Single girls’ Grocery Shopping Guide

So often we hear how single girls complain about fresh food spoiling in their fridges and the effort to cook for one. Well, stock up on these ingredients, then mix and match to make easy, healthy, convenient meals. With this handy shopping guide there’ll be no excuse to eating cereal morning, noon and night, plus you’ll save petrol finding a drive-through.

 With this shopping list you will be able to eat:

·        A low GI breakfast cereal with dried or fresh fruit

·        A morning snack of yogurt  and/or fresh fruit

·        Lunch consisting of a low GI sandwich or leftovers from last night

·        Afternoon snack of nuts, Provitas or vegetables crudités with cottage cheese

·        Dinner with a starch, a protein and some fresh or frozen vegetable

Faced with aisles upon aisles of products, the grocery shop can be a daunting experience. Here are some helpful tips to make your visit to the shops that much less stressful.

§  It’s important to always plan your menus beforehand. A common reason why people don’t eat well is because they are too disorganized. Disorganized shopping leads to disorganized meals.  Make a list every time you go into a food store. Not only will you save money but you will also stock up on good, healthy foods.

§  Do one big monthly grocery shop for all staples, and smaller weekly trips to the shops for fresh fruits, vegetables, milk and bread. The basic pantry should consist of the following items:

-        Whole grain carbohydrates: pasta, couscous, wild rice, brown rice

-        Snacks: Provitas, Ryvitas, corn thins

-        Cereals: muesli, All-Bran, Special K, oats, oat bran, ,muesli (e.g. Nature’s Source, Bokomo) Pronutro (whole-wheat)

-        Dried fruit: pears, apples, mango, prunes, guava rolls

-        Assorted nuts and seeds

-        Spreads: peanut butter, fish paste, hummus

-        Long-life milk: skim or low-fat

-        Spices, dried herbs and rubs

-        Tinned and dried legumes: chickpeas, beans, dried beans, lentils

-        Tinned vegetables: corn (not cream-styled), tomato and onion mix (various flavours, for pasta), mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus, etc

-        Tinned fish: tuna, salmon, pilchards, sardines

-        Oils, vinegars and glazes: avocado, olive, canola, peanut, sesame, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice,  fish sauce, soy sauce, spay ‘n cook, sweet chili sauce

§  Buy in bulk, where possible, on food with long shelf lives such as long-life milk, tinned fish and legumes, etc.

§  Cook ahead and freeze what you can.

§  Separate portions of chicken, fish and meat. For food to stay fresh, repack your food in portion sizes in individual sealable bags and mark each item with the product name and date that it was stored. Also, separate bread loads into individual slices to use as needed, or chop up fruit and freeze in individual packets to add to smoothies.

§  Most people are unable to get to the shops more than once a week and complain that buying fresh vegetables daily is an inconvenience. Stock up on frozen vegetables like baby carrots, peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and corn, and use the frozen vegetables on busy days when you can’t get to the stores.

§  Always purchase low-fat (or even better, non-fat) options of dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese.

§  Pass the chocolates and sweets aisle altogether if temptation is too rife.

§  Always shop on a full stomach. Studies have shown that hungry shoppers are more likely to buy unhealthy foods then those who shop on a full stomach. Also, refrain from shopping when you are tried or stressed out.

§  Ask the butcher to pack meat into individual portions e.g. 2 chops, 1 chicken breast etc preferably vacuum packed (with or without a basting).

§  Stock up on essential cooking utensils and equipment for quick and easy preparation

-        Microwave

-        George Forman grill machine

-        Steamer (either electric, or use a pot and colander)

-        Small pots for soups and stews

-        Non-stick frying pans

-        Blender (handheld works just as well for smaller portions)

-        Oven dishes, various sizes

-        Various size Tupperware and containers

-        Various size packets and Ziploc bags

PS: Follow the blog for a handy free printable shopping list for your convenience coming up next week!

Keeping that tummy flat and beach ready all year round

We now know that targeting specific muscle groups, such as the abs for a flat tummy or the glutes for a tight toosh, is not an effective approach to weight loss. You can do all the crunches in the world but it won’t be effective until you aim to lose overall body fat with a healthy diet and daily exercise.

Melon

   

Melons are one of our favourite refreshing treats. It is packed with fiber and water, both of which helps and work together to regulate intestinal health and bowel regularity. Be sure to watch portion sizes in this higher GI food. When they are not in season, try pineapple- also an intermediate GI fruit packed with fiber and water.  

 

Whole-grain breads

  

Fibre helps to bulk up the intestinal volume and sweep the colon clean. A lack of fibre will lead to constipation that causes bloating.Up your intake of fibre by swapping your white bread with a whole-grain or whole-wheat bread, and swap cornflakes for a high fibre cereal like All-bran or oats.   

Wine 

Wine is known to be good for heart health because of the ingredient respiritrol. However, remember that it still contributes to daily energy intake and is packed with calories.

 

Good Bacteria

These bacteria will help to restore the natural flora balance in the gastro intestinal tract, help with digestion and keep the bloat away. Get yours in plain natural yogurt or opt for a probiotic supplement. We hope that all the Good Life readers are taking their dose of probiotics.

 

 

Artificial sweeteners   

The benefit of sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners is that they add sweetness to a meal without adding kilojoules. This is particularly useful in weight control and also as part of the diabetic diet. There is little direct scientific evidence showing negative long-term effects of sweeteners on overall health. However there is concern about large volumes of nutritive sweetener intakes. Sweeteners such as Sorbitol and xylitol are often the culprits in causing diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort and bloating.

Hydration

Remember that sufficient water intake is vital to prevent that your body keeps back every last drop that it gets which leads to bloating. Fiber also needs enough water to work efficiently in keeping the intestines clean. From summer to winter aim for your 40ml/kg/day. This will keep your tummy in tip top non-bloated shape.

Read more about hydration requirements here

Processed foods

Salt is a big culprit of bloating. Salt is added to foods and food products to improve on taste and flavour, increasing shelf life by preventing bacterial growth, is used as a preservative, enhances sweetness in baked goods, and disguises chemical aftertastes in soft drinks. Because of these properties salt is found in large amounts in take-away and pre-packaged and/or processed foods. Salt in its turn, causes water retention, a no-no for your belly.

Limit your intake of processed foods like processed meats (polony, ham, viennas, Russians, sausages, bacon, frankfurters), processed cheese, take-aways and fast food, ready-prepared and frozen meals, packet and tinned soups, sauces and gravy

  

Choose low-salt and salt-free options and keep well hydrated to beat the bloat!