It’s time to stock up on low carb foods. I’ve been living on take-out and snack foods for the last few weeks. I go through terrible phases like that, lol – I really do not like shopping. 😛
I’ve been inspired to cook more lately, though. And not just my usual favorites, but some interesting recipes and new combinations!
Crazy, I know – for me anyway. 🙂 I’ll be sure to share photos & recipes with you though, and I look forward to hearing about some of your favorites too. Come share them on my Facebook Page!
Since I can’t live on diet coke and string cheese alone, and that’s all I have left in the house (lol), I decided it’s high time I sit down and make a grocery list and make my way to the store. Here’s what I have so far…
Low Carb Grocery List
Meats
- Ground Chuck
- Boneless Chicken Breast
- Sirloin Tip Beef Roast
- Oscar Meyer Center Cut Bacon
- Jimmy Dean Sausage
Pre-Cooked / Packaged Meats
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Turkey Deli Slices
- Steak & Chicken Fajita Strips
Fresh Vegetables
- Cucumbers
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Broccoli Slaw
- Romaine Lettuce
Frozen Foods
- Pictsweet Broccoli Florets
- Cauliflower
- SteamFresh Asparagus
- Green Beans
- Chopped Spinach
Dairy
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Sour Cream
- Sliced & Cubed Colby Jack Cheese
- Shredded Parmesan, Mozzarella
& Colby Cheeses - Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread
- Butter
Other…
- Dunkin Donuts Coffee
- Pecan Halves
- Caesar Salad Dressing
- Peanut Butter
- Tuna
- Dill Relish
- Mayo & Mustard
- Splenda
- Sugar Free Hershey’s Chocolates
- Eggs
- Green Olives
- Diet Coke
- Bottled Spring Water
- Alfredo Sauce
I also need to order more Almond Meal and a few bottles of Torani Sugar Free Syrup, so I can whip up some low carb bread recipes and low carb cookies again. Those were fabulous!! I think I’ll use the Almond Meal to try my hand at a homemade low carb pizza too. 😀
Have any ideas to add? What’s on YOUR low carb grocery list this week?? I could really use some ideas & variety! Feel free to share links to your favorite dishes or recipes. 😉
Yep! That’s about right. Check out my Pinterest page for my collection of lo-carb recipes. I am having some fun with this!
What is the link to your Pinterest page? 🙂
Just wanted to know your address on Pinterest. Still feeling my way around computers. Thank you.
Hi Rebecca 🙂 It’s http://www.pinterest.com/lowcarbtraveler
I love your list Lynn! It’s alot like my own 🙂 keep inspiring us!!!
Thank you Gail – I love getting ideas from everyone else too. I’m excited about trying some new recipes. 😀
Hey Lynn I think that your list is awesome! I must admit that I am the worst when it comes to groceries and I love that you are sharing. I am very interested in your site and I am stuck reading blog entry after blog entry. You really offer great advice. I’m a new IMer and I need the truth while searching for the right things to do. One problem… I’m almost 8 months into it and even though I’ve earned some and learned a lot, I feel like I don’t know enough. I know it’s not true, but I’m stuck trying to learn more and the “perfect” way to do everything instead of applying it and seeing what happens. I read your social media post and I know that I need to get started with that but that is like a “don’t go there” zone for me. Well I’m a fan of yours and I will visit regularly.
Thanks for the valuable info
Michael
PS..
You’re beautiful so I wouldn’t worry about counting too many calories!
LOL Thanks Michael. Appreciate the compliment, but I’m going for “smokin’ hot & healthy” in my 40’s – and I don’t EVER count calories. 😉 😀
On the other stuff, I’d be happy to help you out. Join me over at my Internet Marketing Forum at http://www.clicknewz.com/members We can talk about it there!
I always have cream cheese and salsa on my list. I scramble them up with eggs in the mornings and have with a piece of bacon. yumyumyum!
Also sliced cheeses for making cheese chips in the microwave.
And gin. Gotta have gin. 😎
How do you make the cheese chips??
