Keep Your House Clean – Tips for Making Good Grocery Shopping Choices

The following grocery shopping guideline is another useful tool found in the Energy Guidebook.  For more helpful information and tools, check out the Energy Guidebook.  The Energy Guidebook will teach you a simple, practical, and effective lifestyle that will get you into the best shape of your life.

Grocery Shopping Guidelines

• Plan what you are going to buy before you get to the store.
• List the foods you are going to buy in order of priority:
  • First, lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish, salmon, tuna, shellfish, whey protein, non-fat dairy).
  • Next, raw fats/oils (avocado, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, raw nuts and seeds).
  • Lastly, unprocessed carbohydrates (non-starchy vegetables, fruit and some whole grains like old fashioned oatmeal, brown rice, beans and lentils).
• Never shop when you are hungry or tired—you are more likely to make poor decisions.
• Stick to the outside aisles of a supermarket. This is where you will find the fresh produce and fresh lean proteins. The inside aisle are where you will find all the processed and junk food.
• Focus on unprocessed “foods-as-grown” carbohydrates from the produce department.
• Buy organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, where possible. They are hormone and pesticide free, and are generally higher in nutrient value.
• Buy free-range eggs and egg whites, rather than commercially raised eggs, which are high in cholesterol, drugs and antibiotics.

Foods to Emphasize

Focus on selecting lean, complete protein. Lean protein is protein that has less than 20% of its calories from fat. Complete protein is a protein with all 8 essential amino acids.

The following are examples of one serving of a lean, complete protein:

2 scoops EnergyFirst Protein Powder
4-6 oz. organic lean red meat (venison, beef, moose) (London broil is a lean cut)
4-6 oz. chicken (white meat, no skin)
4-6 oz. turkey (white meat, no skin)
4-6 oz. salmon
4-6 oz. tuna or mackerel (once a week max)
3 free-range eggs or 1 cup egg whites
4-6 oz. white fish
4-6 oz. shellfish (shrimp, scallops, lobster)
6 oz can water-packed tuna or salmon
1 cup non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 cup non-fat milk
4-6 oz. non-fat cheese (e.g. goat, ricotta)

Focus on selecting unprocessed carbohydrates that are rich in fiber. Unprocessed carbohydrates are foods “as grown”.

The following are examples of one serving of an unprocessed carbohydrate:

2-3 cups of any raw, steamed, grilled, or baked non-starchy vegetable (all green, yellow, orange, red vegetables)
½ yam or sweet potato (not white potatoes)
1 cup cooked or 1/3 cup uncooked, old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick-oats)
1 cup cooked brown or wild rice
1 cup cooked quinoa, barley, or other whole grain
1 slice of whole- or sprouted-grain bread
1 cup cooked beans, peas, lentils
1 cup whole, fresh or frozen fruit (plain)

Focus on selecting good, raw fats and oils.  A good, raw fat or oil is not cooked and is from plants and it contains essential fatty acids omega 3/6.

The following are examples of one serving of a good, raw fat or oil:

EnergyFirst OmegaEnergy Oil Blend
EnergyFirst Omega Mix Blend (ground raw seed)
EnergyFirst Omega 3/6 Blend (whole seed)
Raw nuts (almonds, cashews, etc.)
Raw seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
Raw seed butter (e.g. sunflower butter)
¼-½ Avocado
Raw nut butters (cashew, almond, macadamia nut)
Extra virgin olive oil