Every Sunday I head to Whole Foods for my weekly food shop. I’ve shopped at many grocery stores, but I find that time after time Whole Foods has proven to be my favorite place to purchase my groceries. I try to buy organic whenever possible and I can always rely on Whole Foods to have organic food and reliable brands that I love. Lately people have been asking me what I buy when I go food shopping, so I hope this post can give you a glimpse inside my shopping cart 🙂

Below I will break down my favorite healthy foods to buy in each category:

Produce Section:

I buy a TON of bananas because I love to freeze a bunch in the beginning of the week so I can use them for making smoothies (be sure to always remove the skin before freezing). I also use mashed bananas in my oatmeal and eat bananas with almond butter as an afternoon snack before my workout. I always buy berries as I love eating them as a snack or adding them as toppings to my oatmeal or smoothie bowls. Apples and pears are great as well because they are low glycemic. I also make sure I always have lemons and avocado on hand because I use them in many of my recipes.

I love all vegetables, but the ones that most commonly end up in my cart are kale, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, broccoli, asparagus, onions and butternut squash. I also have an obsession with sweet potatoes!

My favorite herbs are basil, parsley, mint and cilantro (always fresh). I incorporate them in smoothies and many of my main meals.

Bulk Aisle:

Whole Foods has one of the best bulk aisles I’ve ever seen! I stock up on raw nuts, gluten-free flour (brown rice flour, buckwheat flour and coconut flour are my favorites) and dates. I try to avoid other dried fruits because they have a higher sugar content than fresh fruit.

Superfoods & Snacks:

I love to snack on kale chips, organic macaroons and raw, vegan granola bars. There isn’t a superfood that I don’t love, but I always buy chia seeds, hemp seeds, acai powder, cacao nibs, flax seeds, maca powder, spirulina, goji berries, mulberries and pumpkin seeds.

Protein:

My favorite sources of protein are fish and chicken. I try to avoid red meat and probably only eat it a few times per year. Sea bass and salmon (only buy wild salmon – much healthier than farm raised) are the fish I buy most often. I like to buy a rotisserie chicken because it’s already cooked and is easy to incorporate into salads or main dishes. I also like chicken burgers, chicken sausage and lean ground chicken. Below is a photo of my favorite chicken burgers and chicken sausages sold at Whole Foods. I make sure any chicken I eat is organic and does not contain any nitrates, antibiotics or MSG.

I am not vegan, but often like to make many of my meals vegan. My favorite source of vegan protein is chickpeas- I make a vegan chickpea curry that is delicious and I will post the recipe for it soon 🙂

Healthy Grains & Legumes:

I used to restrict carbs from my diet, but never found any advantage to doing so. I believe “everything in moderation” and as long as I am eating healthy, natural and organic some carbs won’t hurt me – I just keep the portion small. It is also about making smart choices such as choosing brown rice over white rice. My pasta is usually brown rice noodles or lentil noodles. I use almond meal or buckwheat flour in place of white flour. Below are my favorite pasta, rice, flour and legumes.

Obsession for Nut & Seed Butters:

I put almond butter or cashew butter on toast, in smoothies and drizzled over my oatmeal. I also use nut or seed butters to make healthy sauces. These are some of the healthiest fats you can eat and healthy, unsaturated fats are SO important for your body. Always make sure the only ingredient in the nut or seed butter is just the nut or seed. Aim for raw and organic as well.

Frozen Aisle:

I buy lots of frozen fruit for my smoothies. It is preferable to use frozen fruit in a smoothie so you don’t have to add ice, as ice will water it down. You can also find the acai packets in the frozen aisle.

In addition to frozen fruit, I stock up on guilt-free ice cream. I usually buy ice cream made with cashew cream or coconut cream. However, now and then I definitely splurge on real cream-based, full-fat ice cream. Below are a few of my favorite healthier frozen treats:

My love for dark chocolate:

I have an addiction to dark chocolate and never go a day without having a piece. I try to make sure it is at least 70% cacao and always go for organic. I keep a stock of chocolate bars, dark chocolate peanut butter cups and vegan chocolate macarons. I can’t fit all of my favorite chocolates into this post, but here are a few:

Other miscellaneous items:

There are many more items that I purchase such as unsweetened organic almond milk, freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, ezekiel bread, oatmeal, raw buckwheat granola, and the list goes on. Below are a few more miscellaneous items I often buy.

Salad Bar:

Often I have a busy day or night and don’t have time to cook. The salad bar is a life saver on days like these. I try to fill my plate with mostly veggies. I make sure to add some protein and healthy fats to every meal as well. If I need some extra energy I add a small portion of carbs such as brown rice.

My husband and I are a great team 🙂  He pushes the cart and I do all the shopping!