Pregnant Groceries
I ran into the grocery store on my way home from work today.
(Side note: By “running into the grocery store” I mean I circled the lot three times to find a parking spot, wrangled a hungry Bean into a dirty grocery cart, sped through the aisles grabbing things as I created an imaginary menu for the week on the fly, stood in line for 15 minutes, tried to keep Bean’s grubby paws from smooshing the bread, paid three times more than I expected to, hauled my loot out to the car with a now whining Bean, loaded groceries while trying to simultaneously strap Bean into his car seat, and then sat in stand still traffic trying to get out of the parking lot on my way home…)
I’ve been doing pretty good this time around with my food. I’m eating really healthy, taking my prenatal vitamins, and walking a whole lot thanks to being on my feet at school all day. And tonight as I peered into my grocery cart at my groceries, I was pretty proud of myself. I had all the pregnancy essentials:
Peach yogurt (I prefer strawberry, but they were out…). Good source of dairy and calcium. And a nice sweet pick-me-up in the middle of my work day.
Spinach to go in this fruit smoothie my friend, Sarah, told me about. You mix strawberries, bananas, milk, and two handfuls of spinach together in the blender. She swears you can’t taste the spinach and that it’s a great way to sneak it into your diet. I’ll make it and let you know…
Strawberries for my smoothie.
Bananas for my smoothie, Bean’s breakfasts, and Chris’ lunches. We’re banana people.
Cucumbers for my salad and Chris’ afternoon snack. He puts sliced cucumbers in vinegar. It’s awful. But after 12 years with him, it’s kind of starting to grow on me.
Cherries. So tasty and so good for you.
Wheat bread for breakfasts and lunches.
Wait a minute! How’d those four boxes of Swiss Cake Rolls get in my grocery bags?!?! I eat much to healthy for those to be mine.
They must belong to Gracie.
She’s such a piggy.
*****
Today I am grateful for my church and the friends I have made there.
37 Comments
Renee
Here, I will post this is in the correct spot this time. *Sigh*
First of all, yay for you with all the healthy stuff. I am trying so hard to eat healthy during my pregnancy, but it’s hard to find good fruits and vegetables in northern Michigan this time of year. And, I love the Swiss Cake Rolls. I keep a box in my classroom for a “special” snack for myself when my students are in gym. Yesterday, I went to grab some graham crackers for a student who had forgotten their snack. They saw the box, and said, “Ooooh, can I have one of those?” Um, sorry, sweetie. I love you and all, but those are MINE. 🙂
Alaina
Gracie must have good taste because those things are just delicious…just sayin’
Jen at Cabin Fever
I really want to know how the smoothie works out! I’ve got my own *brand new* reason to start eating like this, too. 😉 And you’re experience at the grocery store sounds horrific, but made me laugh. Cabin Fever in Vermont
Katie
My grandma makes “creamy cucumbers” and she mixes vinegar, mayo, and sugar with sliced cucumbers. It’s so delicious! And if you’re feeling really crazy, you can slice up some onion and add it in there. But I don’t love raw onion.
Also, your friend is right – if you use JUST the right amount of spinach, you wont be able to taste it. I might start with 1 handful and work up from there. I make my smoothies with a container of yogurt, OJ, frozen fruit, and spinach. Some people throw peanut butter in there and apparently that taste is disguised too, although I don’t believe that for a minute!
Katy @ MonsterProof
Your selections look much too balanced to be pregnant! Good job! I walk out of the store with all the citrus I can carry. Whole pineapples, grapefruit, oranges, lemonade, etc… I actually yelled at the tv when it said that the cold in Florida was killing the citrus. Ha!
Betty
Hmm, I ate cherries by the bag when I was pregnant. SO GOOD!
Sarah R
You are making my newly preggo self feel guilty by the danishes I’ve been eating peering at your shopping essentials! Glad you included the snack cakes or I’d feel really bad ;)!
Ginny
Crazy how similarly we shop – that’s pretty much my run to the grocery store every week. Except for the Swiss Cake Rolls – I usually get Double Stuffed Oreos! 🙂
Life of a Doctor's Wife
I’m excited to hear about the smoothie! I HATE spinach, but if there is a way to eat it without tasting it (or without smothering it in cheese and phyllo dough) I want to know about it!
melissa
I love smoothies! I’ve been making mine with all of the ingredients you mentioned except adding keifer instead of milk. It’s milk with yogurt cultures. It makes the smoothie closer to the consistency of a milk shake. Oh man I want a smoothie now but I am pretty sure I accidentally destroyed the rubber ring that seals the bottom of the blender by grinding it up in the garbage disposal!
Lindsay (YoungMarriedMom)
I’m not pregnant, but my husband LOVES buying cookies/anything Entenmann’s on sale, so our attempts at healthy eating often look like this too! Good to know Gracie has a sweet tooth–things are more fun that way!
Jen
Seeing the cherries made me cringe. I was at the grocery store this week and cherries were $4.99/lb! $4.99! I big fat puffy heart love cherries but that was a budget buster! I hope they are cheaper in FL! Can’t wait to hear your review of the smoothie! Always looking for ways to sneak in some nutrition. Maybe Bean would like the smoothie too!