Put one slice of cheese on a piece of parchment paper in the microwave. Nuke for one minute. They get all crispy. I will make them and break into pieces and serve with guacamole for a great lunch. I also like them for a quick snack. Some of the processed chesses puff up and get a little too done and some of the denser cheeses need an extra 10 seconds or so. Try em! 🙂
Yum, thank you – I’ll definitely try it!
I always keep lightly salted rice cakes and Ricotta on hand, I am not a big cottage cheese person.
I like Ricotta cheese too, especially with my baked cheesy broccoli 🙂 Are rice cakes low carb?? I’ve never eaten them, so I’ve never looked…
Thanks for the list Lynn. I will add turnips, celery, & some eggplants.. I love those!
Good additions! I don’t like any of those three though LOL 🙂
You should add cauliflower, it is the wonder vegetable. I have a recipe for mocktato soup tha I have served to non lo carbers and no one knew it wasn’t potato. Also I have a recipe for mock fried rice made with it that tastes just like fried rice, it is crazy. Check out recipes on lowcarbluxury.com
Thanks for the link – I’ll definitely check out those recipes! I should have added that to my list, I love cauliflower! 😀
I have seen on several cooking shows them making mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. It always looks so good. Especially when they add cheese to it.
It’s especially good with the Tyson beef roast & gravy packages I like to pick up at the grocery store. 🙂 Those are SO good, and so easy!
Thanks for the great post, Lynn.
I also try to keep lots of coconut oil, coconut flour, and coconut milk on hand as well. They’re so unbelievably versatile, and I never seem to run out of uses for them.
Wishing you all the best 🙂
I haven’t tried the coconut flour yet, Dr. Mike. I assume it’s low carb? Do you have any recipes for it by any chance? I do like the unsweetened almond milk, but haven’t tried coconut…
Variety certainly can be a challenge when it comes to eating low carb. I have been on a wicked mexican kick lately and wrap everything in iceberg lettuce leaves. Also make amazing homemade salsa with my Vitamix, which I LOVE. I just read your response to the above comment about almond milk and coconut flour and I have a really great recipe for a crustless zucchini quiche here:
Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 clove garlic
4 eggs
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
coconut oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium frying pan, sauté onion, zucchini, and garlic in coconut oil over medium heat.
In a large bowl combine eggs, almond milk, parmesan cheese, and beat well.
Add zucchini, onion, garlic mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.
Use a little coconut oil to grease your casserole dish and pour mixture in.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.*
After serving I added a little grass fed butter to the top of my quiche, mostly because I put butter on everything.
YUM!!!
Thank you so much, Susan! 😀
Stricken from my list would be whipping cream, ground beef, any “sugar -free” items as what they add is just as bad if not worse than “real” sugar. Actually if I where to follow a diet I would choose “The South Beach Diet”. I am pre-diabetic(or if you prefer a person with elevated blood sugar) though so far I have been able to control my blood sugar levels with diet and exercise.
Eating whole/real foods is always best. I’m curious why you can’t have heavy cream or ground beef – is that a diet restriction or a personal preference?
What is it you like best about the South Beach Diet?
Cauliflower is amazing mashed! I steam, give it a quick mash and I add some black pepper, butter and parm and broil it just til it browns. Kills the potato au gratin craving! Also, love making it with a little curry powder and cayenne pepper. Great filler at lunchtime!
That sounds really good, Kristen! 😀
new to the low carb eating and find it hard to do. I have my carb book at my side so I am constantly looking up values or calling the co that makes it. What is the usual limit of carbs to eat and how does one determine it.
Hi Sue,
I stick to 20 net carbs per day. See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/start-low-carb-diet/ for some great resources for figuring out the net carb count, including an easy link for produce etc that doesn’t have labels. 🙂
Lynn
I commend you on your efforts to eat low carb and healthful, however Low Calorie Beverages Will Kill You Before They Solve Weight Issues – Sales volumes are dropping for diet soda! If someone is trying to lose weight and get fit, the consumption of artificial sweeteners (by drinking low-calorie drinks like diet soda) is not the solution! Artificial Sweeteners are proven to stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and promote fat storage and weight gain. As a healthcare professional, I see patients after the effects of these products and it is never a positive meeting. You are doing a great job with the other ingredients on your grocery list. I just wish more people knew about the harmful effects of artificial sweeteners (especially in diet soda). Best Wishes.
