Food

        Here's a list of foods that I buy at the grocery store. I won't necessarily buy everything on this list all the time and not all at once. I'm not perfect in what I eat. I am always learning and improving my diet. I try to eat as clean as possible, cut out as many processed foods as I can and avoid foods with a lot of added sugars.

Legumes:
(low-sodium)

• Pinto beans
• Black beans
• lentils
• Tofu

Grains:

(Whole wheat and unbleached, NOT refined or enriched)

• Whole wheat tortillas
• Whole wheat pasta
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat bread
• Whole grain, organic, low sodium, low sugar cereals or as close as I can get to these. (I like Kashi or special K cereals)
• Quinoa 
• Organic Blue Corn Chips (I like Garden of Eatin)

Dairy:

I try to not consume very much dairy, in fact I usually don't buy dairy anymore. That being said, I might allow myself to have some if I go out to dinner or I am at someone's house.

• Low fat or part skim cheese
• Feta cheese (Fat free)
• Reduced Fat Cream cheese
• Fat Free Cottage cheese (good source of protein)
• Non-Fat Greek yogurt  (I like Chobani) 
• *Plain is also a good substitute for sour cream.
• Eggs (I personally prefer to buy organic eggs produced from cage free, grain fed chickens) 

Meat:

I don't eat red meats, they are harder to digest and can increase chances of hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity. This doesn't mean it will cause you to have health problems but it can increases the likelihood, especially if any of the diseases run in your family. If you still want to consume red meat, eat the least processed meat (no hot dogs, pre-made burger patties, etc.) and buy the meat with the lowest fat content.

• Chicken breast (basically, boneless & skinless chicken)
• Lean ground Turkey 
• Fish (salmon, catfish, tilapia, tuna )

Drinks:

(No soda, sports drinks, teas with added sugar, juices that have added ingredients and sugar)

• Water
• Tea (chai, green tea, chamomile, etc.)
• Almond milk or Soy milk (unsweetened)
• Coffee (as long as it's not with whole milk, caramel, whipped cream and sugar, etc.)

(To sweeten tea I use sugar in the raw though some people prefer Stevia which is a no calorie sweetener)

Fruits:

(not canned or pre-packaged, frozen is fine)

• Apples (applesauce is good too. make sure it is unsweetened)
• Tomatoes
• Oranges, Grapefruits, Tangerines, Clementines 
• Grapes
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Plums
• Peaches
• Lemons or limes
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Dried Fruit (such as craisins or raisins, no added sugars if possible)

Veggies:
(Fresh is best)

• Celery
• lettuce- spring mixes, baby lettuce, spinach, arugula
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Cucumber
• Bell peppers (every color!)
• Onion (white, red and green)
• Zucchini
• Broccoli 
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Olives (I prefer and only buy kalamata olives, and use them for Greek salads)

Seeds and Nuts:

(unsalted)

• Cashews
• Almonds
• Pistachios
• Peanuts (and peanut butter)
• Almond butter   
• Chia seeds
• Flaxseed

Other:

• Stir Fry sauce-Orange chicken, teriyaki, soy sauce etc. (Low sodium)
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Honey
• Salad dressing- Raspberry Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette or red wine vinegar (low fat, low sodium dressings) Red wine vinegar is a great option for salads if you like it and apple cider vinegar is delicious on fish.
• Mustard ( I don't use mayo or ketchup at all)
• Tomato sauce-low sodium and without all the seasoning and cheese, (ex. three cheese ragu sauce) Buying your own plain, low sodium tomato sauce and seasoning it yourself is a good option.
• Garlic and onion medley seasoning
• Black pepper
• Basil
• Garlic powder and fresh garlic
• oregano
• Cumin
• Curry
• Cinnamon 
• Paprika
• sea salt
• Larabars and Cliff Bars (snacks for on the go)
• Sugar in the raw and brown sugar (no refined/white sugar)
• Whole wheat flour
• Brown sugar- for baking
• Cocoa powder (unsweetened, for baking)
• Yeast (I use this to bake homemade bread sometimes)
• vanilla extract (good in pancakes)
• Baking powder
• Whey Protein 
• *For info on the kind of whey protein I use, go here.

*Tip: Read the labels, if you don't know what an ingredient is on the list, leave it. For example if I buy peanut butter, the only ingredient I want on there is peanuts. Sometimes it may contain sea salt which is okay, I just 
prefer it without.