Long post ahead, but worth reading and saving! Last week I took myself to ShopRite where I spent nearly 2 hours perusing the store and walking up and down every aisle to make a list of the items I could find that were the perfect balance of convenient and healthy.
I feel like I need to write a disclaimer that when I say healthy, I mean nutritious and satisfying. Labeling foods as healthy or unhealthy can get complicated and can be triggering for people so I tend to try and not do that. However, sometimes saying something is ‘healthy’ is accurate and clear. So on this list you will find things like fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, healthy fats, etc. not so much packaged + ultra-processed foods that lack a lot of nutritional value (that doesn’t mean they don’t have their place!
This list is for you if:
– Your days are busy and you don’t have a lot of time to cook
– You lose track of time and once you realize you are hungry you’re actually overly hungry and don’t have time to figure out what to make
– You want to start cooking more instead of ordering takeout but that seems overwhelming
– You don’t enjoy cooking all that much
– You feel pressure to eat whole foods but don’t have time to prepare them and you don’t know what other options exist
– You buy a lot of food fresh but end up throwing a lot of it away
– You have family members with different tastes
On this list you will find:
– Ready-to-eat proteins (or proteins that require very little preparation)
– All sorts of ways to get your fruits and veggies with no prep required
– Convenient heat-and-serve meals
– Easy meal mix-ins or ways to add flavor
– Items to boost nutrition in meals
– Ways to make cooking easier and more flavorful
– Healthy breakfasts
– Convenient and filling snack options
– Easy whole grains
– Plant-based options
50 Healthy + Convenient Items to Find at ShopRite
- Salad Kits – these are great for a lunch or dinner and even better when you can add your own protein so they are more filling. One bag is probably a lot at once, but it depends on your hunger level! You can always spread it out over two days.
- Prepped + Cut Veggies – you will be paying a little extra for the store to do the chopping for you, but worth it if this is a barrier to you eating vegetables.
- Prepped + Cut Fruit – same as the vegetables, sometimes it’s honestly just easier for the store to cut up fruit and put it in a container that you can pop in the fridge and access whenever you need.
- Hummus – hummus is a great dip and spread for lots of veggies, snacks, sandwiches, wraps or as a topping for grain bowls. It’s high in protein and healthy fat so it’s a satisfying snack as well.
- Rotisserie Chicken – rotisserie chicken is pretty delicious and even more appealing because it’s ready to eat immediately. It makes great chicken salad, soup, or whatever you want to do with it!
- Minced garlic – I can’t live without garlic in cooking, and neither can you! Buying minced garlic is easy because you don’t have to spend any time peeling & chopping. You just need spoon!
- Fruit cups – be sure to pick up fruit that’s packed in juice, not syrup. I typically recommend draining the juice, but as long as it’s free from added sugar drinking the juice would be fine! Again – no need to prep and it’s a nice way to eat fruit out of season.
- Dried fruit – dried fruit supplies great nutrients like all forms of fruit. Since the fruit is often smaller due to it being dehydrated, the serving sizes are smaller. It also has higher concentrations of nutrients like iron!
- Nut butter – not just peanut butter! Almond, cashew, sunflower, etc. are all great choices. A pb&j goes without saying, but nut butter is a universal topping for sure, providing healthy fats and protein.
- Oats – going for old fashioned rolled oats is the most accessible. Quick oats are fine, but regular oats only take 5 minutes to cook! Steel cut oats are great too, but they require a bit more attention. A great source of whole grain, fiber and protein.
- High fiber/protein cereal – there are probably a few options for this, but Kashi is my favorite. The ingredients are great and it has tons of natural fiber and protein all while tasting really good.
- Peanut butter or cheese crackers – pre-made crackers like this are delicious and have been a go-to snack for years! A fat in the middle keeps it filling and they are so easy to take on the go.
- Popcorn – it’s definitely an option to pop yourself, but how easy is it to just grab a bag and stick your hand in it?! Lots of the bags have a good amount of added oil, but the Boom Chicka Pop brand looked the best!
- Chickpea snacks – I absolutely love chickpea snacks for a filling snack option. There are dozens of flavors (savory and sweet!) that are delicious. So satisfying and adds a lot of fiber, protein and other nutrition to your day!
- Whole grain crackers – I always keep crackers on hand for dipping, as a vessel for tuna salad, to have with cheese or have with soup. Whole grain varieties are more flavorful than plain, white crackers in my opinion, and provide better nutrition.
- Salsa – this might be a bit of a cheat, but salsa is a very versatile condiment! It can be used to jazz up egg and chicken dishes, used in dips, mixed with cheese, used in sauces or as part of the cooking process or just enjoyed with tortilla chips.
- Trail mix – who doesn’t love a good trail mix? I especially love a salty + sweet moment, preferably one with pistachios and chocolate. Yum!
- Nuts – and on that note, honestly any type of nuts will do! Nuts are nutrient-dense and delicious. I love plain roasted + salted, but the store had so many flavor options. Just watch out for added sodium.
- Protein bars – as far as convenience goes, protein bars usually make the top of the list. Look for those with minimal ingredients, no sugar alcohols (like xylitol, erythritol mannitol, sorbitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol) which can cause bloating.
- Tofu – tofu is a great, ready-to-eat protein. Though it’s often cooked, it doesn’t have to be! It’s pretty flavorless, so flavor any way you like.
- Ground flaxseed – I included this because flaxseed provides great nutrition and it’s easy to add to things you are already eating. It provides fiber, omega-3s and protein.
