Lazy Girl Fitness

How to Shop Your Groceries

One of the biggest mistakes people make when embarking on a health journey—especially mothers—is trying to do it alone. You decide to go on a healthier diet, but your family is still eating the old, unhealthy meals. Suddenly, you’re buying two sets of groceries, cooking two different types of meals, and stretching yourself financially, physically, and mentally. You’re exhausted. You start asking yourself, “How can I keep this up?” And then, slowly, you fall off your own diet plan.

Here’s the truth: this approach doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t help your husband, who may be gaining weight while you’re toning up and looking great. It doesn’t help your kids, who are growing up without guidance about nutrition and body image. When children see parents eating well, choosing healthy options, and enjoying wholesome meals, they grow up with a healthy relationship with food. They learn moderation, balance, and self-respect for their bodies. And that foundation will protect them from the struggle with diets, weight, and body dissatisfaction later in life.

As a mom, you are in charge of nutrition in your household. You have the power to set habits that benefit everyone. You don’t have to be vegan, extreme, or restrictive—just mindful, consistent, and intentional.

---

🥗 Start with Smart Substitutions

When buying groceries for your family, there are certain items to cut out and healthier alternatives to introduce:

1. Vegetable Oil → Olive or Coconut Oil

One tablespoon of vegetable oil = 120 calories.

Olive or coconut oil has similar calories but is healthier and usually comes in smaller bottles, helping you limit consumption for the whole family.

2. Sugar → Xylitol, Stevia, Monk Fruit

Sugar is hidden in cereals, tea, cooking, and baking.

One teaspoon of sugar = 16 calories. Stevia = 0-2 calories Xylitol = 10 calories. Cutting sugar dramatically lowers unnecessary calories. Think of it this way where you used to drink tea with 2 teaspoons of sugar = 32 calories you can drink tea with 2 teaspoons of sugar =4 calories

3. Flours → Coconut, Oat, Rice Flours, or High-Fiber Blends

Swap all-purpose flour in baking for healthier options that are higher in fiber and lower in glycemic impact. For instance coconut flour is a low carb option with higher fiber content meaning its easier for your body to process and digest and has 6.6% less calories.

4. Carbs/Staples:

Rice: Swap white rice (242 calories per cup) for brown rice (218 calories per cup).

Fufu/Pap/ Sadza /Maize Meal: Use sorghum blends eg, Mabelle as it has 15% less calories than maize meal

Pasta: Try alternative grains or cauliflower pasta which has about 80% less calories than regular pasta . Skip if you don’t like the taste.

Beans: Sugar beans, lentils, black beans, and butter beans are high in protein, low in calories, and filling.

By focusing on five strong bases for meals—Brown rice, sorghum pap (fufu), potatoes, and beans—you’re cutting calories, regulating blood sugar improving nutrition, and keeping everyone satisfied.

---

🥪 Spreads, Drinks, and Breakfast

Spreads: Replace jam (high sugar) with cheese, cottage cheese, hummus, or peanut butter. Lean into options that are lower in calories but satisfying.

Drinks: Replace sugary sodas with Coke Zero, Fanta Zero, or any sugar-free option. And instead of concentrated juice opt for 100% fruit juices and guess what even kool- aid has about 60 % less calories than concentrated juice blends.

Breakfast Cereals: Whole grain cereals like Weet-Bix, Cheerios, or granola keep energy levels high and hunger low. Avoid sugary cereals.

Bread: Sourdough has about 188 calories per slice, white bread 75 calories per slice, and rye bread ~83 calories per slice. Why are the “healthier breads higher in calories than white bread doesn’t that defeat the purpose?

No sweetheart in the reality lower calories doesn’t mean leaner body. white bread might have less calories but rye bread is higher in fiber which means you get full on less and stay fuller for longer + it’s easier to digest which means a happy non bloated , flat tummy for you.

---

🍎 Snacks

Kids are kids, and part of being a kid is enjoying snacks. Yes, you can offer healthier alternatives like yogurt, frozen yogurt, or popcorn—air-popped and seasoned with all kinds of flavors: butter, sweet vinegar, or sweet chutney. But it’s also okay for your children to enjoy regular snacks—the lollipops, the Lays, the Doritos.

If you’re giving them wholesome meals throughout the day—like whole-grain cereal in the morning, two slices of sourdough toast with cheese and ham at school break, an apple, a potato and egg salad for lunch, and oven-grilled steak with mashed potato and sautéed mixed vegetables for dinner—then having a 120g bag of Lays or a lollipop won’t harm them.

The key is balance: they can enjoy treats without compromising the overall healthfulness of their diet.

---

📊 Caloric Comparison for Families

Food Item Old Option (Calories) Healthy Alternative (Calories)

Vegetable Oil (1 tbsp) 120 Olive/Coconut Oil (1 tbsp)
Sugar (1 tsp) 16 Xylitol (10)
White Bread (1 slice) 75 Sourdough (188), Rye (83)
White Rice (1 cup) 242 Brown Rice (218)
Regular Pasta (100g) 371 Cauliflower Pasta (25)

By making these swaps, you’ve removed major fat and sugar contributors, lowered calorie intake, and improved the overall health of your family’s meals by 30–50%.

---

❤️ The Bigger Picture

When you shop and cook intentionally, you’re doing more than improving your own health. You’re teaching your family, helping your husband maintain his health, and shaping your children’s relationship with food and their bodies. You’re setting a foundation for lifelong wellness—all without buying two sets of groceries or burning out in the kitchen.

Health isn’t just about you—it’s about your entire household thriving together.