It’s possible to eat healthfully without spending a fortune at the grocery store this holiday season. And Mary Jackson, manager at Medical Weight Loss Clinic’s Chesterfield location can attest to it. As a single mother with three children she feeds her family very healthy foods year-round. Mary says you just have to know what’s in season and shop accordingly.
Zucchini makes a great pasta substitute.
When fruits and vegetables are in season, you can buy them in bulk and save money, too. Keep an eye out at the grocery store for deals like 10 for 10 – especially when it comes to basic ingredients that keep well. For a family like hers, Mary said rice is a great way to make filling meals. “We add vegetables and spices to flavor it in different ways,” she says.
If rice isn’t on your healthy program though, think green.
“Stock up on fresh vegetables or wait for a sale,” Mary suggests. And then when you have a bounty of them, consider different ways to use then vegetables. Because root vegetables are at the end of their season, stock up and try ricing or making the vegetables into noodles. Zucchini, for instance, can be shaved into “zoodles,” blanched for about 30 seconds to remove excess water and then frozen for future use.
“Zoodles make a great base,” Mary says. “They take on the flavor of whatever you’re making.”
She also keeps minced garlic and minced onions stowed away in the freezer, too. When you buy a bag of onions it can be challenging to cook or use them all. Grab a handful, mince and prep them and you’ll have what you need for any recipe at-the-ready in your freezer.
Just because the weather is cold, Mary says, you don’t have to miss out on fresh herbs. Instead of drying the herbs from your garden, move them inside or freeze them for future use.
Sticking to a healthy plan and a budget does require some insider intel.
Mary says when you shop might be as important as what you buy. Grocery stores like Nino Salvaggio refresh their fruits and vegetables every three days. That means, for early bird shoppers, it is often possible to get a great deal on fresh items about to leave the shelves. “Stock up if you get up super early,” she suggests.
Keep a keen eye on advertised sales or coupons for stores like Meijer, Kroger and Aldi. Mary said you can add those items to your online shopping Click List or make a trip to the store when you see a good deal to save on groceries.
Planning ahead is key.
“If you plan ahead, you don’t have to scramble to find something to eat,” she says. She often brings one or two healthy snacks with her just in case her schedule gets off-track on a given day.
“It’s just as important to eat as it is to eat the right things,” Mary adds. “You have to eat to lose.”
For her, there are a few go-to recipes that are always worth making. She makes stuffed peppers in advance and freezes extras individually so there is always a healthy option available. The peppers are stuffed with either ¼ cup cooked ground turkey or ¼ cup rice seasoned with cumin, cilantro and salt-free taco seasoning. Her kids like to mix both the turkey and rice together – and that works too.
Shop smart to save on healthy foods.
The peppers are then topped with grilled or roasted tomatoes that have been crushed to a fresh sauce. Add garlic, pepper, oregano and basil for even more flavor. Mary is a vegetarian, so she skips the turkey but often adds Medical Weight Loss Clinic’s vegetarian sloppy joe mix to add more protein to the dish.
Another option that’s as filing as it is delicious, Mary says, is vegetarian lasagna. She makes wide ribbon noodles out of zucchini and cooks down vegetables like onions, garlic and mushrooms to layer with egg and the layers are repeated and baked through.
No matter what you’re making for dinner this week, try out any of these tips to stretch your dollar and stick to your healthy goals at the same time.
Are you on the lookout for more tips and tricks to stay healthy? Contact us at Medical Weight Loss Clinic to schedule your free consultation online or by calling 1-800-GET-SLIM.
