I went grocery shopping with a client. Unlike most nutrition coaches out there, I go where the client shops. Most others will just help you shop at Whole Foods. And for some, Whole Foods is nowhere near where the client lives, or it is cost prohibitive. You can actually find healthy foods anywhere….if you know what it is you are looking for!
My client asked to have me help with grocery shopping so they would have snacks and meals all packed and ready to go during the week. Although they may be eating the same things for a few days, it was going to be easier to have it all packed and most importantly reproducible during the week! So I picked up the client and off we went on a grocery shopping adventure! To my surprise, they asked to go to Target. Yes, Target. Off we went.
I have not been in Target for grocery shopping. Ever. So this was going to be new for me, too as I was not sure we could find healthy foods anywhere. But we did! And we ha to keep in mind storage options and portability. So this is what came from that trip: quarts sized freezer baggies filled with snacks: brussel sprouts, broccoli and green beans, raw nuts with cranberries, salami slices (Applegate Farms organic!), can of Wild Planet tuna and salmon, Clif bar (not my favorite bar but good in a pinch) and box of soup. I was actually surprised that the soup is one of the more healthy soups I have seen with no added sugar like most others! All natural ingredients and in single servings. Who knew you could find such healthy foods anywhere, even Target?
We even found a juice drink which was some fruit with kale and spinach! It is hard to find that even in a regular grocery store! The plan is to use this juice and dilute it with a liter of water to drink during the day. We also found real carrots, too. I call them real carrots as the baby carrots just don’t taste as good as the regular ones and they spoil and get slimy if not eaten right away.
Did we find everything organic? No. But organic does not always mean it is healthier. We just needed to find the basic items for my client that they could pack each day and take with them on the subway. If something needed to be heated or cooked, they could do that at the office, even if it is with a microwave vs. in a pan on a stove. You have to work with what you have! Or rather what the clients have to use.
Client says they are “eating the veggies raw. It makes me happy to eat this way”. And
“… I bagged the Clif bar (did not eat) No need for the soup today as I was no longer hungry when it was time for dinner. This is working very well for me. Thanks! “
This makes me very happy to hear from the client that our grocery shopping at their store is working in their plan for eating better. And it proves the point, that you can find healthy foods anywhere…..you just have to know what to look for!