I know for a fact that one of the biggest things people struggle with when it comes to getting healthy is nutrition. When I share my own weight-loss story people always want to know about my diet. Most assume I’m cooking fresh organic vegetables, drinking green juice, and cooking perfectly balanced homemade meals and snacks all day long with no sugar, carbs, or fat. I suppose some people do that (at least according to Instagram.) But that’s not real-life for me. I’m a busy, normal, person. And while I try to eat lots of fresh food, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, I also rely on lots of “normal” store-bought, even pre-packaged foods. In real life, you have to have stuff you can grab and go, stuff that tastes good, and stuff your family will like. It’s not about being on a constant “diet,” and “eating clean” it’s simply about making good choices, or at least making a better choice, more often than not.
I share lots of healthy home-made recipes on Our Best Bites, but today isn’t about that. It’s about some of my favorite snacks, meals, and treats at the grocery store. I want to be clear that this is in no way a sponsored post. I’m not being compensated by any of these brands and I’m not working with them in any way. These are all just personal favorites that I buy and my family loves, and I wanted to share them with you so you can maybe find some new faves on your next shopping trip, too!
My last disclaimer is that I’m not promoting anything as being nutritionally perfect here. We always get a little, “Sara! Did you know that has Red Dye #5 in it?? I would NEVER feed that to MY family.” “Sara! You didn’t hear??? Agave will sterilize you!” “Sara! How can you be telling people to eat that, it has sugar substitute in it, and here are 14 links to random articles I found on Google that tell you that Splenda murders children.” I get it. Everyone has different standards when it comes to what they consider worthy to label “healthy.” Feed your family the way you feel comfortable. These are things that I personally enjoy, and that have fit in with a healthy diet and lifestyle so I’m sharing them with you. Enjoy 🙂
PROTEIN
I work out in the early AM most days of the week, so when I get home, the first thing I do is have a protein shake and in my last fitness post, SO many of you asked us how I do that. Simple protein powder stirred into water is pretty gross; it’s all about making it the right way! I’ve tried lots of brands of protein powder, and what I look for is: flavor, ratio of protein to calories, and sugar. This brand in my photo is my favorite. I blend it with a big scoop of ice and Almond-Coconut Milk, which has much less protein than regular cow’s milk, but also half the calories. It makes it smooth and creamy, and the hit of coconut syrup makes it taste like a chocolate-coconut milkshake. I have at least one of these a day, and sometimes 2 or 3. If I’m on the go, I pour it into a Blender Bottle.
If you follow many food bloggers on Instagram, you would think we all eat mashed avocado on whole grain toast with liquified kale every morning for breakfast. You know what I like? Cereal. Oatmeal. Normal stuff. (Well, okay, also doughnuts, french toast, and hot chocolate.) Sometimes I have time to whip up scrambled eggs and veggies or something, but more often than not, I eat quick and easy normal food.
CEREAL
I have, and always will be, a cold-cereal eater. It must be in my blood because my children could literally eat cereal for every meal. I’m loving the new trend of breakfast cereals fortified with protein! It makes me feel a little better when I feed it to my kids for dinner. These are 3 of my favorites these days: Fiber One (bonus fiber + protein, love the Maple Brown Sugar flavor), Special K (no froo-froo, just plain jane flakes, but the lowest in calories of any I’ve tried), and Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy (my kids especially love this one).
I have some health issues that require me to eat a high-fiber diet, and more often than not- this Fiber One Chocolate cereal is my go-to. Almost every morning I have a bowl of this, with a giant serving of raspberries (super high in fiber) and that coconut-almond milk, or regular milk (for a little added protein.) The serving size is substantial for only 80 calories, and it’s loaded with flavor and fiber. It’s often an afternoon snack, too!
OATMEAL
We all know oats are a great part of a healthy diet, and gone are the days of those little sugar-loaded paper packets (well, not gone. But there are certainly a lot more options now.) I’m a huge fan of BetterOats. They have a ton of great products, that you can see on their website. They use a combination of thick, quick, steel cut, and old-fashioned oats, and the OatFit line has only 100 calories and no added sugar. Plus, it’s just a little thing, but I love how they have the measuring cup built into the packet. So smart!
These Quaker Real Medleys are like fancy grown-up oatmeal. They’re higher in calories, but so much more substantial that most oatmeal packets. They have big chunks of real fruit and nuts and they’re so good. I eat these sometimes for an afternoon mini-meal, and they’re also terrific for all of you campers out there. You just add boiling water to the sturdy cup and it’s done in a few minutes and you can eat right out of the container. Good for taking to the office, too! And while we’re talking about Quaker- this Warm and Crunchy Oatmeal is so, so good.
