When I first began competing in 2009, I decided to rid my pantry of food items which contained unhealthy ingredients.  Things like bleached flour, granulated sugar, canned soups, dry soups, crackers and breads were cleared off the shelves.  Frozen dinners were tossed out, as were cheeses, cold cuts, cow’s milk, and juices.  I replaced those items with whole foods which I continue to stock on a regular basis.

 

Here is a list of items which I have on hand at least 95% of the time, if not constantly.  I also eat these items on a daily basis:

• eggs
• boneless, skinless chicken breast
• ground turkey
• ground beef
• orange roughy or tilapia
• old fashioned oats
• brown rice
• rice cakes
• whole wheat pasta
• marinara sauce
• whey protein isolate
• P28 Bread Products
• spinach leaves
• asparagus
• romaine lettuce
• cucumber
• green peas
• green beans
• yams
• apples
• prunes
• bananas
• almond butter
• raw almonds
• raw walnuts
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• almond milk

 

With respect to pantry items, I always have:

• green tea bags
• ground coffee
• tomato salsa
• hot sauce
• oat flour
• couscous
• cream of wheat
• a LARGE variety of all types of spices

 

Occasionally, I will purchase:

• firm Japanese tofu
• fresh salmon filet
• flank steak
• Fage Nonfat Unflavored Greek Yogurt
• Nonfat feta cheese
• Spicy Hummus

 

I make sure to avoid stocking forbidden foods for the most part, though I do admit that there are a couple of gluten free cracker brands which I will purchase from time to time, as well as chocolate peanut butter, 70% cacao bars and a high protein granola.  Keep in mind that these items are RARE treats and for whatever reason I have enough willpower to let these items sit on the shelf for the vast majority of the time.

The key to shopping in a healthy fashion is to purchase whole foods and also be prepared to purchase these items at least once weekly for maximum freshness.

 

 

Stay tuned for segments on how to cook for a whole week so that you have all your food ready to go for a busy work schedule!