I LOVE food. Seriously. Who doesn’t?I also like to stay fairly lean and maintain a super healthy lifestyle so I can live to be 110 years old and still rock a purple leopard speedo. So the question I get asked quite a bit as a fitness professional is, “What do you eat to stay lean? You must eat so healthy.” And I do… most of the time.
Especially when I’m at home and able to consciously make better decisions. This is primarily due to cultivating solid eating and shopping habits which keep my fridge and pantry on fleek. It’s also where I feel I have the most control over my diet.
And honestly, I don’t thrive on any special diet or supplement. Historically, humans have subsisted on incredibly varying diets. I’ve also had clients achieve their own success on a wide variety of nutrition strategies which shows me that there’s no magic bullet or ‘best’ diet. And while I don’t believe there is any one ‘right’ way to approach your nutrition, I do believe that having good principles will lead you to a healthier, leaner body. Enter, grocery shopping.
It’s something we all have to do. It’s also something we have control over. Here is the results from my last grocery shopping adventure.
Weekly Grocery Shopping
Vegetables
Vegetables are super high in nutrients and super low in calories compared to volume. Fresh, frozen or canned… it’s all good!
They should make up the bulk of your weekly food shopping. If you’re eating a large volume of veggies chances are you’re not going to be crushing stacks of pizza pies.
Coincidentally, it should also make up the largest percentage of each meal. (P.S Grillo’s pickles should have their own category IMO.)
Fruits
Fruits are my go-to for snacking in-between meals as well as blending up in smoothies. They’re quick and easy and don’t require much prep.
We typically get a moderate amount of fruit for the week. Our freezer is always stocked with a bag or two of frozen fruit for smoothies. We happened to be out this week so I picked up a couple giant bags which should last 1-2 months.
Meat/Protein
As a personal trainer, I’m absolutely inclined to recommend incorporating lean protein in each meal. It helps with building muscle, burning fat AND keeping you more satiated than the other nutrients.
We recommend this comes in the form of lean meat, dairy, eggs, vegan sources or protein supplements such as whey protein.
The tuna was on sale this week so I had to stock up obviously.
Carbz
Carbs should come from a combination of healthy grains and legumes as well as fruits and veggies of course.
Our go-tos are typically rice for lunch and dinner and oatmeal for breakfast.
This is a little more than we typically bring home but I’ve been experimenting with bread making and cooking with lentils and other grains. This bounty should last several months.
Healthy Fats
If you’re up in the gym just workin’ on your fitness and trying to get lean AF, you’ll want to limit your fat intake.
I included the guac in vegetables (or is it a fruit?) as well as here, too, since it has a high fat content.
This group is by far the smallest percentage of our weekly groceries since it makes up the smallest percentage of our caloric intake. Healthy fats are good but we still limit the quantity.
Snacks
We don’t keep a lot of snacks in the house but the ones we do are mainly healthy whole foods like fruit and veggies but we do indulge in popcorn and chips. The general rule of thumb is what is kept in the house will eventually get eaten. *wink wink*
Another reason we don’t keep snack foods in the house is because we will indulge when we venture out into the world. That piece of shared chocolate cake tastes so much sweeter on a random date night!
Wrapping It Up (Your Takeaways)
You are a snowflake and your diet will differ greatly from your BFF’s, your spouse’s, or the trainers’ at First Guess Fitness. And this variety is super OKAY! Ultimately the foods you eat will depend on your particular goals, tastes, and preferences as well as your cultural background and how you grew up.
There are a multitude of diets (read: ways to eat) to reach any goal you have whether it’s to get leaner, healthier or build epic biceps. BUUUUTTTT we do believe that no matter what strategy you choose you must start with a sound base of nutrition principles to guide your choices.
And that starts with the food you keep in your home.
Have nutrition questions?
Need help getting your sh*& together?