A list of healthy foods and snacks that are always on my grocery list

Something I always say to myself when I am grocery shopping is, “I shouldn’t buy this, because I will eat it.” It sounds crazy, but it’s very true for myself. It’s a lot easier to resist the temptation of chocolate fudge pop-tarts if they are still at the grocery store.

As I college student, I try to be conscious about what I am using as fuel, and I know my peers are as well. Wouldn’t life be so much easier if someone made a grocery list for me full of healthy foods and snacks? Yes it would 🙂 Full disclosure, I live on campus and have a meal plan, but I do tend to eat more of my meals in the dorm. Therefore, this is not a comprehensive grocery list of everything one would need to prepare 3 meals a day. This is a list for those who are living out of their mini-fridges and microwaves.

With that being said, here are some healthy foods and snacks that I always keep on my grocery list!

I am not being asked to promote any of the following brands, I just love them!

Whole Grain Pasta

I love pasta. I really, really do. Penne noodles are the best and you can argue that in the comments below. It is tasty, quick, and a great source of fiber. Many think that in order to live a healthy lifestyle carbohydrates must be thrown out the window. Although it is important to remember moderation, something I struggle with when it comes to the bread family, it isn’t necessary to do away with them entirely. Just tweak your habits a little and you can have it! I have compromised and switched to either whole wheat or whole grain pastas. There is a difference that has to do with the way the grains are harvested, but for the purpose of this list just look for “whole” on the label and the rich brown color.

Crazy Richard’s All Natural Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter is something that I have always had on my grocery list for as long as I can remember. We all know that it’s a great snack on its own, or even better when paired with fresh fruits like apples or bananas. What you may not know is that the store brand Peanut Butter we’ve always grabbed for from the shelves may have many unnecessary added ingredients. I haven’t dived into the world of nutrition and dietetics to it’s full depths, but I do know that the less added ingredients the better for you. That’s why I have been obsessed with Crazy Richard’s All Natural Peanut Butter. It’s available in both crunchy and smooth and only contains one ingredient: peanuts!

Bananas

Obviously this could be replaced by any other fruit if you dislike bananas, but I think these are great for those mornings where breakfast has to be on-the-go. Not saying that I have ever overslept for a certain 8:00 a.m. class on the other side of campus. Even if I’m not on the go, I love to put a banana and some crunchy PB in a bowl of oatmeal for a nutrient dense breakfast.

Steel Cut Oats or Rolled Oats

Here is some advice that is going to change your life: replace the water in your bland oatmeal with milk or a milk alternative. Thank me later. Oatmeal is something that I eat almost every morning during the semester. It keeps me full all morning and fuels me for the busy day ahead. Like I mentioned before: customize your plain old oatmeal. I love to mix sliced banana and a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter, but I have seen some tasty looking apple and blueberry mixes.

Unflavored or Unsweetened Almond Milk

I have never particularly liked the taste of dairy milk, so when the world hopped on the dairy alternative train, I was happy to see some changes in the produce section! There are so many different milk alternatives: almond, soy, coconut…you name it! I normally just choose the cheapest one available, which tends to be Almond Milk. I just prefer unsweetened or unflavored almond milk to put in my oatmeal, or occasionally if I try to make my own caramel iced coffee. Never as good as starbs.

Angie’s BoomChickaPop Prepopped Popcorn

Okay so now we are getting into the questioning of “Wait, is this really healthy? Popcorn?” It’s healthier than traditional microwaved popcorn, but remember portion sizes and moderation are key. The front of the family sized bag may say only 35 calories, but below this in the fine print it says per cup. Check out my other blog post on How to Read a Nutrition Label to get smart about how foods present nutritional information. Anyway, I don’t know about you, but I am eating way more than a cup. It’s better to snack on a little more of the healthy alternative.

Stacy’s Pita Chips

Okay so this is a new obsession of mine. Very new to my preferred snack list, but very good. These are not all that healthy, but again healthier than the average potato chip. I put these on the list because they can pair well with other healthy dips and snacks like hummus or a side of veggies. There is a really great recipe for 3 ingredient buffalo chicken dip I got to try with homemade Pita chips that got me hooked! Something I may try and recreate in a future blog. Again, just be sure to read that nutrition label and know what you are eating.

Smart Sweets Sweet Fish

I know this has quickly turned into a snack list, but to be fair I do a lot of snacking. It’s the #1 hobby shared by college students. One of my favorite things to snack on is any type of gummy, which is not the healthiest thing to eat an entire bag of before you even notice. Because of this I have tried most sugar-free, sugarless gummy snacks and none have satisfied my sweet tooth like the Sweet Fish from SmartSweets. Listen, there are no real sugar free sweets out there, there are only less sweet sweets. I only buy one package of these at a time as a treat for myself on the way out of the grocery store, before I can tear into the BoomChickaPop.

Thank you so much for checking out Dorm Room Dietetics! This is my current healthy grocery and snack list, and I will update if any new snacks come into my life.