BREAKFAST SANDWICHES
We buy these Jimmy Dean Delights from Costco by the case-load. Seriously, my family eats so many of these. If you’re a fan of the Egg McMuffin, you’ll like these. They have only 250 calories and 17 grams of protein. They’re great for taking in the car or sending with a kid to the bus stop. I’m literally eating one right now for lunch as I write this post. This is definitely a family favorite at my house.
LEAN CUISINE
When it comes to meal-time, sure I try to cook a real meal more often than not- but sometimes you just need something quick and easy, especially at lunch time when it’s just me. Of all of the frozen meals in the freezer section, I think Lean Cuisine is the best by a landslide. Our freezer is always stocked full of these. At WinCo, many of them about $1.60 so they’re really inexpensive to load up on (like the one pictured, one of my favorites: Sesame Chicken). I really love their Salad Editions too, where you just add lettuce and get veggies, chicken, toppings, and dressing for a big salad. I don’t eat them every day, but they’re a great thing to keep on hand.
SNACKS
Snacks are often the downfall for people trying to stick to a healthy diet. I have to have snacks, and not fruit and vegetable snacks. Salty, sweet, crunchy snacks. I buy all of these items in single serve bags on a regular basis to make portion size easy.
ANGIE’S POPCORN
I’ve had more than one person ask me if I’m a spokesperson for Angies Popcorn because I talk about it so much! It’s sweet, salty, crunchy perfection, and they’re all low-calorie as well. It’s the perfect snack. I take this to movies and keep little bags in my car as well.
POP CHIPS are another favorite. Sometimes you just need something that tastes like a potato chip. I love using these to scoop up chicken salad for lunch, or dipping in salsa for an afternoon snack.
I pretend to buy Pirate’s Booty for my kids, but it’s a total cover. I love this stuff. It’s like not-so-naughty Cheetos. Again, love the single serve bags. You get a really huge serving for minimal calories too, and that’s always a win in my book.
BARS & ON THE GO SNACKS
There are a million different kinds of bars on the market, and they’re all really different. Protein bars are generally high in calories and look better on the wrapper than they actually taste. Super healthy bars are sometimes lacking in actual flavor. I go for something in the middle. These aren’t any sort of nutritional powerhouse, but they’re made with pretty good ingredients, have a reasonable amount of calories and some protein and whole grains. I keep these in my purse pretty much all the time. I usually grab a bar when I’m hungry between meals and need something on the run.
These Clif Mojo bars are my absolute favorite. The Chocolate Almond Coconut, and the Peanut Butter Pretzel are amaaaazing. Soft, chewy, crunchy, with really BIG chunks of actual chocolate and peanut butter.
Luna Bars are kind of nostalgic for me because my Mom always bought them, and I lived off them in college. 3 of my long-time faves are Peanut Honey Pretzel, Chocolate Dipped Coconut, and Chocolate Peppermint Stick.
GREEK YOGURT
I haven’t always been a yogurt-lover. I actually used to gag every time I tried to eat it. I didn’t jump on the Greek yogurt bandwagon when it started, but I’m on it now. Chobani 2% are my favorites, and I pretty much eat these two flavors (Passion Fruit and Coconut) exclusively. For those of you who have Brazil connections like I do, or someone in your family does, buy them passion fruit Chobani. It tastes like Mousse de Maracuja. The other thing down there is the Chobani Almond Coco-Loco Flip. Oh my gosh, just buy it. It’s amazing.
Emerald 100 Calorie Packs. I love the Cinnamon Roast, Dark Cocoa Roast, and the Vanilla almonds. Great when you need something quick with a little protein.
TREATS
Now that we’ve covered snacks and meals, let’s get to the good stuff. I’ve got to have things like candy and ice cream, so here are some healthier options that satisfy that sweet tooth.
Skinny Cow Candy
Another brand that people assume I’m a spokesperson for. This isn’t fake, sugar-free-sends-you-to-the-bathroom stuff (need a laugh? Go read the amazon reviews for these sugar free gummy bears.) It’s real, yummy chocolate, just a little better for you than some of the alternatives and keeps it portion-controlled, with everything weighing in at 110-130 calories. Peanut Butter Chocolate Heavenly Crisps are my favorite. We buy the big variety packs of Skinny Cow at Costco and always stay stocked up.
Since we’re talking about Skinny Cow- I love their ice cream, too. I always, always save room in my daily calories for an ice cream treat after my kids are in bed; it’s kind of a nightly ritual. The cookie dough bars are one of my faves, and I especially love the ice cream sandwiches, too (mmmm...snickerdoodle.)
