I’m on a mission. A health mission, that is. I have a few health issues that I’d like to deal with and this week’s grocery haul reflects some of the changes I’m starting to implement. Have you heard of Dr. Gregor’s “Daily Dozen”? That’s where I’m starting. Keep reading for more information and to see what I purchased this week.
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GROCERY HAUL
Without getting too personal, I think I can improve a couple of my health issues through diet. It’s not a cure but it can help slow the progression. And of course, during this ongoing pandemic, anything we can do to stay healthy is important!
I have been reading and watching videos about Dr. Gregor’s “Daily Dozen” eating plan. The thing I like about it is that it focuses on foods to ADD to one’s diet, not foods to avoid. Any diet that tells me I cannot have an occasional piece of chocolate or that I have to give up cheese is just not going to work for me on a long-term basis. I also love the free phone app where you can keep track on a daily basis.
Here is the link if you want to read all the details:
Briefly, here are the foods to try to include every day:
- Beans – 3 servings (This is going to be my biggest challenge, I think. I like beans well enough but THREE servings a day?!)
- Berries – 1 serving
- Other fruits – 3 servings
- Cruciferous vegetable – 1 serving
- Greens – 2 servings
- Other vegetables – 2 servings
- Ground flax seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Nuts and seeds – 1 serving (I’m allergic to tree nuts and not sure about most seeds. I’ll skip this one.)
- Herbs and spices – 1 serving
- Whole grains – 3 servings
- Beverages – 5 servings for total of 60 ounces
- Exercise – 90 minutes a day (Okay, I take it back. This will be more challenging than 3 servings of beans.)
While Dr. Gregor advocates a whole food plant based diet, I think it’s possible to include some eggs, dairy, seafood and even occasional meat in a healthy diet. I’m fine with oat milk in smoothies but I want half & half in my tea and heavy cream in my coffee. Those are pleasures I really don’t want to give up. I also think there are good reasons to consume high quality yogurt.
Plus, I’m feeding two men who may or may not want to eat exactly as I do all the time. I’m aiming to follow the Daily Dozen closely most of the time but allow for the occasional indulgence.
So, what did I buy this week?
This week’s groceries:
- frozen broccoli
- frozen baby California vegetables
- frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
- red cabbage
- iceberg lettuce
- red leaf lettuce
- spinach/spring lettuce blend
- green bell peppers (3)
- red potatoes
- baking potatoes (3)
- sweet potatoes (2)
- Brussels sprouts
- large yellow onion
- grape tomatoes
- avocados (2)
- bananas (4)
- bag of mandarins
- red grapes
- limes (2)
- strawberries
- feta cheese
- deli ham (for David)
- sliced sharp cheddar cheese
- half and half
- heavy cream
- parmesan cheese
- feta cheese
- canned corn (2)
- organic canned black beans
- caramelized onion and garlic pasta sauce
- rice (I meant to buy instant brown rice but reached to back of shelf for better expiration date and ended up with white boil-in-bag. Will donate this.)
- canola oil (for tacos – I fry corn tortillas and need an oil with higher smoke point than my usual olive oil.)
- flour tortillas (already had a package of corn tortillas)
- whole wheat spinach flaxseed wraps
- Artisano sandwich bread
- cinnamon raisin bread (my occasional evening “dessert”)
- cinnamon raisin bagels (David’s favorite)
- potato chips
- graham crackers
- package of large boneless skinless chicken breasts (froze these individually; large enough for one breast to feed the three of us)
- frozen garlic Texas toast (8 large slices; enough for 3 meals)
Total: $169.58 (including $14.54 in tax)
I haven’t finalized my menu for the coming week but I know I’ll be making Stuffed Bell Peppers (with black beans), Lentil Tacos, minestrone, and Cabbage, Potatoes and Sausage (I’ll leave the sausage for the guys.).
I recently purchased several items from Azure Standard including flour, carrots, apples, celery, plain yogurt, sour cream and sharp cheddar cheese which I still have most of.
I also have several bags of frozen veggies, frozen shrimp, frozen fruit and who knows what else in my overstuffed freezer. I’m well-stocked on baking supplies, canned goods, pasta, lentils, split peas, dried beans, white rice, grains, oatmeal, herbs and spices.
I really must do a complete inventory soon! I like to do this in the fall and then lay in a good supply of basics for the winter. I’m kind of like a squirrel in that regards – ha!
Pantry Stocking For Uncertain Times
I filmed a very short glimpse of this week’s groceries:
A few previous grocery hauls…
Grocery Haul ~ October 8, 2023
Have you tried the “Daily Dozen”? I’m thinking about doing it as an upcoming challenge in the LWD Facebook group. January might be a good time for that. We’ll see…
I have never heard of this eating plan, but then again, I’m not big on “diets”. Each expert has their own opinion. I think if you eat healthy, whole foods and not processed and fast foods – plus exercise and drink a lot of water – that’s the best way to stay healthy. Also important to listen to your body and figure out what you can tolerate and digest – or not. Tends to get worse as we get older, unfortunately. I tend to get some IBS flare-ups so I sometimes have to avoid caffeine, garlic and onions (the biggest culprits). I can’t digest most legumes. Can only handle a tiny amount of black beans. This eating plan sounds very harsh for the gut with all the legumes and raw veggies. If you have gut issues of any kinds, please be careful. Gently cooked veggies are much easier on the gut.
Also, don’t know if you’re aware, but oat milk is very highly processed. Can you have unsweetened almond milk instead?
Hope you can feel much better soon…and you are right, food is medicine!
I’m not a huge fan of raw veggies but greens are the only raw ones on this list. And I do love salad. I don’t have trouble with beans but I’ve never eaten three servings a day. I think one is sufficient. I am allergic to nuts so the only plant based milks I can have are oat milk or coconut milk. I don’t drink glasses of either one. I sometimes add a little to a smoothie, or just use lactose-free milk as I’m moderately lactose intolerant. Most of the milk I consume is in hot tea and I’m sticking to half & half for that. 😉 I’ve never enjoyed glasses of milk, even as a child. Fortunately I can usually handle cheese and yogurt.
Btw, since garlic and onions are a big issue for you, have you looked into FODMAPs? A friend of mine was having really terrible digestive problems and finally tried a low FODMAP diet which has helped a LOT. It is really restrictive at first but I think the idea is that you start adding things back one at a time. She says onions and garlic are the worst for her.