Everyday Systems

Or as they say, Foods to Live By.



Healthy Foods Shopping List
Use this list as a starter to help restock your kitchen with good-for-you foods.

Grains
Make sure any whole-wheat products you buy are labeled 100% whole wheat.
Brown rice
Steel-cut oatmeal
Whole-grain or oat breakfast cereal (Cheerios, Kashi cereals, Grape Nuts)
Whole-grain pizza dough/crust
Whole-wheat or whole-grain bread
Whole-wheat pasta
Whole-wheat pitas or tortillas

Canned/Jarred Items
Black beans
Olives
Sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
Tomato sauce (no added sugars)
Tomatoes: whole, crushed, or diced
Unsweetened fruit
Vegetable or chicken stock/broth (low-salt)
White beans

Dried Fruits and Nuts
Nuts should be raw, rather than roasted or salted.
Almonds
Dried cranberries and apricots
Pistachios, chopped
Raisins
Walnuts and hazelnuts

Condiments and Spices
Balsamic vinegar
Canola oil, regular and spray-on
Chocolate, dark (not milk) with at least 70% cocoa
Cinnamon and nutmeg
Extra-virgin olive oil
Honey
Low-sodium soy sauce
Mustard
Real maple syrup
Red pepper flakes
Turmeric or curry powder
Wine vinegar

Refrigerated Items
Eggs
Feta cheese, low-fat
Milk, skim or low-fat soy
Orange or grapefruit juice (100%) with pulp
Part-skim mozzarella cheese
Yogurt with active cultures (probiotic), low-fat
Sour cream, low-fat

Poultry/Fish
Chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless
Chicken thighs, skinless
Deli meat, sliced and skinless (not processed cold cuts)
Salmon fillets, skinless
Whole fish or fillets: trout, tilapia, snapper, or sea bass

Frozen Food
Blueberries and raspberries, frozen and unsweetened
Fruit sorbet
Vanilla frozen yogurt, nonfat or low-fat

Health Foods
Chia seed
Flaxseed
Soy protein powder

Fruits and Vegetables
Stock up on plenty of fresh fruits and veggies from each color group, but don't buy more than you'll be able to eat in a week. Fruits and vegetables lose their nutrient goodness when they sit around.

Blue/Purple:
Blueberries, blackberries, plums, eggplant

Orange/Yellow:
Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, mangoes, pineapple

Red:
Tomatoes, cherries, cranberries, red peppers, red apples

Yellow/Green:
Avocados, broccoli, spinach, kiwifruit, lemons, limes

White/Green:
Garlic, onions, bananas, mushrooms

Is this your list, or did you find it somewhere?

Much of it is in my kitchen, with slight variations.

I prefer 2% milk, and buy old-fashioned oats instead of steel-cut. I like dried figs, so they're on my pantry list; I make my own chicken stock and freeze it, so it's not.

Though I mostly go "whole grain," I make an exception for pizza crust and tortillas. Taste factor wins there.

I'd add in dried and frozen pasta - they make such great "quick meals" that they prevent running out for fast food. And fresh basil (which I grow) HAS to be on the list somewhere!

Also, I get dried beans as well as canned. Especially in winter, they're great for soups/chili/etc. On the canned list, I'd add canned tuna in water.

Interesting list!

I am so sorry, I guess the heading didn't show. It was from Eating Well website.

It is a good place to start and then each family can add or substract depending on their personal preferences. I hear more and more people say, I have no idea what to buy in the store.

Strawberry Roan wrote:I am so sorry, I guess the heading didn't show. It was from Eating Well website.

Oops! It was there, but I didn't notice it. My bad.

Interesting! Thanks for posting.

A nice spin-off would be "what do you DO with that stuff?"

What you do with it is use the excellent recipes on their website. I have a number of their cookbooks although I don't always eat well.

KCCC wrote:Is this your list, or did you find it somewhere?

Much of it is in my kitchen, with slight variations.

I prefer 2% milk, and buy old-fashioned oats instead of steel-cut. I like dried figs, so they're on my pantry list; I make my own chicken stock and freeze it, so it's not.

Though I mostly go "whole grain," I make an exception for pizza crust and tortillas. Taste factor wins there.

I'd add in dried and frozen pasta - they make such great "quick meals" that they prevent running out for fast food. And fresh basil (which I grow) HAS to be on the list somewhere!

Also, I get dried beans as well as canned. Especially in winter, they're great for soups/chili/etc. On the canned list, I'd add canned tuna in water.

Interesting list!

I could have written KCCC's list, with a few exceptions. With the exception of whole grain bread and rolled oats, I use no whole grain products. It's a taste thing. And, with the exception of 2% milk, I use no reduced-fat products. I use real butter, too. Oh, I also don't have chia seeds, flax seeds or soy protein powder. I rarely use/eat dark chocolate. I do usually have tuna in water, but also in olive oil.

My ideas of "what's healthy" have changed a lot in the last few years, and while low-fat things may be useful for weight loss, I don't think they're necessary for health. In fact, most have additives that I think are unhealthy. My idea of "low-fat" is to use less, consume smaller amounts and eat the high fat things less often.

I do think there's a lot missing from the list.

I'm with Wosnes on the low fat products. I much prefer the "regular" versions of cheese/most products and use butter, olive oil, etc. I buy 2% milk for the family and for cooking, though I'm not a milk drinker myself. We do some whole grain products but not always. Just depends. I figure if we are eating mostly -- but not exclusively -- "from scratch" fare at home and getting a fair amount of fruits and veggies in most of the time, that's decent enough.

Just want to let anyone new to No S that this is absolutely not a requirement for No S. Many adherents do get to the point as time goes on that they choose more and more fresh or whole foods, but that is entirely individual. I just got back from a trip and ate a fair amount of restaurant and fast food. Gained one pound that I have since lost, not that we're counting. Start with Vanilla No S!

oolala53 wrote:Just want to let anyone new to No S that this is absolutely not a requirement for No S. Many adherents do get to the point as time goes on that they choose more and more fresh or whole foods, but that is entirely individual. I just got back from a trip and ate a fair amount of restaurant and fast food. Gained one pound that I have since lost, not that we're counting. Start with Vanilla No S!

Good point, oolala! You are quite right! It's easy for old-timers to forget that discussions about "what goes on the plate" are "advanced topics" - and can scare off some folks if they don't realize that it's quite optional!

Good points all,

I guess they called the list a starter as it offered SOME guidance to those that really don't know where to begin. We eat a lot of the items listed but like others said, eat other things as well.

I do use recipes from their website all the time, I was printing out their banana bread recipe when I saw this list the other day.

oolala53 wrote:Just want to let anyone new to No S that this is absolutely not a requirement for No S. Many adherents do get to the point as time goes on that they choose more and more fresh or whole foods, but that is entirely individual. I just got back from a trip and ate a fair amount of restaurant and fast food. Gained one pound that I have since lost, not that we're counting. Start with Vanilla No S!

This. Oh VERY THIS.

I did vanilla No-S for about six months before I added any serious mods. (Low carb and defining S as SOCIALIZING, as nibbling all day on an ordinary weekend wasn't helping). I STRONGLY believe that several good, solid months of vanilla before adding mods is crucial to making the long term habits work.