So this week, I am approaching this article with the intent of it being a more useful article for everyday or every week. This article will be a good reference for you when you are grocery shopping or organizing your groceries when you get back home. People tend to struggle when looking for items at the grocery store that add a little variety to their diet. This will provide you with variety and hopefully inspire your future trips to the grocery store. Another tip is to change up the spices or seasoning that you use while cooking. You can continue to buy the same exact things but with different seasoning it makes a larger variety in your meals. I try to have Mexican inspired meals one night a week. I also like to add in low sugar balsamic vinegar on top of my vegetables for a different flavor or kick!

Some options that may help prepare for the week are stocking up on backups. I like to use frozen vegetables or meals as a back up during the week. I always have a couple sides and a couple entrees available in my freezer. They’re usually used on late night, or low energy nights. They’re a great stress reliever when you realize you have nothing planned or prepared for dinner! I typically grab frozen cauliflower-there are a lot of different brands that offer riced, mashed, and steamed cauliflower. These are easy because they’re already prepared in so many different varieties.

A large portion of my grocery shopping consists of finding fresh produce. I LOVE to stock up on vegetables for the week. Vegetables are a great way to add variety to your diet. There are so many different ways to cook them, season them, and serve them! I typically tend grab peppers, onions, asparagus, brussel sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower. I like to grab the premade bags of vegetables. My go to is the pre-riced cauliflower bags! You can cook it on the stovetop or in the oven and add whatever seasonings you want to it. There is recipes for buffalo cauliflower to stir-fry cauliflower rice

Another way to add variety to your diet is through your snacks. Try to mix it up throughout the week so you don’t get sick of one specific snack! I love fruit and there are so many different types of fruit to mix it up with!I usually grab one type of berry (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.). I also like to grab apples OR small oranges and peaches. I also like to grab lite cool whip to keep in my freezer for a late night snack. Atkins brand sells snacks that you can use to substitute when you are having a sweet craving. I prefer the chocolate mousse bars but there are other options as well! You can also grab snack bars, nuts, and so much more!

The most important part is my protein sources. I typically like to have frozen meals just incase but I usually like to eat chicken or fish. I eat steak rarely and don’t often purchase it from the grocery store. I try to buy ground chicken or turkey to use for prep meals or with my salads. I also like to buy thinly sliced chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken legs. If I know a busy week is ahead I like to buy a rotisserie chicken to have in the fridge just to heat up quickly. It’s a little fresher than frozen meals, so it’s a good alternative.

Overall, try to mix up your grocery shopping. Look for different vegetables each week. I typically base my decisions off of which ones look the freshest, or which taste I am craving. Look for different snacks each week; try to mix up the type of fruit, nuts, or snack bars that you buy. You can also add sweet snacks if you are having sweeter cravings! Most importantly mix up your proteins, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a different source but even different cuts can add a variety. Ground chicken can be cooked with different seasonings than chicken breasts or chicken thighs. If you are not comfortable with changing you grocery list, mix up you seasonings and how you cook your food!
Hopefully this will help add some new excitement to your diet. The more excited you are about your food and what you eat, the better outlook you have about this lifestyle!