#anordinaryguide

[anordinarygirlsguideto]

An Ordinary Girl's Guide To: Groceries

It's so important to feed yourself, that's how you keep living. But, a lot of people enter a grocery store and all nutrition leaves their minds and their cart fills up with sweets and other junk. Don't get me wrong, I love the occasional sweet treat and bag of chips, but that will not be sustainable long term. So, I have a little step-by-step that might help you out!

Figure out what you're going to eat!

I usually do groceries weekly, so before making my trip I write out what I want for lunch/dinner and see what things I already have in my kitchen. For breakfasts I just keep it simple and eat basically eat the same 1-2 meals every day.

2. Budget, if you want.

I currently grocery shop for my family, so I'm not budgetting anything. BUT it can be useful because a lot of things have gotten expensive latley, including food. While at the store, if there is a cheaper option and I know the quality is alright, then I'll take it.

3. Choose a store.

Kinda optional, use what you have. Personally, I prefer Trader Joe's just because most of their items are relativley affordable and good quality.

4. Go shopping!

I ALWAYS start in the produce section, I also get most of my grocieries in the produce section. A lot of people in the US don't really eat the ammount of fresh produce that they should. To be fair, it is more expensive and there are places with food insecurites, but try your best! My typical order of putting things into my cart goes somthing like: produce, meat/proteins, dairy, bread/grains, frozen, flowers, and sometimes sweets. I try to avoid processed foods if I can, but they're not always as terrible as people make them seem. I also try to make my own sweet treats (and honestly all meals) at home so I can control how much is going into what I'm eating. However, there is no harm in getting a frozen meal or a meal kit, everyone has different schedules and budgets. My main thing is avoiding over-processed foods and eating lots of fresh produce.

5. Coming home.

Put everything away ASAP and assign times to cook. Some people cook everything at once and reheat during the week, I personally like cooking the day of (at most the day before) for maximum freshness. Try to use everything you've got! It might be scary to improvise but it'll be easier and more fun over time.

There you go, you just got groceries and started feeding yourself in a more life-sustainable way! Nobody is perfect, it's okay if your plate looks different from someone else. As long as you feel healthy and energized, that's all that matters!