I returned from an early morning trip to Shop Rite and unloaded, as the rain poured down, making that odd sound on my hallway skylight! I decided that this would be a great opportunity to show my weight loss readers about how I shop, and how I feed all the different nutritional needs of my family, which is no easy task. I have four different people with four different needs and goals in my family, as I am sure you have in yours.
1) The athlete in training. He consumes vast quantities of calories, and also tends to be a picky eater. This combination is difficult, as he really has to "want" the food, since he could pretty much take or leave food, and will leave it if it is not appetizing. I realize he won't starve. I know that, and I never stressed about the fact that he never ate anything except Gerber's Meat Sticks and formula for the first 2 years of his life. Eventually, he ate...albeit mainly from two food groups, meat and sugar....but he eats. The boy child trains 7 days per week, six of those days are running days. He is trained by the coaches and trainers at the high school, with supportive care from my physical therapist, Kasey. So my role is to provide support and nutrition as he makes his way through the seasons. Any meat I prepare, he will eat (as long as there is no visible fat). I spent my youth dissecting meat and removing all fat and traces therof, so this is no great surprise. DNA results in some unwelcome traits, this being one of them. I stock Nutella (which we put inside a pancake sandwich, or soft whole wheat bread), donuts, brownies, roast beef, turkey sausage, bacon, eggs, protein powder, chocolate whole milk, cheese, pizza rolls, V8....just to begin. I always have junk food in the house for him, as he continuously eats from the moment he arrives home from practice until he goes to sleep at midnight (or later if there is more work than usual).
2) The normal Child....who eats a normal healthy diet, but has a sweet tooth (big surprise living here!). Things will probably change as she makes her way through middle school, as her sports season is starting up again and she has re-started her training again. Again this Spring she will run for the track team, and do the mile. She wants to work hard at this event, as her big brother took the gold medal for the county in the Mile Run last June. She wants it for her age group and I think she can get it of she chooses to focus on this. It's all her choice, until high school, she can do as little or as much as she wants.
3) The Hubby: Junk food lover, health diet eater....he has a great blend of both kids' eating habits. Twice a week he takes the "trough" to work (the huge lunch bag that we affectionate refer to as the trough... with it's click on strap that makes it like a feed bag, lol). We are working on eating leftovers, which he isn't good at. I think his childhood in a house that was very thrifty led him to rebel and refuse leftovers. I'm okay with this because I either eat them myself, or I make just enough not to have leftovers.
4) Me. We've discussed my odd eating habits before, here. Guilty as charged...I have odd eating habits. I eat an extremely limited diet, but I work diligently to make sure I always have the chosen foods in-house.
As I unloaded my groceries, I took a few photos to show what I purchase, and how I aim to create a nutritional environment that works for our family. Here is lunch - sardines in water and tomatoes. These were the first decent tomatoes I purchased in months! :) This leads me to show my restocked area of my refrigerator... just for me. The girl child knows to keep her hands off my yogurts & cottage cheese. She is welcome to her own yogurts (on shelf below, not pictured) but mine, not so much!
This pic also shows my absolute favorite drink, Barq's Diet Root Beer. Sigh. Love it so!
The first department I always hit is the fruits and veggies. It also happens to be the department I hit most frequently because I have to replace the fresh stuff a few times per week. It's clear that Campbell's soup doesn't spoil, but I cannot say the same thing for my broccoli crowns. On the counter...
And in the crisper drawer...
Then comes the top fridge shelf, with milk and other dairy products...
It even includes the leftover light coconut milk from last night's chicken curry. I purchased Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" cookbook last week, and made her version of the expedited, simple Chicken Curry. Reviews were good. Anyone want the recipe????
Finally, my favorite popcorn (15 calories per cup) was half price at Shop Rite. Can't beat that....
You see the butter dish on the counter in that pic (above)? Before marrying hubby, I had never in my life heard of anyone leaving butter on the counter top, nowhere near the fridge! I learned that midwesterners, frequently those in the northernmost parts of the midwest, do not refrigerate their butter. Seeing that he is almost from Canada, this makes more sense than it does here in the Garden State. But we have been doing this now for almost 20 years, and to my knowledge, no one has been sickened by our softened butter. So score one for the midwesterners! :)
Anyway, tips for this week...for those striving to achieve a fitter lifestyle...and to my Mom's weight loss group (shout-out!)....1) keep up the diligent food records 2) up your exercise, and really sweat. Make the MOST of your exercise time by elevating your level of strenuousness (if it is ok w/ your doctor, that is). You should need a shower every single time you exercise...it's your time, make the most of it. 3) MEAL PLANNING! If you have the foods you need, you won't stray from your plan, or at least you are less likely to stray. If you can have appetizing and satisfying foods ready for the picking, you will go to them first. Set up your lifestyle to make things EASY on you. It's hard enough having to limit what you eat. If it's too hard, you will find yourself more easily going in a nutritional ditch. Plan, plan, shop and then relax and eat!
Happy Monday to all! xoxo
oh my gosh!!!! I remember those gerber meat sticks!!! that seems like a lifetime ago. :) Love that yogurt, by the way. my favorite flavor is peach. yum......
Posted by: Em | February 28, 2011 at 08:02 PM
When I look in my fridge I'm happy when there is food and none of it looks like a biological experiment :)
Posted by: Scott | March 03, 2011 at 09:24 AM
love the photos of the fridge- real art photos- like william eggleston!
boop
Posted by: boop | March 04, 2011 at 04:36 PM