grocery shopping

10 Foods Fit Women Need: Your National Nutrition Month Shopping List!

Written on March 19, 2013 at 9:29 am , by Karla Walsh

We’re right in the middle of National Nutrition Month—the perfect time for a pantry raid! We asked Allison Enke, R.D., a dietitian with Whole Foods Market, to help us examine our kitchen shelves and shopping lists to see if we’re picking the proper fueling foods. Keep reading for her picks for the 10 essential items active women need in their pantries, refrigerators and freezers. “These foods that are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients,” says Enke.

1. Oatmeal. Soluble fiber from oatmeal, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Click here for 11 fun ways our readers jazz up a usual bowl of oats!

2. Berries. A handful of frozen berries adds antioxidants and fiber to your morning smoothie or oatmeal. Blueberries are only 80 calories per cup, Enke notes, and they pack a powerful nutrition punch by supporting brain, eye and heart health.

3. Fish.  Fatty fish are one of the best foods sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids and also provide vitamin D, a critical nutrient that many women lack (it works with calcium to preserve bone strength). Enke keeps cans of ready-to-serve 365 Everyday Value Wild Alaskan Red Sockeye Salmon in her pantry to add to salads or to make salmon patties for a quick, healthy dinner.

4. Flaxseed.  Not a seafood fan? Flaxseeds are also rich in omega-3 fats, and they’re also filled with fiber. Mix a spoonful into oatmeal, Greek yogurt or smoothies to add flavor, texture and nutrition.

5. Quinoa. It contains all 9 essential amino acids as well as bone-boosting minerals like copper, phosphorous, iron and magnesium. Try it in one of these FITNESS fan-favorite meals.

To see the other five foods you should always have on-hand for quick, nutritious meals and snacks, click below.

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Save Major Cash on Your Next Grocery Trip

Written on May 3, 2012 at 1:11 pm , by FITNESS Intern

Written by Brittany Vickers, editorial intern

Are your cooking habits, or lack thereof, making you broke? Dining out regularly can rack up the calorie bill, not to mention deplete your wallet at lightning speed. We chatted with Teri Gault, savings expert and creator of The Grocery Game, about some of the simple ways to save your wallet and waistline.

What are some easy changes that we can make to save big bucks?

Cook more at home! Just start using simple cooking techniques that keep you in the long haul, so you don’t have to always “cook” when eating at home, like employing a slow cooker for meals two days a week. And don’t be afraid to brown bag it for lunch. One person buying lunch every day can potentially blow $3,000 a year!

Finally, keep an eye out for “secret” grocery deals once you’re in the store. Only select items are advertised, but you can still score a great deal— some of my best money-savers have come from unadvertised sales—and you may be able to nab something for free! If you don’t want to stress in the store, take a peek at grocerygame.com to see what’s available in your area.

What’s your biggest savings secret in the kitchen?

“Slow and easy” has been one of my secret weapons against the high cost of dinner for years. Use a slow cooker to save time and money. When you know you’re facing a busy day, take a few minutes in the morning to throw something in the slow cooker—it’ll save you time, stress and dollars because many items that typically go into those meals are inexpensive. It’s a total win!

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Fit Links: Best Grocery Picks and How to Sculpt a Gaga-Worthy Backside

Written on January 20, 2012 at 3:21 pm , by Karla Walsh

This week’s fit links from around the web:

• Not every food in the center aisles of the supermarket is bad for you. Here are some great kid-friendly, nutritious picks (and homemade swaps if time permits). — iVillage
• Gaga, ooh, la, la! Here’s how to get a booty like pop music’s first Lady. — Fit Sugar
• Try one of these five fun workouts if you’re new to working out or wanting to get your sweat mojo back. — Fitnessista
• A reasonable, doable action plan for when your jeans are feeling a bit too snug. — Meals and Miles
• So what if you’re not on the ranch? Steal motivation tricks straight from The Biggest Loser’s Bob Harper. — L.A. Times
• Pick a power snack to get more out of your mini-meals. — Q by Equinox

5 Packaged Foods That Are Actually Healthy

Written on November 23, 2011 at 2:15 pm , by SparkPeople

By Sarah Haan, Registered Dietitian, for SparkPeople.com

You’ve probably heard this advice before: For a healthy grocery trip, shop the perimeter of the store. But if you stick to this advice completely you’ll be missing out on some of the nutritious items that do come in packages. These packaged foods—not to be confused with “processed” foods—can give you some great nutrients and make meal planning easier, saving you precious time.

Here’s a list of the healthiest convenience foods you can buy from the center aisles of the grocery store.

1. Canned Beans
Though dried beans are cheaper than canned, they can take a lot of time to cook. Canned beans pack an impressive amount of fiber and protein and can be a quick addition to many meals. Pinto, kidney, cannellini (white kidney), black, Great Northern—name any bean, they’re all great sources of nutrition for your body. When you’re choosing your beans, look for ones without added salt or seasoning. Before using your beans, drain and rinse them in a colander when you’re ready to cook. This will help wash added sodium down the drain–40% of the sodium to be exact.

2. Oats and Flaxseed
Prepare to have a heart-healthy breakfast by combining old-fashioned oats and ground flaxseed, both found packaged in either cartons or bags. One cup of cooked oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed will give you 8 grams of much needed fiber, as well as a dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which each protect the heart. Choose old-fashioned oats over quick oats or instant oatmeal to ensure you’re getting the maximum amount of fiber without added salt and sugar.

3. Brown Rice
For a boxed fare that is both versatile and nutrient packed, pick up brown rice on your next grocery trip. This fiber-rich grain is a great side for nearly any meat, bean, and vegetable–or combination of all three! Try it with kidney beans, diced tomatoes and cilantro, or top it with shrimp, streamed carrots and broccoli with your favorite low-sodium sauce.

4. Tuna Fish Packed in Water
When it comes to getting a bang for your buck out of canned food, this is almost as good as it gets. This convenient food is high in omega-3 fatty acids and protein, and also gives you a good amount of vitamins D and B-12, too. Top a bed of greens with tuna, veggies, fruit and nuts or scoop it onto whole wheat pita, crackers or bread for a healthy combo on-the-go.

5. Frozen Berries
When it comes to meeting your daily fruit requirement, you can’t beat frozen. Many frozen berries do not have added sugar, but some do. Double check that the ingredients list contains berries to make sure you’re not getting extra calories from refined sugars. Then, add them to oatmeal, cereal, yogurt or make a smoothie.

Continued: 5 More Surprisingly Healthy Packaged Foods

More from SparkPeople:

The 22 Healthiest Fast Foods

Staff Picks: Healthy Fast Food Lunches

Get a Free Fitness and Weight-Loss Plan

Fit Links: Cost-Saving Grocery Tips and Biggest Loser Insider News

Written on September 23, 2011 at 4:23 pm , by Karla Walsh

• Savvy shoppers follow these tricks to eat well on a budget. — Iowa Girl Eats
• A weighty topic: Parents are more comfortable discussing drugs, sex and alcohol than their child’s waist size. — WebMD
• New trainer Anna Kournikova is blogging about each episode of Biggest Loser season 12! — Ladies’ Lounge
• Stock up on these seasonal eats that fight fat. — iVillage
• Maybe your brain cells are just to hot to handle…The fascinating reason why you might be yawning. — Huffington Post
• Hit the kitchen with your kids! Sesame Street is launching a cookbook. — Bites on TODAY