A newer favorite of mine are these Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt pops. I’ve been buying the coconut ones and I like that they have some protein and are all around 100 calories (many, like coconut, are even less.)
My last fruity frozen favorite are Outshine Bars. These have been a long-time favorite for my husband and I. When we were just newly dating, I got sick with mono and he took care of me for weeks and all I ate day in and day out were the Creamy Coconut Bars. You’d think that would have turned me off of those forever, but no- just the opposite. I’ve been obsessed ever since. I love pretty much all of the flavors, but I like to keep the smaller, no added sugar, variety around because at just 25 calories (yes, 25!) it’s sometimes just enough to satisfy that sweet tooth.
Whew! That ended up being longer than I expected. I hope you guys find some new things to try out at your grocery store. Let me know what you think- and feel free to share your faves in the comments! (Remember, we pick people from our Scoop comments to win prizes each month!)
If you’ve missed other posts in our Fit Series, you can read them Here:
Fit Gear Favorites (my favorite gear and gadgets!)
How To: Get Fit (Tips on how to get started exercising and being healthy)
Real-Life Health and Weight Loss (my personal story of a 50lb weight loss)
i have been waiting for this post. there are so many products out there and i really wanted to know what your favorites were because i totally trust your opinion. especially with the protein powder because they are so darn expensive and i didn’t want to do a taste test with all of them. thanks for inspiring so many of us to get fit! i love your motto “finish it” but i am still working on “start it”!
pretty sure I need to go to Costco today and get a bunch of these! Also I wish I liked coconut – it sees to be everywhere!
Love all your great ideas!!! I didn’t see quantities for the protein shake listed. I could have missed them with a bunch of kids talking at me!! Do you mind providing the quantities that you use so that I don’t have a bunch of flops at first! And so that it equates to the calories/ protein that you provided? Thanks a bunch! I just ordered your blender bottle and your weight set from your blog! Thank you for sharing!!!
It’s just the normal serving size Sara. 1 cup of milk, 1 scoop powder, a little ice, and coconut syrup to taste.
I’m glad other people find the sugar free gummy bear reviews funny. I read Christine’s (the best one) out loud to my husband and couldn’t get half the words out cause I was laughing so hard. He chuckled a little bit, but didn’t find it nearly as funny as I did:) Thanks for all the great recommendations – I need to go to Costco now!
Thanks so much for this post! I’ve been sticking to my new diet/exercise plan for a few weeks and have already lost 5 lbs. I was inspired, like so many others, by your story and am finally getting in gear to lose the baby weight that keeps hanging on. Your “finish it” quote keeps me going through my workouts. These new meal/snack/treat ideas will help me stay on track and not get back into bad habits. (Although I already save calories for those skinny cow ice cream treats. Nothing tastes better at the end of the day, especially when I don’t have to share bites with any little friends.) Thanks again!
Good for you! Keep at it!
I am glad you posted this. I am trying to get back on the healthy but realistic with my busy life bandwagon. I am excited to go buy and try some of these and hope to find some things I love.
Totally going to buy those Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches on my next Costco run! Thanks for introducing us to some new items. 🙂
Since they have 840mg of sodium EACH I have a hard time seeing them as healthy. That’s two days worth of sodium for me in one sandwich. If you have no problem with sodium then, of course, go for it.
Great Post!! Can’t wait to try many of your ideas! Right now my family and I really enjoy Late July organic chips from Costco, my 5 year old can’t stay out of them.
Thanks for sharing these ideas!! I’m ALWAYS looking for new snack ideas … Especially for my kids and I think they would be happy with so many of these 🙂 trying out that protein shake mix ToDay 🙂 loving all your recent “fit” posts SO much. Thanks for sharing such real life stuff 🙂
I have tried many of these items and love them as well. I’ve been in such a grocery shopping rut. I have been wanting and needing so new ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tips! Always looking for new ideas.
I always knew you had a thing for coconut, but after reading your favorite foods, I think you have a coconut OBSESSION! You must be ingesting some form or flavor of coconut at every meal, snack, or dessert! That’s awesome!
Haha, I guess I didn’t really realize that until I looked back over everything just now, lol. I have a tropical soul. Lime, coconut…bring it on!
I also wanted to tell you- THANK YOU! I have been hitting the gym everyday this week working on lifting weights. I am pushing myself much harder than I have in years (the evidence is obvious in my inability to walk normally) and although I have not quite gotten my diet in check yet, this post is absolute motivation! And thanks for being a real person- there’s no way I would ever lose the weight if I kept telling myself everything has to be homemade and 100% organic all natural…blah blah blah! Thank you! I hope to be looking as hot as you in a few months!
