our low carb life

I've had lots of friends and family ask me to go to the grocery store with them to help them get started on low-carb. Shopping for groceries on low carb will help you plan ahead, so be careful and don't get tempted to buy high-carb items. If you can take your lunch to work, plan on cooking more than you need for meals so that you can take left-overs for lunch - this makes taking your lunch a lot easier. Avoid the bakery section of your grocery store! One more suggestion - make a list and stick to it. Hopefully these guidelines will help you:

1. My first tip is to stay away from high carb breads, any type of sugary anything, chips, pasta, and potatoes.
2. At the deli, skip the premade salads - unless you can verify the salad has no added sugar. Look for meats and cheeses - most meats are no carb and most cheeses are no or very low carb. Deli meats and cheeses can double as a meal or a quick snack. Caution: honeyed & barbecued meats will normally have added carbs due to seasonings.
3. In the meat section, basically the sky's the limit. Choose carefully in buying any preseasoned or partially prepared items - be sure to check the labels. If you're busy, don't have the time to cook or you don't want to cook very often, double your recipes so that you can have 2 meals from 1 cooked meal. I like to buy a pork loin that is big enough for 2 or 3 meals. I also buy frozen chicken, frozen fish fillets and ground beef to keep these readily available for a quick meal. You might also include pork, beef or turkey patties for a quick meal.
4. Your seafood selection may be limited by the grocery store you shop at but most stores have frozen fish fillets and frozen shrimp - both are no carb (as long as they are not preseasoned or prepared). Fish fillets can be a quick meal fixed on the stove top, in a little olive oil with a little seasoning. Or they can be quickly prepared in the oven or microwave. I like to use precooked, frozen shrimp in salads - they thaw quickly in cold water and you can remove the tails and serve on a bed of lettuce - with grated cheese and olive oil and vinegar dressing.
5. Bread - yes, bread - be careful & carb smart when choosing your bread. Be sure to carefully check the labels - remember carbs - fiber (& - sugar alcohols) = net carbs. I buy bread that is 5 to 7 net carbs per slice.
6. For vegetables choose non-starchy items which include, cabbage, lettuce, coleslaw mix, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower and green beans.
7. Yes, you can have fruit when following a low carb eating plan. Choose from lower carb options like berries, peaches, and apples. Be sure to check carb counts before indulging. A small apple might have 11 carbs but a large apple could have 22 carbs or more. Stay away from higher carb options such as watermelon and grapes.
8. Low carb canned vegetable options include green beans, greens and spinach. Stay away from corn, potatoes, carrots, and beans. Look for low carb black soy beans - although you may have to visit a health food store for soy beans.
9. In the canned foods section, look for canned tuna or even some of the seasoned tuna options - but be sure to check for carb counts.
10. Beverages - unsweetened/artificially sweetened tea, soft drinks, koolaid-type sugar free drink mixes and coffee. We love the koolaid-type sugar-free drink mixes - these can really help with cravings for sweets.
11. Dairy options include cheeses, eggs & milk products. Most cheeses are no or low carb. Also, look for cream cheese. My husband eats cream cheese on toast for breakfast almost daily. Cream cheese is also great as a snack on vegetables or pork rinds. Eggs are always a good bet. Be very careful when choosing any milk products. Cream and low carb soy milk are your best bets. I buy the lowest carb count brand of soy milk I can find, which at my store is Eighth Continent Light Original Soy Milk. This brand of soy milk has only 2 net carbs per 8 ounce serving. My husband likes it "straight". I prefer it in coffee as a half-coffee/half-soy milk mix. I also like to drink protein shakes made with soy milk.
12. Chips & snacks - unless your grocery store sells low carb chip options, the only chips you will want to purchase is pork rinds. Pork rinds are usually no carb - be sure to check the label if in doubt. Nuts are a good option for a quick snack - just choose lower carb nuts.
13. This just about covers my "normal" grocery shopping list. Other additional items include: flax meal & vital wheat gluten (in the baking aisle for baking homemade low carb breads), low carb hot dogs & sausage, frozen vegetables, sugar-free flavored gelatin and low carb candy.