Powering Up on Power Foods

Every week, or ever other week, we all make approximately 100 different decisions in the matter of an hour or so that are some of the most important decisions of our life - all the items we place in our shopping carts at the grocery store. Months ago, before I made this change in my life, I did not make good choices. Even some choices I thought weren't half bad I have realized weren't great. 

Gradually, my choices have changed from better to even great, as I continue on my Weight Watcher's plan. When I first started, I honestly stocked my freezer with a lot of the Weight Watchers' prepared foods. I ate a lot of processed snacks (fiber bars, 100 calorie packs, etc.). I ate a Weight Watchers frozen dessert every evening. There was NOTHING wrong with this. I lost my first 30lbs or so transitioning my eating habits from junk to healthier junk.


However, I'm happy to report that my shopping list today had ZERO Weight Watchers frozen foods on it. The thing that has helped me the most with this transition, which has been an evolution, is the new PointsPlus plan which launched in late November. With the new plan, Power Foods (marked with a green pyramid in e-tools) are encouraged. They include your fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins, reduced calorie breads and a few fat free/low fat items. The more Power Foods you include in your daily menu, the more satisfied you are throughout the day and you end up eating healthier (and sometimes even whole) foods.

Last week the meeting topic was Power Foods which came with a challenge - 10 meals of Power Foods throughout the week. Normally I eat quite a few of the green pyramid foods, but I didn't really participate in the challenge last week. 

Today, I sat down and used e-tools to create my shopping list. I'm happy to report that 72 out of the 89 food items purchased are, indeed, Power Foods!

Below is a summary of what I purchased. If you are working on getting healthy, as many are right now, perhaps select a few items from this list and incorporate them into your daily food plan.


Fat Girl Fights Back Shopping List:

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Ground Turkey Breast
• Boneless Lean Pork Roast
• Boar's Head Hickory Smoked Chicken Breast
• Boar's Head Hickory Smoked, Reduced Sodium Turkey Breast
• Eggs
• Romaine Lettuce
• Onions
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Zucchini
• Bananas
• Apples
• Oranges
• Tangerines
• Cantaloupes
• Watermelon
• Grapes
• Blueberries
• Fat Free Milk
• Light, Fat Free Yogurt (assorted flavors)
• Fat Free Cottage Cheese
• Kraft Fat Free Sharp Cheddar Shreds
• Kraft Fat Free American Cheese Singles (yes, processed, but 1 point and considered a power food)
• Steam Fresh Single Serve Brussels Sprouts (great for lunches)
• Quick oats
• Pinto Beans
• Black Beans
• White Beans
• Sauerkraut
• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Sugar Free Jell-o (again, processed but considered a power food due to low calories - works as a great "treat" for those times when you just need "something")
• Reduced Calorie Wheat Bread

Certainly, my list is far from perfect and I'm sure I could reduce my processed foods even more. But, this is such a vast improvement from where I was and I'm sure it will only get better from here.

I plan to share some photos of different meals this week as I take this next step in my journey - powering up on Power Foods!

Click here to read more about Weight Watchers Power Foods.