What's In My Bag?

Ever want to shop with a dietitian? Now you can! Read on to join me on today’s shopping trip and even see what I did with everything when I got home.

This morning I went to the Tianguis mercado (a traveling market in Mexico City that provides us urban folks with fresh produce). Although I wish I could get everything there, a slight supermarket walkthrough was also necessary.

Take a look at what I came home with…

From the Tianguis: Eggplant, zucchini, garlic, acelgas (swiss chard), avocado, peaches, rosemary, mozzarella and parmesan cheese

From the Supermarket: whole chicken cut into pieces, can of tomato sauce (convenience!), low-fat and low-sodium beans, red wine (just for the antioxidants!)

Now What?

After getting home with my packages, the first thing I did was wash all the produce while thinking about my week of dinners. The trick is to cook the foods in a way that provides you with the most meals and left-over potential.  

• For dinner tonight, I roasted the chicken with 1 tsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and a ton of fresh rosemary. To accompany it, I made the famous Your Secret Ingredient pasta-less lasagna (Click HERE for this amazing recipe!!!)- just eggplant, zucchini, sauce, and cheese. I'll use the leftover chicken in salads for the rest of the week and turn some into a healthy chicken salad with some low-fat mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apples and grapes.

• For dinner tomorrow I will serve the “lasagna” with the beans I bought and a salad of lettuce, veggies, peaches, and avocado.

• Looking ahead in the week, I will use the rest of the zucchini, tomato sauce, and cheese to make a whole-wheat pasta primavera.

• Finally, I will cook up the swiss chard with some olive oil, garlic, and raisins (This is delicious- just sauté garlic in olive oil, add the greens, cook for 10 minutes and then add the raisins in at the end. I know it sounds weird but I promise you'll love it!) and serve it with some fresh grilled fish. 

PS- I always have some salad greens and healthy starches, such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, and quinoa lying around to complete my meals.

PPS- I also always like to keep a variety of fruits and veggies on-hand for quick-thinking healthy meals and snacks. Check out what's in my produce bowl right now: peaches, zucchini, jicama, orange, garlic, bananas, avocado, and tomatoes...yum!!!

So there you have it….4 nights of meals in one shopping trip, not to mention a few great lunches, as well!  Hope you had a good time on my journey, I know I did :)  

What’s in your bag?? And more importantly, what do you with it?

--Samantha Jacobs, MS RD CDN