When you are trying to lose weight, it’s important to fill up your pantry and refrigerator with foods that will set you up for success. Before you hit the grocery store, start by clearing out foods that hurt your weight loss efforts. Here are the things you should remove from your kitchen:
Cookies, cake, and brownies Chips Crackers (where the first ingredient ISN’T “whole”) Candy Ice cream White bread, rolls, and bagels
Now, it’s time to load up your refrigerator and pantry with items that are healthy and will help you lose weight. Use the below list as a guide. Not all of the items listed below will appeal to you, so be sure to pick up products that you will actually prepare and eat. For example, there is no point in buying swiss chard if you don’t like it. You’ll be wasting money and will likely watch it rot in your crisper.
Nuts/Seeds/Nut Butters
Almonds, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, or walnuts Natural Almond butter or Peanut Butter Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds
Grains
Whole grain bread (Make sure the first word in the ingredient list is “whole”) whole wheat pasta brown rice quinoa oatmeal
Vegetables
All vegetables are healthy, so stock up on whatever looks good and is easy to prepare. Make sure to include veggies that you can grab and eat raw, like baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, lettuce and celery. Some vegetables are SUPERSTARS because they are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. They include:
Beets Brocollli brussel sprouts cabbage, carrot kale mushrooms onion spinach swiss chard
Beans/Legumes
Canned beans, such as black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans Green peas Lentils Hummus (perfect for dipping baby carrots!)
Fruits
There are no BAD fruits, so make sure to load up on your favorites. Like the SUPERSTAR vegetables, some fruits are particularly good for you because of their disease-fighting properties. They include:
Avocados Blueberries Cherries Coconut Guava Kiwi Raspberries Strawberries
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Edamame
Yogurt, particularly Greek yogurt
Avoid high-sugar yogurts, yogurts that contain lots of hard-to-pronounce ingredients, and those that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Starting with plain yogurt and adding fresh fruit is the best choice.
Eggs
Meat
Lean cuts of the following meats can help you with weight loss:
Free-range poultry (preferably organic or at least grain-fed) Grass-fed beef (preferably leaner cuts, like sirloin or flank) Wild-game, such as buffalo, venison, or elk
Fish/Seafood
Shrimp Scallops Tuna Wild Alaskan Salmon White-fleshed fish, such as cod, founder, halibut, or orange roughy
Salsa
Sources:
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Johnny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.