How to Grocery Shop for a Full Week’s Worth of Weight Loss Foods in Only 15 Minutes
If you are seriously interested in losing weight, you have no doubt done some research on which foods are right for a healthy eating plan, and you may have even purchased an online weight loss program that includes a section on how to eat for optimal weight loss.
However, though you may have a good idea of which foods to eat, I would be willing to bet that no one has really touched on the topic of actually shopping for the right foods. So before you can start chomping away at the right foods for fat loss, you first have to actually learn how to buy those foods.
Over the years I have developed a few techniques for getting in and out of the grocery store very quickly (sometimes in under fifteen minutes) and without stuffing my shopping cart full of crap that will make me fat. This article is designed to simulate a trip to the grocery store, where I’ll take you through a series of steps to ensure that you leave with a cart full of healthy, fat burning foods, and the knowledge of where they are located in the store so you can get in and out quickly, fill up on great belly burning foods, and avoid as much temptation as possible.
Follow these techniques, and there is no reason why you cannot accomplish a full week’s shopping trip in about fifteen minutes.
Technique #1: Fill Up and Plan Accordingly
One of the quickest ways to ruin a trip to the supermarket is to go hungry and without a plan. If you forget to do these two things, you might as well skip the market altogether and head right to the bakery, because your chances of making it through without being overcome with junk-food temptation are slim. Trust me, I’ve been ‘s not pretty!
So anyway, what I like to do right before I go shopping is sit down with a small snack – maybe and apple, a small handful of nuts, and some natural peanut butter – and write out a list of what I’ll need at the store. Once you get used to doing this, the whole list writing process should not take more than five minutes. Now we’re full and we’re equipped with our best weapon against temptation – a shopping list!
Technique #2: Live Around the Perimeter
Ok, what do I mean by that? What I mean is that 90% of the foods that we want are going to be found along the perimeter of the grocery store. If you take notice, the produce, fresh meat, and fresh nuts are all located along the sides of the store, not hidden within the aisles.
Technique #3: Save the Aisles for Last
Only once your cart is stuffed full of all the fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fresh nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products that you will need for the week should you venture to the inside parts of the store for your cooking oils, whole grains, and spices. Just be sure to save this part of the trip for make it quick (to limit temptation, of course).
Technique #4: Don’t be Afraid to Buy Prepackaged or Frozen
Hey, I understand that often we don’t have the time to prepare fresh vegetable dishes, cook fancy filets, or concoct intricate dressings, side dishes, and spreads. So if this is the case with you, don’t be afraid to buy frozen fruits and vegetables, prepackaged hummus, or a bag of frozen chicken breasts, etc.
If you can buy fresh most of the time, great! If not, no big deal. It is more important, especially as you are starting out, that you simply focus on getting adequate fruit and vegetable intake, eating lean meats, and limit your intake of sweets and junk foods. Once you tackle this, then you can begin focusing on buying and cooking more fresh meals.
I usually buy a few packages of frozen mixed vegetables and peppers each week, just in case I am in a hurry and need to throw down some extra vegetables or pack them for the road.
So there, you have it. If you go to the store with a list in hand, remember to spend most of your time around the perimeter, and save the aisles and frozen section for last, there is no reason why you can’t fill up on a full weeks worth of healthy weight loss foods in fifteen minutes.
