Grocery Shopping

So part of getting healthy is learning how to grocery shop right. And for me, that means having the right recipes. My husband and I are on a really strict grocery budget, so when I go shopping on the weekend it is just for meals for the week and a few snacks. Lately, given the lovely economy, I've noticed the pile in my cart getting smaller by the week while the total grocery bill gets higher. This week, as I am trying to get both myself and my husband healthier, I decided to try some new things for lunch, dinner, and snacks. When I made out my grocery list it was almost double the length it normally is and I was definitely panicked. At the grocery store though, I noticed that I was spending most of my time in the fresh foods, and far less time in the aisles where all the processed food lives.

Even so, as I wrapped up my shopping adventure and put all the food on the belt, I was definitely feeling nervous. My cart was much more full than usual, and filled up the entire lenght of the belt.

The verdict...$6 UNDER budget!! I was thrilled! Yay for fresh food! That's definitely motivation to keep shopping like this!

Moral of the story: stay away from the pre-packaged ickies, buy fresh, and save money!

The true verdict was to come when I got home however. Now, I love my husband, but he's not a big fan of much that isn't round with chocolate chips in it, or covered in cheese. While most of the stuff I bought was for meals, the hard part is figuring out how to make healthy snacking enjoyable too. We're still working on that, but I've found that if I make baggies of veggies, and even bag up the crackers in the house into smaller portions, snacking isn't so bad. And ice pops are awesome, at only 2 points each. Jim loves to eat little sandwiches for snacks, so some low-carb wraps at one point each, definitely make a difference when compared to two slices of bread at 2 points each. If anyone has any good healthy snack ideas and tips though, I'd really love them!

I've also discovered that healthy lunches come SO much easier if you just do a little prep at home over the weekend. Saturday I chopped up all the peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fruit that I bought, and this morning, I was able to whip up some wraps for us (4pts each) in the same amount of time it takes to throw together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (8pts each). When you put in a little extra effort, this eating right thing isn't so bad after all. :)