Smart Shopping for Phase 1

Read today's blog post and download the Phase 1 Shopping List while you're there

Plan to shop soon because over the next few days we are going to begin prepping for next week's meals.

A friendly reminder: Continue to go through your pantry and fridge to get rid of the foods that may tempt you next week. Continue to try recipes from later phases so you can be reminded that you're not going to be eating meals you'd expect on a diet. If you're doing this, make extras to freeze so you can have prepared meals at your fingertips in the upcoming weeks.


 

Shopping strategies

Bulk: The best place to buy herbs is in the bulk section because you can buy as little as you need. Most health food stores and co-ops have great bulk sections. The one I go to even has raw honey and extra virgin olive oil available.

Comparison shopping: Sadly, eating healthier is more expensive. (My opinion is that eating more nourishing meals is an investment in my health, so worth the extra money.) There are ways to save though. Prices can vary drastically on some products, especially non-perishables. For instance, organic coconut oil can go for as much as $20+ for a 16 oz. jar in some stores, yet be half the price at another store nearby.

Closeout stores: Using the above example, I've found the very best prices at the close out store Ocean State Job Lots. For just $5.99 I was able to buy a 14 oz. jar of organic extra virgin unrefined coconut oil. Organic extra virgin olive oil is also a bargain there as are some other products that are staples in my kitchen. Places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls also have random organic products, so check out their home section if you have one nearby.

The wonderful web: Shopping online is also where you can get some killer deals. We've done a lot of research to find the best prices for some of the key ingredients in a good number of recipes. If you visit the Our Favorite Products page you can see them in our Amazon storefront. Also there is some info on Vitacost.com who also has great prices. You can find coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, coconut butter, stevia, raw honey, raw apple cider vinegar, almond flour, fruit-juice sweetened cranberries and much more on this site.

Less common ingredients: You may not have heard of or know where to find some of the less common ingredients. Mostly they can be found in health food stores and co-ops or in the natural food aisle of most major grocery stores. If that fails, you can pretty much find anything online!