Hi Susan,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment here. Very much appreciated!
When I first started eating low carb I ate *terrible*, so it was a big transition for me. Without those “crutches” (like Diet Coke and Splenda in my coffee) I would have bailed. Fortunately, it worked for me and I lost weight fast. And it wasn’t long after that I started becoming more health conscious (instead of just weight conscious).
My next goal is to give up artificial sweeteners altogether, and I’m leaning toward a more whole food / organic eating style. Stay tuned for updates on that… 😉 I am very happy about the process and the journey I’m on now, thanks to the kick-start of the low carb way of eating! *cheers*
i like strevia it is plant based and shouldn’t be as bad for you are other artificial sweeteners. i am also trying to eat lowcardb and low fat…..
G Ryan – is there a reason you are trying to eat “low fat”? I ask because there is a science to the way the low carb diet works, and you do need an energy source. Without carbs, or with them quite limited, you need the healthy fats for fuel. See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4606/lchf-diet-explained/ for the science behind that…
I use dream fields pasta. Low impact carbs. Tastes great. They have it in a lot of stores now. I have tested my blood sugar before and after and no highs,
I have eaten low carb for many years and nowadays eat LCHF – LowCarbHighFat -. I’m surprised to see someone recommending the South Beach Diet when they are pre-diabetic. The introductory part is fine, but then most people just slowly revert to their old ways as the cravings never leave completely. Many people have said that Dreamfield’s impact them negatively so use caution. There is a pasta substitute which is nearly calorie and carb free and that is Shiratake noodles – Japanese noodles also sometimes sold under the name Konjak noodles. Many supermarket carry them now; you’ll find them in the area where bagged salads and mushrooms are located. The noodles need to be rinsed in cold water and then DRY FRIED for 30 seconds otherwise they have a slightly ‘fishy’ taste that some object to. The noodles themselves don’t taste anything, but they are like tofu, they take on the taste of the sauce you use. It’s not difficult to eat lowcarb nowadays … there are masses of websites and recipes … search under KETO; it’s a real Sesame Open for recipes and blogs :0) I have a Pinterest page with plenty of recipes … search under my name and you should find it.
I agree Gun! I prefer Zoodles in place of pasta. 😀
See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/3892/zucchini-pasta/
good evening – I have a few questions 🙂 – I’m new to LC and I have been looking at a ton of recipies – some of them that I want to try calls for almond milk or almond flour – which I can’t do because I’m allergic to almonds – can I substitute for coconut milk/flour and would it be the same ratio? Also what are the ratios from normal all purpose flour to coconut flour? Thanks for the help!!!
Great questions, Mikki! I haven’t worked with coconut flour, but I’ve heard it’s “a very thirsty flour” – and also has a different taste. You may have to Google the ratios and substitutions, because I know those have been discussed around the web. I just haven’t personally used it. Good luck!!
Here’s the nutrition facts for coconut flour: http://www.netrition.com/cgi/goto.cgi?pid=230-0013&aid=3558 It states there:
“Because of its high fiber content, baking with coconut flour is a unique experience. Coconut flour requires an equal ratio of liquid to flour for best results. Coconut flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in a recipe, but you will need to add an equal amount of liquid to compensate.” You can read more at the link. 😀
Hi! Congratulations on your success! I am on week 5 of low carb and have lost about 10 lbs(ill be real last week I just wasn’t as disciplined) I have read all the bad stuff about artificial sweeteners and I really try to limit my intake. Do you(or any of your friends) know if the natural sweeteners like, stevia or monkfruit are any better?
Loved the Shopping list!
Hi Lindsay,
Regarding artificial sweeteners, yes – Stevia is the healthier choice. You do want to be cautious about brands that include ingredients, or misleading titles like “Stevia In The Raw”. Get something natural like NOW Foods Better Stevia Original Liquid Extract, 8 Ounce Bottle
.