- Canned fish – tuna, salmon and others make for easy protein sources. They don’t need tons of dressing up and no cooking required.
- Heat-and-serve stews – most of the stews I found in pouches were overall pretty healthy and only required heating up. I even found some plant-based ones that would be nice to change things up.
- Jarred antipasto vegetables – I love antipato vegetables (roasted peppers, artichokes, crunchy peppers, mushrooms, etc.) because all you have to do is take them out of the jar. They are great as a side, on a sandwich or on a board.
- Canned tomatoes – whether it’s already a sauce or peeled plum tomatoes, canned tomatoes are more than halfway there to a good sauce or soup. No roasting or preserving required.
- Minute rice – Minute brand sells rice cups that take a minute from start to finish! I found a nice brown rice & quinoa combo which is delicious and perfect as a side for almost anything.
- Microwavable grain pouches – I’ve seen all types of whole grains and lentils in these heat-up pouches and they are so convenient. All the nutrition of cooking them on the stovetop!
- Bean pasta – If you are looking for pasta with a bit more in the fiber/protein department, look no further than bean pasta. I love lentil pasta personally, but chickpea has a nice different flavor!
- Regular pasta – honestly I couldn’t make this list without including regular pasta. It’s hardly void of nutrition – it has a lot of protein! It is the easiest thing to make and the toppings are endless.
- Canned beans – there is no reason to soak and cook dried beans. Canned beans are delicious, nutritious and ready to eat. They are very versatile and can go on or in pretty much anything. Rinse to get rid of excess sodium.
- Canned vegetables – I always recommend canned vegetables in a pinch. Look out for lots of added salt. Like the beans, rinse if there is sodium added to the packing liquid. The texture of canned vegetables will not be the same as fresh, but they are just as nutritious.
- Yogurt – if you can tolerate and enjoy yogurt, it’s something I always recommend. It’s a great source of protein and is easily customizable. I usually recommend lower-sugar varieties and Greek varieties which also have more protein. I also love Siggi’s which is Icelandic. I am not sure what makes it that way, but it’s my favorite 🙂
- String cheese – cheese as a snack provides protein, calcium and fat to keep you satiated. I usually recommend snack cheese for afternoon snacks, since we typically have more time between lunch and dinner and something more substantial would be preferable.
- Cheese/fruit/nut snack packs – kind of like a mini charcuterie board, I can’t imagine a more balanced snack! Not to mention satisfying. These are perfectly portioned to act as snacks, too, so you honor your hunger and really enjoy something without feeling unsatisfied.
- Frozen vegetables – like canned, frozen vegetables typically don’t cook up exactly like fresh but they are pretty darn close! Most of them nowadays come as a steam-in-the-bag situation and they’re super easy to prepare.
- Frozen bean burgers – I love veggie burgers, but some of the straight-up veggie ones are a big unsatisfying! I find bean burgers are better tasting and provide a more “burger” like experience. All you need is to heat them up!
- Frozen edamame – a good snack option or salad topper. Edamame is just soy pods, so they are an excellent protein source. Some of the frozen ones come salted, which makes them extra delicious.
- Frozen vegetable blends – I would recommend these as an easy side dish vs. bags of single variety vegetables. Some of the blends come with potatoes so it’s extra complete! They may also have a sauce, which can be desirable or not depending on what you are going for.
- Frozen protein waffles – specifically listing protein waffles because I am trying to give suggestions that pack the most nutrition punch. There is nothing wrong with regular Eggos, but there is nothing special about them either. If you can get some extra fiber and protein, why not?
- Ezekiel bread – I went back and forth on if I should include “whole wheat bread” or a specific brand. I went with a specific brand because I truly have never found an option I like more and that has better nutrition facts. Ezekiel bread is made from sprouted wheat which is very easy to digest.
- Frozen fruit – again, not a 1:1 comparison to fresh, but can be used widely and is often significantly cheaper than fresh fruit. Always on my list.
- Frozen rice – it does not get easier than frozen rice. It’s already cooked and ready to eat once it’s heated.
- Annie’s dinner kits – I came across these and was intrigued that they contained hidden veggies. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Lots of people love Annie’s mac and cheese, so knowing there are vegetables added in makes it even better.
- Annie Chun’s peanut sesame noodle bowl – I’ve had this before and like it very much. It is more flavorful than something like Ramen, and has a fraction of the sodium. I can’t see this not squashing a noodle craving.
- Reduced sodium soups – I debated including soups because of the high sodium content, but they are just so convenient. As long as you aren’t downing a can a day, getting the reduced sodium variety every once in a while is fine.
- Reduced sodium broth – this pantry staple can be used for soups, but also used to add flavor to grains you may be cooking from scratch, sauces or anything you are heating up. Basically anywhere you’d use water, I find broth to be a more satisfying replacement.
- Just crack an egg scramble kits – these looked so cute and all you need to do is add an egg and heat! A great way to get vegetables in the morning without any prep at all. Perfect if you don’t have a lot of time in the morning, like most of us.
- Eggs – regular eggs also made the list. Whether hard-boiling them to have on hand for the week or scrambling some up in the morning or evening (I love breakfast for dinner), this accessible protein is cheap and very easy and quick to prepare.
- Frozen cooked chicken – similar to the ease of rotisserie chicken, but thawing is required. Already cooked and likely sliced into convenient strips.
- Frozen cooked shrimp – Another frozen protein with no cooking required. You can use these in place of anywhere you’d use fresh shrimp.
See below for a gallery of all the above!
