How to Create Your Own Grocery List for Weight Loss

Are you struggling with creating your own grocery list for weight loss?

Well, what if I told you it’s easier than you thought?

And that once you do it a few times, you’ll be a healthy grocery shopping rock star?

That’s exactly what this article is going to provide. It’s your 1 stop shop to healthy grocery shopping.

If you follow every thing I lay out in this article, you’ll be good.

So make sure to read all of the way to the bottom.

Let’s dive in.

Creating Your Grocery List for Weight Loss

The first step to creating your healthy grocery shopping list for weight loss is to figure out your plan for the week.

How many calories are you going to eat?

And are you going to meal prep, ingredient prep, or simply plan out your meals?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this.

It’s whatever fits best into your lifestyle, which may require some trial and error.

Me personally? I plan my meals out for the week and buy my groceries based on those ingredients.

Once you have that figured out, you can begin to create your list.

Below, I’m going to break down this list into separate parts for you based on the type of food.

Vegetables

Both fruit and vegetables are going to be the first things you see when you walk into most grocery stores.

This is good though, because you can stock up on them while your cart is empty.

Before you give me the “BuT i DoN’t LiKe VeGgEtAbLeS”… I don’t care.

You’re an adult. You need to eat your damn veggies and stop whining.

I know, it’s harsh but it’s the truth. Sometimes, we have to do hard things that we don’t like.

Anyways, before I get off track – vegetables are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Therefore, they’re very healthy for you.

Another super power of vegetables is that they take up a lot of room in your belly which keeps you full longer.

Here is a list of common vegetables:

Green Beans	Kale	Cabbage
Celery	Brussel Sprouts	Broccoli
Spinach	Asparagus	Peppers
Lettuce	Cucumbers	Tomatoes
Egg Plant	Squash	Zucchini
Cauliflower	Mushrooms	Garlic
Onions	Carrots

Fruits

Can you believe there are still people who say fruit makes you fat?

Like… the f*ck are those people talking about? And yet, at the same time, they’re probably promoting putting butter in your coffee.

Pretty ironic, huh?

Nonetheless, I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”?

While that may not be entirely true since a lot more goes into staying away from the doctor, the point is that fruit is absolutely healthy for you and should be included on your healthy grocery list for weight loss.

Just like vegetables, they’re packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

They’re a bit more tasty though.

The fruit I’m talking about are whole sources of fruit, where you actually have to eat it’s originally form.

Not the processed fruit that is made into chips, juices, or snacks where all of the nutrients are sucked out of them.

Here are a some common fruits:

Apples	Bananas	Any Type of Berry
Oranges	Watermelon	Mango
Dragon Fruit	Peach	Avocado
Pineapple	Kiwi	Grapes
Grapefruit

Proteins

After you’re done shopping for your fruits and vegetables, protein is going to be next on your list.

Protein is important for your health, muscles, joints, bones, immune system, cells, and performance.

So you bet your booty that there’s more to protein than getting jacked and lean.

(I wrote an article all about it here if you want to read more into it.)

One thing I like to personally do is buy and cook protein in bulk so that I have it readily available for the week.

Then I mix and match other ingredients for my meals.

For example, let’s say I make shredded chicken for my protein. This is how I’d split it up over the next 3 days:

– Day 1 I’ll eat it with rice and broccoli.

– Day 2 I’ll eat it as chicken tacos.

– Day 3 I’ll eat it with a salad..

Super easy and simple. You’re limited by your imagination on this one.

And you can use any protein you like.

You can make different proteins each day, meal prep for the week, or ingredient prep like I do.

The main point is to buy protein and eat it. However you prepare it is up to you.

Here is a simple list of protein options:

Chicken	Turkey	Lean beef
Lean steak	Bison	Bison
Greek Yogurt	Cottage Cheese	Eggs/Egg whites
Fish	Lean Pork	Ham
Shrimp	Beans	Legumes
Tempeh	Tofu	Edamame
Protein Powder or Drink

Fats

Eating dietary fat has a few important functions and is not the enemy that it was once made to believe.