Ashley
Haha…too cute! Good for you for eating so healthy. But hey, you can’t deny Gracie her sweet craving, right?
jessica
it ok…I know Little Debbie 2/$5.00 at Publix so you are just being practicle and trying to save money 🙂
Maggie
I keep hearing people talk about smoothies with spinach. The bananas supposedly hide the taste, but I’m skeptical. I can’t wait to hear if it works though!
Elizabeth@The Sweet Life
Oh goodness–love the spinach and swiss rolls. Way to honor your cravings!
Kate
Oh man, I thought I was the only person in the world who liked cucumbers and vinegar. Sooo good. I sometimes throw a little feta on top, if I have it.
Melissa
Usually, my husband and I grocery shop together on a weekend night. It’s like date night. We used to go to fancy restaurants, and now we go to the semi-fancy grocery store! However, last week, I ventured to the store on my own during the after-work/school rush. OMG. NEVER again! When I got home, I told him that when we have kids, if he EVER makes me go to the store alone WITH the child(ren), we are SO getting divorced. I used to believe that adultery and abuse were the only valid reasons for divorce, but trying to grocery shop with a child on your own IS abuse. What do single parents do???
Kat @ Living Like the Kings
hahahahahahaha! Aww as long as you’re healthy with everything else, you’re totally allowed treats.
Jen c
After several unscheduled grocery trips when I was prego resulted in random food choices (mostly garlic bread) my husband decreed I was not allowed to go by myself anymore. And you’re entitled to some sweets. I refused to feel guilty as long as I mixed in mostly healthy with a bit of sweets. Keep us posted on the smoothies. I’m not a fan of spinach so curious if it actually hides the taste
Jennifer
Hilarious!
Tressa
Sure happy to hear your not holding out on Gracie’s sweet cravings! Got to eat healthy, but still have to cure that sweet craving too!!! We’re getting closer and closer to meeting that sweet girl’s face!!! 😉
laurenbtrain
little debbie is going to be the death of me. i eat oatmeal creme pies and zebra cakes like they are going out of style. i just cant help myself and i aint even preggo!!!!
Laura
Hey now, don’t knock the cucumber in vinegar. We make a salad at my house consisting of sliced cucumbers, white radishes, and onions marinated in white vinegar. It’s super delicious. Also, I think you’ve earned the swiss rolls.
Courtney
I was just telling my hubbo today about something I had totally forgotten about until recently. When I was in college, my roommate introduced me to a similar cucumber snack. We used to put lime juice on sliced cucumbers. She liked to put a little salt on it, but I’m not big on salty flavors so I would eat it sans salt! As for the smoothie idea, I’m seeing lots of interest in the outcome of the smoothie. I’m totally curious as well. I think that could be a future post for you. If you decide to post about your smoothie results, maybe you could also ask for readers’ different nutritious smoothie recipes/tips/etc. And then compile a few or all your responses into a subsequent post for others who are interested in such smoothie things!!!
jennifer
I was going to blame Bean Man for putting those in your cart but I guess not. Clearly you are doing your part to help support Little Debbie 🙂
Christy
I love making smoothies for breakfast. I get this huge bag of frozen strawberries from Costco and then some smaller bags of pineapple or blueberries from Target or Publix and I freeze my own bananas. I make it the night before and put it in the refrigerator. By morning I just have to blend it and it’s good to go. I usually add some Silk soy milk to it. So easy.
Window On The Prairie
Mmmmm….those are so tasty, but have you ever noticed how you feel crappy afterwards? Don’t read the ingredients. Just eat them.
Suzanne
Sabra
Cucumbers and vinegar (usually salt, pepper and a bit of onion, too) are a delicious combo! It is a very traditional salad in Baltimore. Both my grandmother make it. Some restaurants even offer it around here! It’s refreshing AND fat free!
Laura
Hilarious! I totally knew where this was going.
I almost don’t recognise the plastic bags. Down under most people use the re-useable fabric bags. They are great because they are much easier to carry!
I highly recommend the smoothie recipe. Google “Green monster smoothie” if you want to know more about adding spinach to smoothies!
Ashley @ According to Ashley
GIGGLE GIGGLE! 🙂
Amy
Tsk, Tsk, Gracie!
Amy @ Serve At Once
Ha! I think you’re entitled to have a nice treat like a Swiss cake roll–especially if you’ve filled your cart with such good things. 😉
P.S. I really enjoyed the video chat! They’re one of my favorite things about the blog; I love seeing you and Chris interact with each other.
P.P.S. Your “Lt. Dan ain’t got no legs” comment make me choke on my Diet Coke, and my roommates ran to see if I was dying. Glorious.
Nicole
We make strawberry/banana smoothies all the time! One thing we like to do is use frozen whole strawberries. They are just as healthy as fresh and this way you don’t have to use ice cubes which tends to water the smoothie down. Haven’t tried the spinach trick and won’t until YOU do, I know you will be honest!
Lindsay
I was going to say, you are way too good! Until I saw your last items that “snuck” into your bag!! I say good for you. Eat healthy, but definitely treat yourself too. I ate ice cream to feed an army with my second pregnancy, and I loved it.
Nikki
Love love spinach. My parent’s hate it. Don’t know how that happened! I have random cravings now and I’m not even pregnant. My Fiance says he’s interested to see what happends when I am.
Lori @ I Can Grow People
One of my friends told me about the spinach in the smoothie thing too but I haven’t tried it. I burned out our blender trying to make a smoothie back in September and we have yet to replace it. Let me know how it turns out!