Coach Rachel's Grocery List

These are items that I buy every single week or that I always keep in my pantry:

Protein:
Ground Meat. I prefer Beyond Meat’s versions for flavor and texture, but Gardein’s Meatless Ground has a better macro profile.

Chicken-style seitan from Westsoy. Seitan is made with wheat gluten and is an excellent source of vegetarian protein. This chicken-style variety is my favorite. I drain the liquid, chop it into small pieces, and cook it in a nonstick skillet at medium heat, turning frequently for about 6 minutes.

Field Roast Chipotle Sausages. Field Roast makes several varieties of sausage, but the chipotle has the best protein: fat ratio.  

Vega Performance Protein in Chocolate or Mocha. This is my protein drink for post-workout. Pea protein is the new darling of vegetarian sources of protein. You’ll find it in most mock meats these days, and even added to dairy-free yogurt to add protein content.

Vega Protein Smoothie in Viva Vanilla or Choc-a-lot. This is the protein powder I add to oatmeal or yogurt. It’s tastier than the performance protein.

Protes Chips. I love snacking, but most chips are carbs and fats, two things that are at a premium in my diet. These are vegan, are mostly protein, and come in a variety of flavors. My favorites are the BBQ and the Nacho.

Protein/Fat:
Pasture-Raised Eggs: These eggs come from chickens who are given at least 108 square feet each of grass to roam in. I have found that they are tastier than free-range or cage-free eggs, and research shows that there are more nutrients to be found in pasture-raised eggs because the chickens eat a wider variety of foods outside. Check out this article from the CrossFit Journal to learn more.

Carbs/Protein:
Powdered peanut butter. If you’re a peanut butter lover but can’t fit in the fat, trust me, this stuff is a lifesaver. Add just a little water for a regular peanut butter consistency. I’ve eaten it with everything from yogurt to rice cakes to ice cream, and use it weekly for peanut sauce, prepared with garlic, hot sauce, and toasted sesame oil.

Carbs/Fats:
Oreo Thins. When I’m on a cut, I do better if I eat things that I can have more of. If I were to buy DoubleStuf Oreos, I’d be able to eat 2 in a sitting. With Oreo Thins, I can eat 4 of them. My favorites are the coconut and the mint.

Fats:
Olive oil spray. I switched from regular oil to spray when I started cutting seriously. It makes all the difference. I use spray that doesn’t have propellants in it.

Toasted sesame oil. I use this for flavoring peanut sauce. Only takes a little bit to make a dish delicious.

Carbs:
Brussels sprouts. These are my go-to veggie for roasting. Cut into halves with an onion (I’ve been digging red onions for roasting lately), salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Roast at 400 for 30 minutes, stirring half way through.

Baby Bella Mushrooms. Mushrooms are tasty, and are full of vital minerals, including selenium, manganese, copper, and folate. I sometimes roast them, but more often sauté them with garlic, salt, and pepper.

Baby arugula, spinach, or micro-greens. When I eat sandwiches (I love to eat a bagel with an egg in the morning), I want to eat something green with it. I let arugula or micro-greens wilt on the hot bagel before eating, but I sauté the spinach with garlic, salt, and pepper before eating it.

Sweet potatoes. I don’t really like sweet potatoes, but they are such a great source of Vitamin A and potassium that I add them to my diet anyway. To make them more palatable, I dice and roast them, seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic.

Green peppers. I eat these roasted with onions and mushrooms, sautéed, or just raw.

Frozen raspberries and blueberries.

Frozen chopped kale. I like to mix this into just about any dish I’m eating to add fiber and vitamins. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, a family of vegetables known for their high soluble fiber content and a wide array of potential health benefits. Check out this article to learn more.

Frozen cauliflower rice. Cauliflower rice lives up to the hype. Way lower in carbs than rice, higher in fiber and vitamin C, I eat this stuff every day.

Frozen broccoli.

Frozen green beans.

Irish steel-cut oats. I eat this with protein powder and frozen fruit for my post-workout carbs.

Little Lad’s Herbal Corn popcorn. I eat this popcorn every night. It is seasoned with nutritional yeast, an excellent source of B vitamins, including Vitamin B12.

Lundberg rice cakes. My nightly treat. I add fruit preserves, chocolate chips, or raw honey, depending on what I have room for.

St. Dalfour fruit preserves. No sugar added, just fruit. Lots of flavors.

Raw honey. Raw, local honey has been shown to boost the immune system. It has also been shown to be delicious.

Pickles.

Halo Top Non-Dairy ice cream. This is a low carb, vegan ice cream. If you’re someone who just needs to eat ice cream, this is a great substitute that is not super high in fat or carbs. It’s a new product so I’ve only tried Peanut Butter Cup and Cinnamon Roll—they’re both good.

So Delicious Coconut Milk ice cream. I know it’s crazy, but vanilla is my favorite flavor of ice cream, and this is the best non-dairy one I’ve found. When I have more room for carbs and fats, this brand is my favorite.

Condiments:
Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce. If you’re a hot sauce lover, pick this one up. No carbs.

G Hughes Low Carb BBQ Sauce. If you love BBQ sauce, pick this one up. 2g carbs per 30g serving.

Everything Bagel Seasoning. I eat this on eggs. So tasty.

Beverages:
Coffee. I learned to drink it black after giving up sugar in a nutrition challenge. Totally worth it.

Sparkling water.

Zevia. This is a soda that is sweetened with Stevia. No carbs.