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What came home in my shopping bag this weekend?   More of the good stuff, of course!

Those who follow my blog know where to find me every 3 days.  As an easy way to stay on the skinny track, I hit the grocery store every 3 days (4 days tops!) to cover my breakfasts, lunches and dinners so there is always something in the house.  I typically purchase 3 large bagfuls of fresh vegetables for steaming one night, roasting the next night, and salad for the third night plus a lunch or two.  No more, no less; therefore, no waste!  I’m also careful with my fruit to buy only what I need for 3-4 days so there is no waste either.

For breakfast, I grabbed my trusty eggs, egg whites, cheese, frozen spinach, mushrooms, onions, red peppers and other vegetables for colorful variety in fast omelets.  I snagged plain yogurt, pumpkin seeds, frozen blueberries and bananas for another breakfast option, adding to my old-fashioned oatmeal and chopped nuts option already in the cabinet for easy breakfasts.

I bought whole wheat wraps with flax to use for egg wraps in the morning or vegetable wraps at lunch with some fresh pure hummus.  For other lunches, I have a box of quinoa to make in a large batch, chill, then mix with leftover vegetables from the prior night’s dinner.  Measure 2/3 cup of cooked quinoa per lunch, add spices, a handful of beans, a little avocado and PRESTO!  It’s an easy carry along, no excuses healthy lunch.

My Lean Protein entrees for main course dinners were thin sliced center cut pork, tilapia fish fillets, wild salmon, and lentils for a vegetarian dinner option.  All were on sale for $5 or less.  Each will be paired with only one Main Carb — whole grain and wild rice one night, sweet potatoes another night, and more of that quinoa for the third night.

I have the usual variety of fresh and frozen vegetables and fruit for colorful diversity of filling sides each day.  I’ve been on a kick to add fruit to my salads, so I bought a few apples to chop up and add sweetness.

Vegetarians can switch out the fish or piggy at dinner for a comparable source of lean pure protein such as extra firm tofu, beans or tempeh.  I’m a broken record in saying this, but stay away from the overly processed fake meat!  The additives trick the brain and body, outweighing any low-calorie vegetarian benefits.  Read the labels to keep it pure.

What’s missing from my bag?  No processed food, except for the whole grain wraps.   No pre-packaged “diet” meals with useless calories and little protein or fiber needed to fill full.   Real food creates real fullness.  No junk food.

Easy Skinny Life rule for painless meal prep planning, cooking and eating:   Have one lean quality protein source with only one main whole grain carb source for each meal.  Add some good fat, plus tons of vegetables and fruit for big Easy Skinny Life delicious meals.

Happy shopping,

Kathy