The 5 Foods I ALWAYS Include On My Grocery Shopping List!
My grocery list changes from week to week, “variety is the spice of life!”, but there are 5 foods that are always on my list: eggs, fermented foods, nuts & seeds, berries and cruciferous vegetables.
I try to incorporate these foods into my diet everyday thanks to their versatility and nutritional powerhouse status!
Why these specific foods you may ask?
Eggs, are a complete protein and provide all the essential amino acids our bodies use as the basic building blocks for growth & repair of muscles, bones, skin and connective tissue, regulation of hormones, creation of enzymes required for digestion and other chemical reactions and transportation of red blood cells. Plus, eggs are a great source of vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and choline.
With a small amount of practically every nutrient you require, whole eggs are among the most nutrient-dense foods in the world!
Nutritionist tip - I love to keep a few hard-boiled eggs in my fridge for quick meal prep or a nutrient rich snack to get me through the 3 pm work-day slump!
Fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, sourdough, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh and pickled vegetables, are an excellent source of probiotics. Probiotics help keep our gut microbiota healthy and strong by increasing the number of good bacteria and this in turns plays an important role in our physical and mental health.
Nutritionist tip - adding a tablespoon or two of fermented foods to your meals can be a great digestive aid and keep your gut happy!
Nuts & seeds, are an excellent source of healthy unsaturated fats, plant protein, fibre, vitamins & minerals.
Nutritionist tip - a little goes a long way! They are great to have on hand for a quick grab & go snack or to add as a topper on salads, soups, or yogurt. You don’t need to eat a lot of nuts and/or seeds to reap the benefits they offer e.g. the recommended serving size of walnuts is 14 halves.
Berries, like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, are lower in sugar than most fruits, a great source of fibre and packed with phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Nutritionist tip - if you can get your hands on wild blueberries (off season you can often find them in the freezer section at the grocery store), they have 2x the antioxidant levels vs. cultivated blueberries.
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, arugula, bok choy and collard greens, are AMAZINGLY healthy for us and in my humble opinion deserve a lot of love and more attention. The phytochemicals contained in these veggies help with digestion & detoxification, and have antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties. In addition, cruciferous vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, magnesium & zinc.
Nutritionist tip - chopping up your cruciferous veggies and letting them sit for 40 - 90 minutes before preparing/eating releases an important enzyme that helps with a chemical conversion making the nutritional content even greater!
These 5 foods provide all the macronutrients and a large percentage of micronutrients, as well as a broad spectrum of phytochemicals, fibre & probiotics, for the maintenance of good physical and mental health!
