Paleo Food Shopping and Prep

Sprouts! It's my go-to farmers market grocery store because they carry so many different fresh produce items and organic items for those not on a tight budget. I'm a woman on a budget, but trust me I look forward to the day when I can buy all organic and for now I just scrub my produce really well!

You don't have a Sprouts close by? Whole Foods is another great produce store with organic options. If you don't have either of these in a near vicinity of your house don't worry! Check your local grocers and find out which store has the best produce available. You can ask them when they get their produce delivery so you can go shopping on that day to get the freshest produce if you so choose. You can even pick vegetables and fruit from the frozen section as long as there are no additives or preservatives.

But Michele, eating healthy is expensive!? This is a myth!!
Some budget shopping tips:

• Grab a circular when you enter the store so you know what is on sale. If you're like me and you want to know ahead of time then look online. Most stores show their circulars on their websites for your area when you enter in your zip code.
• Some stores will offer coupons on their produce. While you are checking the online circular, also be sure to check their online coupons.
• Ask for rain checks!! I cannot stress this enough. If you are wanting an item that is on special at a great price, but they are out of stock you can ask any employee for a rain check. This allows you (depending on your store's policy) a certain amount of time to redeem the rain check for this special price just like a coupon!
• Make a list to cut down on spontaneous purchases. Anytime I go in with a list of specifics, I come out with the items on that list and nothing more. If I don't go with a list, I promise you, I come out spending 1.5 times what I normally do list in-hand. 

 Preparing your food for the week is essential to success with healthy living. Since it takes a bit to cut/slice/dice your way to the amount you need then save the rest via tupperware or ziploc I like to prepare and portion mine when I get home from the store. This is a time saver!! It also ensures that it is convenient for you to grab a healthy snack and not stop by a fast food restaurant or gas station for chips on your errands or your way home. Some Prep Tips I've stumbled onto: Kiwi is easily sliced after peeling off the skin, I use a potato peeler. Cantaloupe/Honey Dew Melons can be de-seeded by using a spoon, no need for a fancy tool, just cut it in half and scoop it out.

This is what your fridge should look like if you are into prepping and organizing like me. We use rubbermaid easy find lids because they are air tight and the produce will last longer! I recently found out that if you keep your produce in the plastic bags from the grocery store the gases emitted from the produce when mixed with air will cause it to spoil faster. (Ignore the lettuce I have in the bags in this picture, I'm still trying to get into the habit of prepping and finding faster ways of doing it. After a couple hours I didn't feel like making salads for the week, but I did it promptly the next night after work.)




Alright, so we've covered the basics! I hope that everyone can take something away from this post. The best thing about the age of the internet is that we can exchange ideas so quickly now. There are so many people with different ideas and styles to be as efficient as possible that we can all learn from each other.

How did I choose Paleo?

Paleo Dos: lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. 

Paleo Don'ts: grains, legumes (beans), dairy products, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.

Paleo health benefits: it's great for those with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, it improves blood lipids, weight loss, and reduces pain from autoimmunity. (To research more about the Paleo Diet I suggest reading Robb Wolf's book The Paleo Solution. It's hilarious!)

Once I read what it includes and excludes my thought was "how hard can it be?" Answer: It's not!! The only part that is taking some time to get used to is the cooking! I haven't gotten all my recipes down to a science like my old grain/pasta filled recipes, but it's only been a week and starting to come along.

When I first started my health journey, Fall of 2011, I was a couple pounds shy of 200 at 5'11! That's the biggest I'd been in my whole life and I was appalled at how unhealthy I let myself become. With this revelation, I become determined to get back to a healthy weight and an overall more fit and energetic body.

Healthy eating for me was whole grains, low fat dairy, greek yogurt, lean meats, almonds, granola, vegetables, and fruits; sounds perfect right? I struggled for the first 6 months with my new lifestyle change, but when March 2012 came along I buckled down and lost 40 pounds by July. Since then I've been struggling with belly fat. Working out 5-7 days a week wasn't cutting through my belly fat and I was stumped.

Then I found out about Paleo eating from my mom and I was shocked to find out that grains, dairy, and legumes could be the reason I wasn't getting back to my formally fit and trim self. This journey hasn't been about the perfect body, but having a healthy and fit body I'm comfortable in. I don't know about you, but having to wear shirts a size too big to hide my belly roll or "mom" jeans that come up past my belly button to hold my stomach in is not my idea of a healthy body. Not only was I not comfortable in my own skin, but I was exhausted day in and day out from eating unhealthy!

Paleo eating makes sense for myself and my boyfriend James because of our health issues. Yes, being in our 20's we do have health issues from years of unhealthy eating! I won't bore you with the details, but I'm definitely on board with the thought process of Robb Wolf about what you eat being directly related to your health.