Shop: Long Overdue Groceries

Instead of splitting up my shop between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods like I usually do, I spent all my time (and money) at Whole Paycheck. I love that place, but I definitely recommend buying staples at TJ’s. It saves a ton! Today’s shop included:

Produce
kale
sweet potatoes
apples
bananas
red & yellow pepper
baby carrots
avocados
nectarines
grape tomatoes
watermelon
spinach

Frozen
okra
haricot verts
spinach (back up!)
edamame
various Amy’s & Kashi entrees
Dr. Praeger’s spinach pancakes
Dr. Praeger’s california veggie burgers
Quorn cutlets (what can I say? They grew on me)
Coconut Bliss coconut milk coconut ice cream

Other
goat cheese
Newman’s Own lite balsamic vinaigrette
hemp protein powder
Amazing Meal powder
Zico coconut water
LesserEvil Krinkle Sticks (these got opened in the car on the way home)
whole wheat pita pockets
medjool dates
rolled oats

Total: $133 (Whole Paycheck indeed!)
Pricey, yes, but it should last me at LEAST two weeks. Plus, I consider investing in good food like investing in a healthy and fit body, so I don’t mind. There are much worse things I could be spending money on.

Move over, Amy’s. I have a new love…

Moo Moo’s!

I recently sampled their Sweet ‘N Spicy Curry Tofu — marinated organic tofu cubes tossed in Moo’s Curry Sauce with fresh purple cabbage, plump raisins, chunks of pineapple, toasted sesame seeds, and cilantro. It… was great! Very fresh-tasting and the perfect amount of spice. It was a tad sweet for my taste, but definitely still delish.

I love that all the ingredients in Moo Moo’s food are recognizable and I also love that the company is based out of a town not too far from me. Their products are around the same price as Amy’s, so I think I’ll be switching to Moo Moo’s for my go-to frozen meals. I can’t wait to try all their products (and I’ll let you know how they taste).

Note: Moo Moo’s looks like it’s currently only available in the Midwest and on the East Coast… but they’re expanding, so the rest of you should look for their products at your natural food grocery stores soon.

My number one grocery-related trip: PREPARE FOODS AS SOON AS YOU BRING THEM HOME FROM THE STORE (as long as you don’t need them for specific meals).

I know it’s not always the first thing you want to do as soon as you come home from a two-stop shop (trust), but your future self will thank you.

I prepared oven-baked rutabega fries (I used olive oil instead of butter and slightly different seasoning) and kale chips for snacking and lunches during the week. I also pre-chopped all my salad veggies.

After not going for a few weeks, I finally went grocery shopping! Why this pic is half blurry, I’ll never know…

Remember my rules for shopping:

• Go in with a (detailed) plan.
• Your produce and staples don’t have to come from the same store (I buy all my produce from Whole Foods and a lot of my other staples from Trader Joe’s).
• Stick to the perimeter of the store (where there’s less processed food).

Trader Joe’s
real fruit leather
shelled edamame
grated parmesan
extra firm tofu
Greek yogurt
garbanzo beans
almond milk

Whole Foods
avocado
banana
mini seedless watermelon
Ezekial sprouted wheat buns
apples
red bell pepper
grape tomatoes
cucumber
rutabega
spinach
kale
Amy’s entrees
Quorn meatless cutlets
coconut water
Annie’s instant mac & cheese packets
raw goat cheese

Total: $20 (TJ’s) + $70 (WF) = $90
This should last me a week and a half to two weeks (though I may have to pick up more produce at some point)

Grocery day! The goods:

Trader Joe’s:
soy milk
Greek yogurt
whole wheat pita
raw almond butter
white meat ground turkey
raspberry spread
tomato-basil hummus
organic kidney beans
shelled edamame
extra firm tofu

Whole Foods:
bananas
cherry tomatoes
cucumber
avocado
sweet potatoes
red bell pepper
baby carrots
Newman’s Own lite Italian
ground flaxseed
dried dates
Kashi and Amy’s frozen entrees
LARABARs
baby spinach
clementines
canned pumpkin
agave nectar
coconut milk coconut ice cream (I’ve heard good things)

Total: $30 @ TJ’s + $82 @ WF = $112

These groceries should last me almost two weeks. I made a huge salad with all the produce, tofu, beans, and avocado for lunches and dinners for this weekend/beginning of next week. I also plan to make a big batch of sweet potato & goat cheese turkey burgers when the salad starts to run out.

Notice how I bought most of my produce and hard-to-find items (flaxseed, agave nectar, etc.) at Whole Foods. Their produce is usually much fresher than TJ’s and they obviously have a wider selection. But I get other staples at Trader Joe’s where they’re cheaper but still high-quality (organic beans, almond butter, etc.).

Dinner inspiration:

• tofu crispies (seen here pre-crisping)
• sugar snap peas
• ginger
• garlic
• quinoa I cooked last week
• Sriracha
• soy sauce

Lean Green Mac & Cheese

You didn’t think mac & cheese could be lean? As a mac & cheese lover, I’m happy to tell you I’ve figured out a way to make a healthy, filling, and QUICK mac & cheese using Annie’s organic instant mac & cheese packets, spinach, and edamame.

Add-ons to my steel-cut oats this morning: butternut squash puree, walnuts, soy milk. Not pictured: apricot preserves, cinnamon The squash puree tasted like baby food on its own, but mixed into the oatmeal, it was alright.

To make a breakfast cookie, you’ll need (feel free to play around with the proportions):

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 scoop of your preferred protein powder - I used TJ’s soy vanilla.
• 1 tbsp of your preferred nut butter - I used almond.
• 1/8 cup of your preferred milk - I used light Vanilla Silk.
• whatever mix-ins you want - I used half a ripe banana, lots of cinnamon, and a little shredded coconut I found in the cupboard (after I added it, I noticed it was sweetened, so I’m glad I only added a little.)

My cookie definitely didn’t need any extra sweetening agent. The natural sweetness from the almond butter, the banana, and the Silk (which is sweetened with cane juice) made it more than sweet enough for me.

Preparation:

• Mix the oats, protein powder, and nut butter together until the nut butter is well-distributed throughout.
• Add just enough milk to moisten everything.
• Add your mix-ins. Add more milk if it needs more moisture.
• Spread the mixture onto a small plate and refridgerate overnight.

The cookie never completely hardens, so the texture is almost like creamy cookie dough. I’ll be making this again for sure. If you try it, send me your recipe and a picture!

To make the Sweet & Sour Chicken, you’ll need:

• instant brown rice
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp apricot preserves
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 pound chicken “tenders” (very low-fat strips of rib meat on chicken breasts)
• 2 tsp finely grated or minced ginger (I used way more than that!)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 6 cups stir-fry veggies (I used frozen)
• 15-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

(All ingredients pictured above.) Click here to get preparation instructions.