First LC Shopping

[myheart7]

This is my first post! :)

I'm going shopping for the first time with LC in mind. What are some essentials that I should buy? Thanks.

[nancyn28]

What plan are you gonna do? That makes shopping much easier.

On Atkins....staples are eggs, cheese, steak, chicken breasts, broccoli, cauliflower, salad stuff, tuna, mayo....

Other plans might have other staples as the protein/fat content may differ....

[mike_d]

Butter, the whipped kind is good without added salt.
Heavy cream
Lite Salt (its high in potassium)
Walnuts are the best nut if you are allowed them.
Flax meal
Sardines and tinned salmon
pepperoni & pork rinds
turkey dogs
salsa and peppers
Lemons or lemon Juce
unsweet cocoa
SF peanut butter
cream cheese, Swiss cheese and parmesan
fiber supplement

[Jenn123]

My shopping list is simple:

Clean meats (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb, etc...)
Eggs
Cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, sticks, slices, etc.)
Vegetables (excluding carrots, corn, peas, and potatoes of course)
Condiments (olive oil, seasonings, butter, mayonnaise, LC BBQ sauce)

[Citruskiss]

It's pretty simple, no matter which plan you choose - just stick to the outside aisles for the most part - all fresh, whole foods.

So that's:

Meats, fish and eggs
Produce - low carb vegetables such as spinach, bagged salad, cucumber, broccoli, fresh herbs and so on. A package of tiny grape tomatoes is nice too.
Dairy - depending on your choice of plan - if Atkins, then heavy cream, hard cheeses - if South Beach, check the book, can't recall, but I think the dairy choices are lower in fat

Inside aisle choices:

olive oil, spices, fancy mustards, mayonnaise (read label for carb content), pickles (not the sweet kind), olives, tuna, canned salmon, salad dressings (read labels), Louisiana hot sauce (if you like it) and whatever other low-carb condiments and spices that appeal. Oh, and some dried parmesan cheese (the typical green can in the spaghetti aisle) comes in handy as a "breading" for chicken or fish (it's low carb too).

Beverages: bottled water, sparkling water, flavoured water sweetened with Splenda, some people drink coffee and tea, some of us drink diet sodas etc.

Other: I find it really handy to have ziploc sandwich bags on hand, I use them for leftover chunks of grilled chicken or measured portions of salad etc. If I find I'm eating too much cheese, I'll pre-measure and put the portion into a ziploc bag in the fridge.

Give yourself lots of time this first shopping trip - you'll need it because you'll be busy scrutinizing the labels (at least for those things found in the inside aisles) and it's a bit of a learning curve.

Happy Shopping!

Sara
PS - I avoid processed meats because a lot of them contain sugar, including seemingly innocent sliced meats at the deli counter. If you want sliced turkey or chicken, best to make it yourself - I know it's a hassle, but at least you know what's in it. Same deal with something like roast beef or what have you. For some reason, food companies love to put all sorts of additives (sugar!) into deli meats, sausages and so on. Again, read the labels when you're looking at things like bacon, sausages or hot dogs.

PPS - when reading labels for carb content of a particular product, pay attention to the "serving size" - because a lot of manufacturers will tinker with the serving size in order to make their product "low carb". I've seen frozen "low carb" wings ...but uh...that was for a 2 piece serving. Yeah right. As if anyone would eat just two wings. Same deal with some condiments...it might be "low carb", but the serving will be 1/4 teaspoon. If that doesn't seem like a reasonable serving, then don't buy it. I put those wings right back into the freezer after seeing that only 2 wings would cost me 3 carbs ('twas the seasoning they used).

[joesfolks]

It all depends on the plan my dear, but think of it like this. When you go to pick up something in the grocery store ask, "How close to the garden of Eden is this?" The more natural, less processed the food is the better. Of course we all eat some processed foods but this is a great place to start. Best wishes.

[Hismouse]

my frig is like this 1 shelf lc milk, cream and lc chocolate milk) hood brand. 2 shelf is diet sod , and bottles of water and green tea. 3rd is eggs, butter and fruit cup(for hubby) sf jello, sf pudding,4 the green shelf lettuce of all kinds, cuc, green onion , cilantro, brocceli, zuccunni, califlower, asparagus, yellow squash. the drawers, chesse and lot of kinds, the next drawer is fresh lunch meat lots of kinds, and hot dog(hubby) the frezzer is ground beef, chicken, talipia, shrimp, crab, pork chops chicken, steaks, country style ribs. big pak of spicy sasuages and egg pattys. And italian sasuages, and walnuts.