may also be more costly compared to all the pre-packaged frozen food we are taught to ignore when trying to get healthier and more fit. In this article I will try to show you what you can do and what you can purchase to eat healthy, yet avoid emptying your wallet. Most of these items can be found in any grocery store and also in generic brands. Don’t be picky! I shop often at Wal-Mart myself.

Grocery Shopping

First and foremost, we are trying to cut out the processed foods (pre-packaged and frozen), the excessive fats and the high carbohydrate foods. The following items listed will be some of your main staples to add to your shopping cart.

The Shopping List

• Oatmeal (quick oats unflavored)
• Frozen chicken breast in a bag (you can buy these in bulk)
• Almonds (plain, unsalted)
• Eggs to boil (purchase several dozen at a time)
• Ground turkey (cheaper in bulk as well)
• Cottage cheese (or yogurt, low fat of course!)
• Frozen vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc.)
• Beef (if you can afford it)
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat pasta
• Whole grain breads (they do have protein bread now)
• Salad greens (lettuce, tomato, cucumber)
• Canned tuna (try to limit to 3 cans a week if possible)
• Fresh fruit that may be on sale
• Large can of protein powder
• A food scale until you get used to “eyeballing” your portions

Keeping It Simple

You now have the basics for “going lean” in your cart. I try to buy in bulk and will also buy some tilapia fish if I can get it cheap. I know you are now thinking, “what am I going to do with this stuff to save money?” Well, I cook for myself approximately 2 times per week. I cook a large bag of chicken (boiled for me, may be oven baked if you prefer it that way) or a large container of ground turkey. I do cook it on the stovetop, but it is so low in fats you have to keep stirring it so it does not stick. I also cook a large pot of brown rice or whole wheat pasta, and at the same time I boil about 12-18 eggs. Figuring how many meals you will need or how many you would like to freeze or keep in the fridge is also important.

My Preparation

Normally I have about 6 containers ready to fill. Taking the meat first, I layer in my food. On top of the 4-6 oz of meat I add approximately 1/2 cup of brown rice and top with a ladle full of vegetables. You can now freeze these or keep them in the fridge to have them available to take with you anywhere, such as work (hopefully most of you have microwaves available). You can mix and match any of the available meats, grains and vegetables to your liking. Normally I have about 6 containers ready to fill. Taking the meat first, I layer in my food. On top of the 4-6 oz of meat I add approximately 1/2 cup of brown rice and top with a ladle full of vegetables. You can now freeze these or keep them in the fridge to have them available to take with you anywhere, such as work (hopefully most of you have microwaves available). You can mix and match any of the available meats, grains and vegetables to your liking.

Summing It Up

If you do not have anything prepared to take with you another option is the tuna added to salad with a little bit of mayo to kill the dryness. You will be eating approximately 6 times a day, so be creative! Eating clean has worked for me and it will work for you.

Author: Fern Assard

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