Grocery Store Must Haves - Vol. 2

If you haven't seen my first edition of Grocery Store Must Haves, you can read it here - First Edition.  Since, writing that edition, I have realized I have several other items that seem to always end up in my cart on a weekly basis.  Each of them offer a unique health benefit or are healthier alternatives to their unhealthy counterparts.

Hummus

Serving Size: 2 Tbsp; Calories: 50, Fat: 3.5g, Carbohydrate: 4g, Protein: 2g

If you know you should be eating your vegetables, but find eating them plain is just...well, plain, and resort to dipping them in high fat ranch dips or other vegetable dips, try using Hummus.  Hummus is made from cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and tahini (ground sesame seeds).  You can find it either near the cheeses and dairy or in the produce section near the other vegetable dips.  The cool thing about hummus is you can usually find it a wide variety of flavors.  So, you're nearly guaranteed to find a flavor that works for you.  Hummus is great on just about any vegetable but can also be used as a spread on breads or can be used to spice up any sandwich.  Hummus is generally low in fat and calories and high in fiber which can help make you feel full, which can be great for those dieting.

Beets

Serving Size: 1 cup - diced; Calories: 58, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrate: 13g, Protein: 2g

Personally I like to get my beets fresh from the farmers market during the summer months, but you can find them year-round in the produce section.  They usually come in bundles of 3-5 with their leaves still intact.  Beets, along with other bright and dark colored vegetables, has high amounts of beta-carotene, which gets converted into vitamin A in the body.  Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant which can improve eye health.  When you get them home, cut of the stem and leaves to avoid them from drawing moisture out of the beet itself.  I like to eat beets raw, or you can saute them with a little bit of Olive Oil and add a bit of sea salt or even dill.  You can also wash the beet greens and saute them as well for a delicious side salad.   

Figs

Serving Size: 1 fig; Calories: 21, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrate: 4g, Protein: 0g

I have never actually found figs as a full fresh fruit, but have always been able to find them as a dried fruit in the produce section at just about every store.  They have a very rich flavor and are as about as natural as you can find.  My biggest gripe with most dried fruits are all the added oils and sugars (just look on the label of dried cranberries or cherries!).  Raisins and dates are just about the only dried fruits with no added sugars or oils.  The benefit of dried fruit is they are easy to pack and store, as compared to their fresh version.  Dried fruits loose a minimal amount of their nutrients so they are a small nutrient dense food.  The down side, is they still contain just about the same amount of calories, making them very calorie dense.  Figs are an excellent source of a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  They are especially high in a variety of vitamin B's, which help promote energy.

Eggs

 Serving Size: 1 medium egg; Calories: 70, Fat: 4g, Carbohydrate: 0g, Protein: 6g

There are some folks who think they should be avoiding eggs to avoid cholesterol.  However, cholesterol, in healthy amounts is a necessity for hormone production - especially testosterone.  Eggs began getting a negative reputation when they were eating in high amounts by those wanted to gain muscle (i.e. the body building community).  When I say high amounts - I mean HIGH amounts like over a dozen a day!  In fact they have found that moderate amounts of eggs in a healthy diet can help LOWER blood lipid levels (lower cholesterol)!  Eggs in moderation 1-3 a day, are a great source of healthy fats, muscle building protein, along with a good array of amino acids, and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.  Personally I buy medium eggs but the size really doesn't matter except for the number of calories.  If you have a few extra bucks to splurge on eggs, look for eggs from cage free or even free range chickens, who were not pumped with steroids and antibiotics, and look for eggs from chickens that were fed "normal" diets such as vegetarian diets.  The best way to do this is buy organic eggs.

