As I have talked about before, I am on what is known as a CKD diet. It’s somewhat strict when it comes to the foods that you can consume, and the whole thing can go wrong if you take in too much sugar/carbs. So in the process of researching it, I found lots of meal plans that people had put together for an average day, which was very helpful. But in reality, we don’t always want to eat the same exact thing every day, and even if we did, we need to buy the right types and quantities to last until the next shopping trip. Enter this guide, a virtual walk thru the grocery store. Some facts about this guide:
- I live in California and shop at Safeway, but this guide should work at any grocery store
- I went early Sunday morning. It’s a calm time in the store, but if you want fish, its a bad time to shop
- Click or mouseover the links to the food names and you will get a little popup with more info
- Bookmark this page! I’ll keep it updated with new shopping suggestions.
So lets get started with…
THE PRODUCE SECTION
The produce section is a great place to start, and happens to be place I walk into at my store. There are some staples of any CKD diet in this section, and also a lot of foods that you want to avoid. So pay close attention here.
Here is the do list:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Romaine lettuce (for Caesar salads)
- Spinach
- Dressings (depends on your store layout)
And here is the don’t list (equally important):
- FRUIT
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Starchy vegetables like squash, zucchini, etc
The dairy section
Here is another section where you pick up a lot of items, but you have to be careful not to misstep. Remember the rules of CKD, fat and protein, no carbs. But many people may not know where the carbs lurk in dairy land.
The Do’s
Depending on your store’s layout, Bacon and Pepperoni might not be in this aisle, but just keep that in mind.
The Don’ts
- Milk
- Chocolate milk
- Yogurt
It sucks, but there is just too much sugar in milk and yogurt to work with this diet. Just remember that you can load up on carbs one day a week, and drink all the milk you want that day.
The meat section
You are going to have to get a lot of meat on this shopping trip, so I will give a few suggestions. As long as you are buying raw meat, you should be able to just buy whatever you want. Be careful with pre-cooked and processed foods, as they will have fillers, and those are usually the evil sugar.
- Steak
- Chicken thighs
- Chicken breasts
- Pork Chops
- London Broil
- Mini steaks
- Sausages
- Salmon
- Swordfish
- Halibut
- Burgers
The canned food aisle
In the canned aisle, there is one main item to stock up on.
Forget it. Pasta and Rice = No. Not even a little bit. You are better off not even walking down this aisle.
The snacks aisle
You might think that like the pasta aisle, this is a total no, but surprisingly there are a few treats that you should stock up on down here. The tough part is the temptation of everything else.
The bakery section
Bread is a 100% no-no, but depending on your store layout it may contain something that you do need.
The deli counter
Most of the items for sale at the deli counter can be found in other sections of the store in pre-packaged containers of meats and cheeses. But some times the quality of the freshly sliced stuff or the taste is just superior at the deli counter. I didn’t buy anything today because Safeway’s deli service SUCKS and there was no one even working at it. When there is, they don’t usually understand the request to slice the meat or cheese thinner than their pre-sliced crap.
And last but not least, the most important part of any diet. WATER!
So some pitfalls to avoid:
- When going down the snacks aisle, don’t grab chips
- Avoid the frozen food section — There isn’t anything you need there
- If you have any questions, feel free to put them in the comments section
- Good luck!