Help! Grocery shopping ideas?

Hey Guys,

I'm looking for some grocery shopping ideas.

What are your staple items?

A few useful threads:

 

Thread 1

and

Thread 2

Produce:
 lettuces and bitter greens
 legumes
 brocoli, cauliflower, and cabbage
 root vegetables
 red and orange vegetables
 fresh herbs
 whatever is in season and locally grown when possible
 dried fruits
 nuts of all types

Starches:
 brown rice
 couscous
 quinoa
 meusli cereal

Flours:
 white
 wheat
 semolina
 cornmeal

Proteins:
 eggs
 tofu (I get all kinds here in Japan)
 yogurt

Baking supplies and spices:
 yeast
 sugar
 baking powder
 baking soda
 
I make most of my own food, so I prefer raw ingredients to finished name-brand products.

Thanks to both of you!

Great items to add to my list. 

there is some controversy but these items are pretty widly held to be "negative calory foods" meaning if you eat them cold and raw your body actually burns more calories processing them than the item contains.

You still have to count the items calories , but these are my "safe" foods

# apples
# asparagus
# beets
# broccoli
# carrots
# cauliflower
# celery
# chicory
# chili peppers
# cranberries
# cucumbers
# endive
# garlic
# grapefruit
# green beans
# green cabbage
# lemons
# lettuce
# mangos
# onions
# oranges
# papaya
# pineapple
# radishes
# raspberries
# spinach
# strawberries
# tangerines
# turnip
# zucchini

Kashi cereals, any kind of oatmeal, egg beaters, 1% milk, Sara Lee 45 calorie whole grain bread, Chicken of the sea albacore tuna, boneless skinless chicken breasts, fish, brown rice, steam in the bag mixed veggies, Fiber One bars, 60 calorie Jello pudding cups, rice cakes.

Every time I go to the store, I load up on everything on the produce section - fruits and veggies.  I don't buy everything organic, but anything where I eat the skins or if it has a really thin skin (such as tomatoes) to absorb chemicals, then I do buy organic.

Other staples include extra firm tofu, dried beans, rice, 100% whole wheat pasta, whole grain rice, Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat bread, whole grain cereals, and soymilk (unsweetened Silk).  I'm sure there is more but I can't think of it.  I avoid the meat and dairy sections altogether and usually avoid processed/boxed and frozen foods.  I will every few months pick up a bag of frozen veggies as backup.  I have actually heard that frozen veggies are more nutritiuos than fresh because they are frozen immediately after harvest, whereas fresh veggies are loaded onto trucks and may sit for a long time before they make it to your kitchen, thus leaching out nutrients.  However, some things can't be frozen (ex: lettuce) and I still prefer the taste/texture of most fresh vegetables over frozen/canned.

Another tip - bring your own grocery bags... http://www.onebagatatime.com   :)

tamarita, do you know the perimeter rule?  most of the whole foods are on the perimeter of the store: produce, meat and fish, dairy, and grains.  do the perimeter first, and if you still feel you're not done, go into the center of the store, but do so selectively.  don't go up and down every aisle, because you will just be exposing yourself to processed stuff.

quaker oatmeal

apple sauce-no sugar added

sweet potato

lettuce

broccoli

spinich

frozen mixed veggies

chicken breasts

eggs

low fat ricotte & mozz cheese

special k

luna bars

lite vanilla soy milk 

whole wheat wraps

egg plant

whole wheat pasta 

raspberry salad dressing 

all different types of nuts

canned tuna in water

low cal/low sodium canned soups 

O baby, staples: yes I have those for sure --

1. Salmon & Trout

2. Scallops & Chillean Seabass

3. Large tub of Spinach (prewashed)

4. Bell Peppers

5. Cherry Tomatoes & Tomato Paste

6. Eggplant, zucchini & summer squash

7. Spaghetti Squash

8. Leeks

9. Onions

10. Frozen Asparagus, Spinach, Green beans, Onions, Broccoli & Peppers

11. Nori Sheets

12. Egg Whites

13. Grass-fed Beef & Bison

14. Ostrich 

15. Venison & Elk  

16. Canned Chicken White Meat

17. Canned Green Beans & Artichokes

18. Sashimi (if I am shopping @ Whole Foods)

19. Cabbage (Red & Green)

20. Fennel (it really eases stomach bloat!!!)