 Flax Seeds

 Serving Size: 3 Tbsp; Calories: 160, Fat: 11g, Carbohydrate: 11g, Protein: 6g

Flax seeds have been billed the healthiest of the plant foods lately.  They have been said to help reduce your risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and cancer.  These tiny seeds are being found in more and more typical grocery items, from breads to crackers, and pastas to desserts.  Flax seeds offer some of the highest omega-3 fatty acids in the plant world.  They are also high in fiber.  As the name implies, they are a seed, which are designed to withstand a lot of punishment to ultimately eventually grow somewhere to continue their existence.  I say this because often people will simply add the whole flax seed to cereals and other recipes in hopes to benefit from its many healthy properties.  However, our digestive system struggles digesting seeds in general due to their extremely hard outer shell.  I would recommend either buying your flax seeds pre-ground in a "meal" or using a coffee grinder to coarsely chop your seeds before adding them to your recipes.  I use flax seeds in my oatmeal and will at times add them to homemade granola, granola bars, and various baked goods.

Tamari

Serving Size: 1 Tbsp; Calories: 15, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrate: 1g, Protein: 2g

Tamari is very similar to it's counterpart, soy sauce.  They are both made from fermented soy beans.  However Tamari is thicker, darker, and richer than traditional soy sauce.  It is generally smoother and has less bite than salty soy sauce.  Also, most Tamari is gluten free for anyone looking for a wheat free version due to an intolerance or a gluten allergy.

Frozen Produce

For those who are often pressed for time and want to save some time during dinner preparations, look to frozen produce.  I use frozen produce for stir frys, pizzas, pasta dishes, and just as a side to various main courses.  I will even get frozen fruits such as berries to add to hot cereals or my greek yogurt.  The benefits of frozen produce is endless - they are generally good for as long as you can keep them frozen and free from freezer burn, they generally come prepared in vairous forms (slices, chopped, whole), and they are just about as nutritious as their fresh versions and they even are better then canned vegetables.  All fruits and vegetables begin to loose their nutrients immediately after they are picked.  Most frozen produce are "flash frozen" very shortly after being picked - locking in their nutrients.  The same can not be said for canned produce.  Just be sure to avoid frozen produce with the added seasonings and flavors, and choose to season them on your own after or during their cooking.

Quinoa

Serving Size: 1/4 cup raw; Calories: 160, Fat: 2.5g, Carbohydrate: 27g, Protein: 6g

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is said to be one of the healthiest grains.  Quinoa is as versatile as rice with more nutrients.  It has 8 essential amino acids and a high protein content for a grain.  It's relatively high protein content along with it's good source of gluten free carbohydrates makes quinoa a staple in many endurance athletes' diets.  The nutrient profile makes it a great food to aid in recovery.  Quinoa has a nuttier flavor than rice but can be used just like rice.  I like to use it as a bed for my stir frys or a carbohydrate for chilis.    

Tea 

You can choose to purchase tea in a wide variety of types, from green, white, black, or herbal, just to name a few of the more popular varieties.  All versions typically come in a caffeine free option.  You can also choose between loose leaf tea or tea in prepackaged bags.  Buying tea in loose leaf varieties will require some way of brewing it, whether it be a special cup with a strainer component or using a loose leaf tea ball.  Loose leaf varieties will generally brew a stronger, better tasting tea, and will generally get more of the healthy antioxidants out of the tea leaves.  According to Wikipedia, Tea contains a large number of potentially bioactive chemicals, including flavinoids, amino acids, vitamins, caffeine and several polysaccharides, and a variety of health effects have been proposed and investigated.  It has been suggested that green and black tea may protect against cancer, though the catechins found in green tea are thought to be more effective in preventing certain obesity-related cancers such as liver and colorectal while both green and black tea may protect against cardiovascular disease.  Personally I buy my tea from a specialty store which sells nothing but loose leaf teas.  I drink green tea and herbal teas.  I drink green tea for the health benefits and flavinoids, and I drink herbal teas for their specific health benefits, such as aiding in sleep, or increasing my immune system during cold season.   

Apple Butter

Serving Size: 1 Tbsp; Calories: 10, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrate: 2g, Protein: 0g

Apple butter is highly concentrated version of apple sauce.  It generally has a variety of spices added to it, similar to those added to apple pie.  Be sure to by apple butter with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners.  If you do, apple butter is low in calories and is a great substitute for jellies and jams.  I use apple butter on my morning toast or on my peanut butter sandwiches.