How to Shop: Your Healthy Eating Toolbox

Having a well-stocked and organized kitchen is like your toolbox for healthy eating and cooking. The first step is to take a trip to the grocery store to stock that healthy toolbox with what you need to prepare for your Ornish Lifestyle Medicine meals and snacks.

Having a well-stocked and organized kitchen is like your toolbox for healthy eating and cooking.

Start with Produce

Notice the rainbow of colors representing the vast variety of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetable choices. Choose seasonal and organic when you can.

Include your favorite produce, but I encourage you to also try something new: berries, apple, peaches, pears, oranges, kiwi, and melons are just a few examples of delicious fruit to choose to have on hand for a quick snack, delicious desserts, or to add to your meals.

A sample of vegetables starting with leafy greens: kale, collards, swiss chard, spinach, turnip, beet, and mustard greens, arugula, romaine are all great choices to include greens into your day.

Add greens to salads, soups, wraps, sandwiches, or a Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna. Then add a variety of colorful veggies: carrots, peppers, cucumbers, celery, zucchini, and include some cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Fresh herbs are also great to pick from this section such as cilantro, basil, and rosemary.

Whole Grains and Soy Foods

Whole Grains: Stock up on healthy, high-fiber whole grains, brown and wild rice, quinoa, whole wheat couscous, bulgur, barley, kasha, millet, oats, amaranth, and teff. Whole grain flours. Whole grain (strive for 100% whole grain) bread, pitas, tortillas, pasta and cereals (choose low sugar). Read labels!

Legumes: (dry or canned) beans (black, adzuki, navy, garbanzo, white northern, soybeans, pinto), lentils, dried split peas, black-eyed peas and so many more to choose from

Soy Foods: soy milk, yogurt, edamame, tofu, tempeh, dry roasted soybeans, low-fat soy cheese, soy-veggie burger or crumbles

Nonfat Dairy: skim milk, nonfat yogurt, fat-free cheese, fat-free sour cream

Frozen Foods: frozen vegetables, fruit, edamame, vegan burgers and crumbles, Ornish Lifestyle Medicine frozen meals (make sure you read labels and look for less than 3 gm fat/serving)

The Basics

Some Basic Staples: hot sauce, vinegars (balsamic, rice, flavored), spices and blends, adobo chilis, nutritional yeast, mustard (yellow and spicy), miso, vegetable broth, wheat germ, stevia, vanilla extract, nonstick olive or canola oil spray, fruit purees

Sauces: tamari or low sodium soy sauce, Braggs Amino Acids, BBQ sauce, chili sauce, tomato sauce, fat free salad dressing, salsa, tomatillo sauce

Soups: Vegetable, bean and lentil (read labels)

Don’t Forget Snacks

Snacks Foods: popcorn kernels, brown rice cakes, low-fat (less than 3 gm) whole grain crackers, baked tortillas chips, dry roasted soy nuts (again, read labels!)

This is a start to stocking your heart-healthy kitchen, yet not all-inclusive. Please share what is in your grocery cart! Happy shopping!

What kinds of Ornish-friendly foods have you discovered? We’d love to know about them!