Grocery Items

Our grocery bill is higher now that we are eating more healthy foods, and because our kids are getting bigger so they eat more.  This has been an adjustment for our budget, and for our tastebuds as we have moved away from heavily processed foods.  The plus side to both scenarios is that we spend less on doctor visits, and feel better physically than we did when our diet consisted mainly of processed foods.

For those of you who have a garden, (or a farmer's market) you may remember the satisfaction and contentment you feel eating fresh produce straight from the field. We eat many more fruits, vegetables, and grains at our house now.  Here are some typical grocery items found in our cart on a regular basis:

• Spinach - great in Green Smoothies, salads, on sandwiches
• Bananas, apples, oranges - great for snacks, in smoothies, for juice
• String cheese - great snack item, quick and portable protein source
• Cottage cheese - try it with fruit (we love pears and peaches) or with tomatoes for a delicious lunch.  Also great for snacks.
• Greek Yogurt - delicious with honey drizzled over it, excellent for tzatziki (a cucumber yogurt dip that is great with breads and sliced vegetables, also as a sandwich spread)
• Frozen fruit - berries and mixed - we use it in smoothies, on our granola, mixed in yogurt for a fruit dip
• Milk
• Eggs 
• Whole Wheat Bread - I am picky about this when I don't have time to make my own!

Other items that find their way on to our table are grains such as bulgur, quinoa, and brown rice, along with vegetables like sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots to name a few.