Eating sufficient dietary fat:

• Provides your body with energy
• Helps make and balance out hormones
• Forms cell membranes
• Forms your brain and nervous system
• Helps transport and absorb certain vitamins
• Gives your body two fatty acids that are important for your health that you can’t make on your own: Omega-3 and Omega-6

Therefore, you want to make sure you get in enough so you can feel and perform your best.

If you don’t, you may feel like doo doo.

Fat’s are typically going to be found in the meat section via higher fat meats, the dairy section, and in the middle isles which is where your dressing and oil will be located.

Here are a list of my favorite fat sources:

Avocado	Olives	Egg Yolks
Cacao	Fattier cuts of meat	Oils (olive, avocado, coconut)
Coconut	Cheese	Marinades and Dressings
Nuts/Seeds	Butter/Ghee	Omega-3 fatty acid supplement – can be found in supplement section
Nut Butters	Cream

Carbs

Think of carbs as fuel for your muscles to work hard.

Plus, glucose (from carbs) is the brain’s main source of energy.

So, if you want your brain and muscles to perform well, get your carbs in.

Some other things carbs can help with:

• Reducing stress
• Improving sleep
• Preserving muscle
• Digestion
• Satisfying your pallet

Ideally, you want to eat mostly slow complex digesting carbs that keep you fuller longer and contain more nutrients.

Things like your whole grains, potatoes, vegetables, beans, lentils, rice, pasta, and fruit.

Yet, your simple quick digesting carbs, that basically have no nutrients like your sugary sweets, are still ok in moderation.

Here are a few healthy carbs options:

Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat, oats, popcorn)	Potatoes (Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, red potatoes, etc)
Rice (Brown rice, white rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, etc)	Breads (Whole Wheat, white, sour dough, multigrain, etc)
Pasta (white, whole wheat, chickpea, etc)	Fruits & Vegetables

Frozen items

If you’ve got a busy lifestyle and can’t find time to cook, frozen items are going to be your best friend.

Because let’s be real – a lot of us ain’t got time for that.

Here are a few of my favorite frozen items:

Frozen Fruit and Vegetables

They’re cheaper, last longer, and convenient.

Plus, they *could* lead to less bloating and gas since they’re steamed, which is always a nice thing.

So if you’re cheap and on a time crunch like me, then buy your fruits and veggies frozen.

You can unfreeze these in the microwave or mix in a delicious smoothie!

Frozen Meals

While I’m not a big frozen meal guy, they work really well for a lot of people.

They’re super convenient and can contain decent macros.

Just be careful and make sure to read the nutrition labels to make sure it does in fact have decent macros.

And you’re not buying a frozen meal that’s all fat and carbs.

I’d try looking for meals that have at least 20g of protein, a few grams of fiber, and vegetables.

Here is a link to some good frozen meal options.

Frozen Proteins

You can buy your lean protein frozen instead of fresh so it lasts longer.

This includes things like shrimp, chicken, fish, egg/egg white patties, turkey sausage, etc..

Again, just make sure to check the macros.

You don’t want to be buying a box of chicken nuggets that have more fat and carbs than protein.

Frozen Treats

Yes, you can even buy a few frozen – low calorie treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.

One of my favs back in the day were the Yasso greek yogurt bars and halo top ice cream.

You can check out a few more HERE.

Do yourself a favor and check out the frozen foods section.

Try new things.

See what you like and don’t like.

And go from there.

Low Calorie Snacks

Snacks can be very convenient – just be careful not to over do it.

Here are some of my favorites:

Beef Jerky	Low Calorie Popcorn	Protein Bars
Pretzels	Nuts	Greek Yogurt Mixed with Berries
Guacamole	Salsa	Hummus
Apples with Peanut Butter	Veggies and Dip	Fruit

Low Calorie Sauces, Dressing, Condiments

I’m a huge fan of low calorie condiments and dressings.

They make bland food taste better for little extra calories.

Now, if you decide to use a higher calorie version of these sauces, that’s fine.

