Shopping with Purpose

I forgot I was blind with that last post and made the letters entirely too small, lol.  Back to the large letters we go.  This post is going to show you how CHEAP, easy, CHEAP, plentiful and did I mention CHEAP food shopping can be.  

A few weeks ago I went out to food shop.  Food shopping is definitely an important vehicle in losing weight.  I find that the food I have in the house is the food I will eat.  This seems like a basic concept to understand but it's really not easy.  When we shop we are often swayed by sales, convenience and familiarity.  This is why I do most of my shopping at produce markets.  Everything is fresh and at it's peak so it doesn't have to be manipulated much before you eat it.  You have a vast assortment of food to choose from. Most importantly, and the thing that excites me the most, it's CHEAP!!!!  Because everything is fresh and the turnover is frequent, the prices are low, low, low.  

This is all of the food I got from one trip to the produce market!  This will last me for two weeks and even longer if I stretch everything out and store it properly.

Can you believe I got those baby heirloom tomatoes $1.50!??!?  Asian pears are my absolute FAV fruit and I got 2 1/2 pds of them for less than 5 bucks!

This is a starfruit and pommelo.  The produce market is a GREAT place to try new fruits and veggies.  I think I paid about a buck and a half for the starfruit and I was happy with the investment, lol.  It was tangy and very juicy.  The pommelo was like a thick skinned grapefruit and it only set me back $1.69.

These are the beginning of the best tomatillo salsa I'd ever had.  The recipe is really simple and easy.  Included are some hot cherry peppers, tomatillos, cilantro, and purple onion.  This made PLENTY!  I had enough for some flank steak tacos I made that evening and plenty to snack on for days to come.  Also in the back are some diet Hansen sodas.  I typically stay away from pop, diet or regular, and choose to drink water, seltzer and green tea.  For those times I want something a little different I like Hansen sodas because they're natrual, no dyes or anything, and they have awesome flavors.  I believe that day I purchased ginger ale, tangerine lime, and kiwi strawberry.  At $0.89 they were a bargain.

Now, I didn't buy this AT the produce market but it did come from a store that has a famously well-stocked produce section.  I like buying bulk garlic because I can be lazy and peeling garlic isn't always in the forecast.  Plus, this container cost like $3.00.  If you compare how much is in that container to how many bulbs you can get for that amount, you come out better getting it already prepped.  I don't know how well you can see my spinach, but it's there in the back.  I LOVE buying it this way because that whole container was $3.44 and I can use what I need and because it's in that lovely plastic container it keeps FOREVER!  Seriously, I was using that same spinach almost three weeks after I bought it and it was still fresh.  Also pictured is one of my favorite snacks...spinach dip.  You see the ginormous container of  it on top but it's blocking the well portioned amount along with the cucumbers, grape tomatoes and carrots.  It cost $6.00 but I often eat it for lunch and treat it like a salad so when I think of it that way the price is comparable to many fast food salads.

Yellow squash and zucchini how I love thee, lol.  These are my go to veggies for many reasons.  You can prepare them a million different healthy ways and they're just delicious.  You can leave them raw and add incredible bulk to any salad.  They last forever in a vegetable crisper drawer in your refrigerator and most importantly they're so inexpensive.  I got over three pounds of squash for just under $5.00.  

It embarrasses me to say these blackberries never made it in the fridge, lol.  I LOVE them so much they never do! They're sweet, juicy and a dieter's dream.  I will say I prefer them fresh opposed to putting them in my morning protein smoothies.  The seeds become a bit bothersome for me.  These delicious nuggets are made for snacking though!

This really has nothing to do with the price of tea in China (pun intended) but as I was putting all of my food up I came across my infuser pitcher and decided to share it with you.  My drink of choice is typically green tea.  It's low in caffeine which means I don't have to worry about having the jitters all day.  It's natural which is always a plus. I find that if I'm hungry and have about 4-8 oz that it suppresses my appetite. I like to get the flavored varieties so that I don't get tired of drinking the same thing and I have a little medley to choose from.  Plus, it helps boost your metabolism and anyone trying to lose weight can appreciate that.  I bought this infuser pitcher at Target for about $11.00.  If you look inside you can see the wand that encases whatever you place in there to infuse into your water.  I place the bags in there, fill the pitcher up and let it set typically overnight because I like for the flavor to bloom as long as it can.  If I'm looking to switch it up I take a seedless cucumber, scrape the middles out and place them inside the wand and you have refreshing cucumber water.   

Some other things that I bought that I didn't take a picture of were kale and swiss chard.  I've just recently got into swiss chard and it's one of my favorite veggies right now.  Very filling and tasty and easy to whip up.  Same with kale.  Kale is SO versatile.  I like it raw mixed in to bulk up my salads.  I like it sauteed with shallots and other fixings. I also like it baked with chili powder to make kale chips and a bunch was only $0.89!!! All that nutrition and deliciousness for under a dollar!  Even fast food drive thrus don't offer that!

These are my receipts from my shopping trip.  I tried to blow them up as well as I could so you could see how much everything actually cost.  The total for my shopping trip was $58.80!!!!  Being honest, when was the last time you were able to get enough food to last for 2 weeks for under $100.00???  I know some of you are saying, "Well, you didn't purchase any protein!"  I tend to buy protein as I need it so that nothing goes to waste.  I usually buy it from the seafood counter at the well-stocked grocery store and find that the prices are beyond reasonable.  A half pound of FRESH, medium, pre-prepped shrimp are $6.00. You can can get two meals out of a half pound of shrimp if you bulk it up with less expensive veggies. A filet of ruby red trout costs $4 or $5.00.  If you spend wisely, you can eat for two weeks using $100.00 or less, protein included.

I know this entry was a bit lengthy but it was something I really wanted to share with you all.  People can have you believing that taking charge of what goes in your body and making healthful decisions can ruin your pocketbook and that just isn't true.  For me, I am on an EXTREMELY fixed income and find that eating healthy is cheaper than shopping mainstream grocery stores.  It's all about shopping wisely and utilizing your resources.  In my ideal world I would grow a garden so that I can just go outside and harvest what I wanted to eat day to day...but until that happens you'll see me frequently strolling through the produce markets looking for the best deals.  I will post future grocery trips with different tips and food items and of course my receipts.  Until then, Happy Shopping!!!