Love this fit series! And that everything you do is about keeping it REAL- no extremes, no cutting out 3 different food groups, just better overall choices. Thanks for some new ideas!
I tried going carb free and I realized in just a short time I can’t go without them without being sick, so I’ve been looking for good healthy alternatives and appreciate all your protein packed and lighter selections. I love the Dark Chocolate Acai berries from Costco. Just a few is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and my son who also went to Brazil feels like Acai reminds him of being there.
I love so many of the things on your list and have learned about some new ones. Can’t wait to try them! I love reading this series (and everything else you both do)!! Thanks 🙂
My new favorite popcorn is Skinny Pop, when I don’t want sweet popcorn it’s the best. We love those Outshine bars, I heard someone raving about the blood orange flavor and I have been looking everywhere. My true favorite is the other line they have– Coconut Waters, especially the coconut with pieces of pineapple, like a Piña Coloda! And did you see the new line of fruit & veggies bars? Like Apple and Greens? Think I will stick to coconut goodness! Love this series, thanks for sharing.
I love your fit series. I appreciate this post. I always feel guilty when I don’t make something from scratch, but this helps me to take the pressure off and still have some healthy options to eat. Love your blog.
Love this post. Kevin lives on Lean Cuisines at his work and is always looking for more healthier snacks during the day to keep the cravings away (me too!). I have not seen those Skinny Cow cookie dough bars! Must have 🙂 Thanks so much 🙂
I am loving these healthy posts! I am really into KIND bars right now. Try the chocolate sea salt ones. So good!
I love your blog!! I have been following it for quite some time now and I have gone through pretty much all of your archives and enjoyed many new recipes….yes I do have a life….and despite what my husband may say, more friends I talk about than just Sara and Kate from OBB. Anyways–I don’t know that I’ve ever commented and I wanted you to know that I absolutely LOVE your fit series. I’m not overweight but I am constantly playing the yo-yo game of lose, gain, lose, gain; and motivation/inspiration works wonders. Thanks for your posts!
I had to stop eating dairy after my son was born two years ago and I struggled to find any milk substitutes that I could actually swallow. I stumbled on that Almond-Coconut milk and loved it! Even now that I can have dairy again I still use the Almond-Coconut milk more often than not. It is so yummy and perfect in smoothies and on cereal.
Aw, man, those Outshine bars are the best! I love keeping them in the freezer all summer long!
My pantry is almost bare right now so this was a perfect post for me! Can’t wait to try all these new things!
We got the Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker for Christmas. It was about $25 (watch for sales on Amazon) and it is fabulous. Making your own sandwich at home is SO easy and fast and a lot cheaper than buying premade ones! Even though the directions say not to, we use Egg Beaters in it all the time and it comes out great.
My second comment is oatmeal. I regularly make steel cut oatmeal in the crockpot overnight (regular oats get too mushy). You have to do a water bath method in the crock so the oatmeal doesn’t burn. I just use my little crock and put it inside my big one. 1 cup steel cut oats, 4 cups water. Sometimes I add dried fruit. Put the small crock of oatmeal in the big crock and then fill the big crock with water around the little. Low heat overnight.
Thanks for sharing. I also love Pirate’s Booty. I want to try the Yasso yogurt bars.
I’ve never been a fan of cooked oatmeal (we eat it like cold cereal, which I know is weird, but we like it that way), but those quaker oatmeal cups might convert me. They are really tasty. I also think I need to get a pack of those pop chips and hide them in my closet so my kids don’t eat them all before I get a chance.
Thanks for all the great information. I feel like I’m in a good place right now with snacks, etc, but if I get bored of what I’m doing I’ll know where to look for new ideas! Oh, and I LOVE the idea of flavored syrup in your protein shake. Brilliant!
Thanks for sharing! I’m excited to try out some of those snack and especially treat options.
Those amazon reviews are hilarious! Thanks for the morning laugh. And thanks for the yummy reviews, I can’t wait to go shopping now.
Larabars (especially the cherry pie flavor!) and Larabar Uber are great, too. They don’t pack a nutritional powerhouse (200 cal,8g fat, 4g fiber, 5g protein) BUT they are the only bars I’ve found that only contain 3-4 ingredients. I know that’s not important to everyone, but for some it is an absolute must. Thanks for sharing, Sara!
Luna bars are my favorite bars. They used to make a chai flavor but I haven’t seen it for years.