Just make sure to measure out a serving because those calories can add up quickly.

G Hughes Brand Sugar Free Sauce (and other brands of sugar free sauces)	Mustard	Hot sauce
Ketchup	Balsamic Vinaigrette	Sriracha Sauce
Bolthouse Farms Dressings	Kimchi/Sauerkraut	Light Sour Cream
Light Mayo

Zero Calorie Drinks

Pretty basic here.

Stick to mostly water and save up on calories.

Water

Carbonated Water

Diet drinks that have zero calories – don’t drink your calories

5 Tips When Shopping For Your Grocery List For Weight Loss

In addition to creating your healthy grocery list for weight loss, there is also a science to navigating the grocery store.

One wrong move and you’re screwed.

Well… not literally but you get the point.

The grocery store is like a maze.

The outside of the maze is the safe spot where most of the healthy whole food options are.

While the inside of the maze (the isles), are where you can find yourself in trouble.

Luckily, I have a few tips to follow if you want to navigate the grocery store safely.

1. Stick to Mostly Whole 1 Ingredient Foods

Try to keep processed foods to a minimum.

Processed foods have a longer shelf life. They usually come in a package and contain multiple ingredients.

They’re scientifically made for you to eat more of them. Therefore, keeping them to a minimum is probably a good idea.

Your goal is to buy mostly single ingredient whole nutrient dense foods that are healthy and are hard to over eat.

2. Stick To The Outside of the Grocery Store

A typical grocery contains most of the health conscious foods on the outer walls.

While most of the tasty and delicious foods are in the middle, down the isles.

I call this no man’s land (I just made this up now).

Only the strong-willed survive here since you’re surrounded by delicious food.

Your best bet is to plan against this by not spending too much time down these isles.

Just like you’d walk along the wall in a dark room, try to imagine the grocery store as a dark room.

And only explore the middle if you have a plan and flashlight.

3. Don’t Fall Victim To The Checkout Lines

If you’ve noticed, the check out lines are packed with candy and treats.

It’s the one place everyone goes to check out and it’s a last ditch effort for you to fall victim to the treats.

Don’t fall for it.

Keep your eyes ahead and focus on paying for your groceries and getting out.

4. Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry for your Grocery List For Weight Loss

This may quite possibly be the worst thing you can do when shopping.

I’m sure you can relate.

Every time I go to the grocery store when I’m hungry, I come home with way more groceries, more money spent, and an angry wife.

Because everything looks so good.

Eat before you go and you’ll make better decisions and save some money as well.

5. Have a plan – Create a Grocery List For Weight Loss

I can’t stress this enough, which is why I wrote this whole article.

When you have a plan, you’re more likely to make logical decisions based on your brain vs your stomach telling you what to do.

Also, by having a list, you’re more likely to be more efficient. That way, you don’t spend an our in the store.

Bonus: Reading Food Labels

Reading a food label is like having a map to choosing high quality healthy foods.

Just like you look at a map to know where to go, you read a food label to know if you should buy this food.

Therefore, reading food labels is a must when building your grocery list for weight loss.

They look complicated but they’re actually pretty simple.

At the top you’ll notice a section that says serving size.

This is how big a serving of that food is.

Below that you’ll notice a bunch of numbers.

The amount of calories, protein, fats, carbs, and fiber listed are the amounts contained in1 serving.

So, if it says:

Serving Size: 151g

151g of that food would contain that amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs that’s on the nutrition label.

From there, you’ll see a big list of ingredients at the bottom.

This is important in case there are certain ingredients you’re trying to avoid.

The ingredient list is organized from the most contained to least contained.

Hope this helps! Now it’s time for you to create your grocery list for weight loss.

Happy shopping!

-Coach Bob

Ps. If you want to take your fitness to the next level and join the team, we can hop on a FREE consultation call HERE.

Pps. If you want a free fat loss guide that gives you all of the tools that you need to achieve your stronger and fit dream body, download my FREE Fat Loss Cheat Sheet HERE.