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We’re entering a time zone where suddenly, 24 hours feel more like 14, and 10 things to do feel more like 30: It’s the holiday season, and it will seriously mess with your diet, workouts, sleep. Oh, and it will definitely stress you out. For most of us, maintaining a healthy routine is infinitely harder between now and January than the rest of the year (when, mind you, it wasn’t really ‘easy,’ either). So even the best of us resort to takeout to avoid the extra trouble of cooking. But eventually pizza, sushi, and french fries start to make you feel really gross. Which is why you need an emergency grocery list.
The last time I entered a cooking slump, brought on by back-to-back travel, visitors and busy days at work, I got desperate. One more plastic package of sushi and I was going to explode; I needed some groceries, but I was too stressed, tired and busy to deal with recipes, shopping lists, and grocery shopping. Let alone cooking the actual food. So I emailed Aimee Gallo, my Holistic Nutrition Coach and owner of Vibrance Nutrition and Fitness, explaining (frantically, like a crazy person):
I’m having a nutrition “emergency” — I’ve been super busy and just not eating normally at all, but I feel overwhelmed by the idea of shopping and cooking food that I can bring to work. So I’ve basically been eating out or ordering food consistently, and I feel like total shit! I wish I had a magic list of ingredients to go get that would give me meals for a couple of days with the least possible time and effort required. HELP.
Despite my worst fears that she would tell me to grow up and deal with it like every other sane adult, she answered my request kindly, helpfully; with a list that I have since committed to memory (i.e. saved on my iPhone). You should do the same. Print it, laminate and put in your wallet. It’s simple (that’s the point), but when you’re sleep-deprived, strapped for time and up to your ears in deadlines and Christmas parties to attend, you need this written out and ready to go. Here’s Aimee’s list, with some of my own modifications and additions:
That is an interesting grocery list you’ve got there. I would certainly include in my personal faves, like nuts and grains too. :) Just a thought. :) http://theseedexperience.com/
Good list! If you are okay with occasional fish, my favorite quick meal+leftovers is a bag of shredded cabbage, a few cans of tuna, a few cups of nonfat Greek yogurt, and a couple tablespoons of mayo (I just add these until it’s tuna-salad-y enough). Salt and pepper to taste and a little minced onion or shallot if I’m feeling ambitious. I portion it out into individual containers to grab for lunches and put it on toast.
Oooh, Meredith, canned tuna is a great idea. I like to keep garlic/lemon aioli around to make a quick tuna salad that tastes really good without too much hassle. (And bonus points if you have time to mix in some chopped celery and carrots – so good.)
Emergency grocery list. Great idea! Although I have to ask… the rotisserie chicken I’ve been told is very high in sodium. After my husband had his heart attack (at the tender age of 36)the nutritionist advised us to stay away from rotisserie chicken. Since, I’ve gotten great at throwing chicken breasts (they don’t have to be thawed) in the crock pot with a thing of salsa (or not) and when I get home, the chicken is done and tender and can be used for anything. I’ve also found that Cliff Bars are great for a quick pick me up and Bumble Bee Sun Dried Tomato and Basil tuna gives the canned protein a pretty good flavor :-) I also like to grab a few green peppers, cut em up and throw them in some tupperware. They are a great, quick snack. Natural almonds and unsalted pistachios are great quick snacks too that you can leave in the car. Ok, ok… I will stop now!
Hi Billi, these are great suggestions, too.
That is so scary about your husband; I hope you’re both doing okay. You’re right, the rotisserie chicken is likely high in sodium unless you find somewhere that specifies that it doesn’t use salt (good luck!), but if you leave the skin off, you’ll help reduce your sodium intake a little. Personally, I don’t have problems with my blood pressure and eat a fairly low-salt diet (when I’m not in emergency-shopping mode), so it doesn’t worry me, but you should always adjust these ideas to your own nutritional needs, so the chicken breast idea is great.
The best thing about this list is that it’s totally adaptable; you can start to figure out which things make the most sense for you and just keep that list handy in your phone or wallet; wherever. It just makes it that much easier to figure out what to do for dinner (and tomorrow’s lunch) if you have a list on hand to remind yourself of what you know how to make without a recipe that will satisfy you.
Happy grocery shopping!
I would add canned beans to the list. High in protein and fiber, and taste great with rice or toast.
That’s a great idea!
What I like about this list is that you can modify it and change it to suit your preferences; if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can swap the chicken and shrimp for some pre-marinated tofu cutlets, beans, or vegetarian burger patties, and you’ll still be able to throw together a meal in 5 minutes, without a recipe, without any planning.
Have I sold you on my emergency grocery list yet?! ;)