You can use other artificial sweeteners like Splenda, and even drink Diet Coke, and still lose weight and get into Ketosis – just FYI. But if you want to go the healthiest route, diet sodas and most artificial sweeteners are “poisons” to your body. That’s not a judgment. I’m not a total health nut, and enjoy a Diet Coke when I want to – and use Splenda (which I jokingly refer to as “rat poison” lol) when I’m out and about. Just to say, that raw stevia is definitely the better choice.
I don’t eat fruit at all – only berries.
I love to cook, so my list doesn’t look like yours. My veggies are always fresh, for the most part. I do buy eggs, raw almonds, string cheese, strawberries, Whey protein, Casein, etc. I try to focus on Chicken, Turkey and Fish, because they have less calorie. Make you some Salmon Cakes and freeze. Make you some Chicken Salad and eat with low carb bread or tomato boat. Bake some turkey wings and have some fried cabbage. The recipes and choices are endless. A good site is Genaw, Spark People, IbreateImhungry, etc. Mix it up and yes, you MUST represent 40 well! ☺️ I’m almost 50 and people think I’m in my early 30’s. You can do it!!!
One more thing, find s day to cook your food and freeze. This will save you time and steer away from packaged meats. They have a lot of sodium. Try to buy low sodium from the deli.
Thank you Naomi!! 😀 This list is actually a few years old, so I need to write a new updated list based on how I’m eating now. Like you, I am eating “fresh/clean” these days. Although I do still use frozen brussel sprouts – because they are so easy to roast for a quick beautiful green side!! 😉
I’ve moved away from so many foods I used to eat in the beginning to a more “whole food” way of eating since my hysterectomy. I am feeling better than ever!!
You’re welcome Lynn! Good for you. I had to change as well, so I do understand. I love frozen brussel sprouts! LOL They’re so easier to prepare. My greens (collard/kale/cabbage/asparagus) are always prepared fresh though. Making better choices, definetly does our body right! Started making my own protein bars as well. Got the recipe off Sparkpeople and it’s so easy. Oats, honey, Whey protein, water and cocoa if you want. This way, I know what’s going into my body. I work out, 6-7 days a week, so I can have the other carbs. I’ve losing the stubborn belly fat, so I’m happy for that!!!
brussel sprouts blanched, drained, add to frying pan that has had two slices chopped bacon cooked in it add 1-2tablespoons cream (or to your liking) and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Although not as quick as just cooked Brussels, very delicious. Also there are quite a few sites that have fat bomb recipes and are very good for a quick filling snack.
how do you “blanche” brussel sprouts….I looked at my bag of frozen baby sprouts…..they r a little high in carbs…………….? just have a few? im first week in learning……any ideas please thank you….
What is a good brand of peanut butter to try?
Hi Suzanne,
I just read the labels and pick the one that is lowest carb. I have been using Peter Pan Natural Creamy lately. There are lots of options and preferences of course, so choose what suits you and has the least ingredients/carbs.
Jif Whips had less carbs/sugar. Walmart carries a peanut butter with coconut oil now and that’s very good!
I am a newbie! What types and brands of salad dressings are acceptable. THanks.
Hi Pat 🙂 Welcome!
The best thing to do is read the labels when you go grocery shopping and choose salad dressings you like that are also low in carbs. I usually stick to caesar and ranch dressing but there are other options.
There are sugar free versions of honey mustard for example. 🙂
This food list is REALLY helpful to get you started: https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/atkins-20/phase-1/low-carb-foods Let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks so much!!! I am a newbie and have learned so very much .. would love to find and follow you on Facebook
Hi Betty 🙂 I would love that! I am on Facebook at https://facebook.com/lowcarbtraveler
If you are on Twitter or Instagram, my handle is lowcarbtraveler there as well. It would be great to connect with you!
What cottage cheese do you prefer to buy…lowest in carbs and sugar?
Hi Carol – definitely Daisy Brand cottage cheese (full fat, 4%). Not only is it very low carb, it has only 3 ingredients if I remember right – WAY less than other brands, which usually have a whole paragraph. 😉 And it tastes better than others!
I just oredered the BOGO snack box you put up!! Cant wait to try. THX!!!!!!
Fun, Glynda ~ ENJOY!! 🙂 It’s full of so much great stuff! xo