High Protein Grocery Essentials For Fat Loss

Today we’re talking all about high protein grocery essentials for fat loss. All the things that are in my cart pretty much every time I go to the store. They are things Ty and I eat all the time and are always needing to re-stock. They are high in protein and lower in fat.

We’ve got treats, we’ve got snacks, we’ve got condiments, WE’VE GOT THE MEATS (shoutout Arby’s). These are all things that will promote muscle growth and fat loss if you’re lifting weights and in a caloric deficit (we won’t dive into that in this post). These are things that all taste delicious, in my opinion. Plus, I can find them at the majority of grocery stores.

For this post, I will be sharing everything I’ve found from Walmart. But as I mentioned, many of these items can be found in other stores.

It can be daunting to know what to look for at the grocery store, especially if you’ve got specific fitness goals you’re trying to achieve. You want to maximize your results, and also get things that you will love eating, right? I gotchu!

I’ll be separating all these items into the 6 following groups:

• Produce
• Meat & Deli
• Dairy & Eggs
• Bread & Grains
• Condiments
• Treats

Again, these are staples for us. I always have these on hand, as I use them in a lot of my recipes and everyday meals. Use this as inspo, but do what works for you!

Produce

Produce is usually the first section I run into at the store, and I like to make sure I’ve got plenty of whole foods for the week. Whole foods usually make you feel the most full, and they have so many vitamins and minerals that are essential is our diets. Fruits and veggies, guys, they’re super important!

1. Bananas: Super cheap and a great source of carbohydrates.
2. Berries: (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) Lower in calories, great for adding in yogurt or eating plain as a snack. Typically more expensive so I buy frozen often.
3. Iceberg lettuce mix: I use this for all my salads. You can get a head of lettuce and chop it up yourself but this makes it so easy for me to throw salads together without much extra prep.
4. Avocados: Higher in fat, but the good kind that your body needs. Amazing on salads and with breakfasts.
5. Baby carrots: I love snacking on these with a light dressing. Very convenient.
6. Potatoes: An amazing sources of slower-digesting carbohydrates. I like to get both sweet potato and regular russet potato. It’s SUPER filling and lower calorie than you would think without extra oils!
7. Onion: White onions are my favorite, and I’m constantly using them in my recipes. They add so much flavor.

If I need any extra veggies like bell peppers or zucchini for a specific recipe I’m making, I’ll grab those, but they aren’t things I’m reaching for every time. I will also pick up fruits based on the season. For example, I LOVE watermelon, but am not getting them right now because they aren’t in season.

Meat/Deli

This section is a MUST if you’re trying to get more protein in your diet. Meats are an amazing source of protein. If you get the right ones, at least. For example, I don’t eat much steak because it is typically fattier and higher in calories. I do eat tons of chicken and other poultry as it has less fat, with all the protein still there. These are the meats I’m always grabbing for fat loss.

1. Boneless, skinless chicken breast: This is pretty much pure protein. So lean and so good in so many dishes. Check out my Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe for an easy way to bulk prep a ton of this!
2. Lean Ground Beef: So easy to cook, you just toss it into the pan and break it up as it browns. So simple to add to tacos, quesadillas or salads.
3. Turkey Sausage: I really like the Jenni-O 1 lb cylinder packages for breakfast recipes. But for quick single slices that I can throw in my meals, I like to buy a big frozen package of turkey sausage patties. These links are also good if you like links more than patties.
4. Smoked deli ham: Another amazing option I like to throw in with my breakfast scrambles or burritos. Also delicious on sandwiches and salads.
5. Deli Turkey: So easy to throw on sandwiches, wraps, or salads.
6. Turkey Pepperoni: Throw some of these and some shredded cheese in a low calorie tortilla and BAM, easy pizzadilla.
7. Canned chicken: This is the least glamorous, but when I’m really in a pinch, or I don’t have anything else on hand, having some canned chicken in the pantry is a lifesaver. You can warm it up on a hot pan with some seasonings and throw it on whatever you want.
8. Canned Tuna: Another great one to have in the pantry. Makes super quick yummy sandwiches. Extremely low in fat.

Dairy/Eggs

This is another section you don’t want to miss out on if you’re trying to eat more protein to lose fat. Dairy and eggs are some of the next best sources, next to meat, when it comes to protein content. This is my favorite section to shop!

1. Whole Eggs: I buy these by the giant box. We go through so many eggs.
2. Egg Whites: Liquid egg whites are pretty much pure protein and can be added in with regular eggs to create not only more protein, but more volume. If you get your ratios right, you almost can’t even tell they’re there!
3. Greek Yogurt: This is a MUST. I love the plain Chobani for cooking and recipes, but I love the light and fit greek yogurts for snacking. Dannon makes so many good flavors, like this Strawberry Cheesecake one. For a more affordable option, I LOVE these vanilla great value ones.
4. Light Sour Cream: Amazing on breakfast burritos with some salsa or hot sauce. I love the Daisy brand.
5. Shredded Cheese: I usually buy a big bag of pre-shredded cheese to put on whatever we want.
6. Cottage Cheese: I love the Daisy brand, and always get 2% low fat. This stuff is amazing in so many different recipes, as well as in my Protein Ice Cream (sounds gross but it’s amazing I promise).
7. Unsweetened Almond Milk: Almond milk is much lower calorie than regular milk, which comes in handy when you’re trying to lose fat.

Bread & Grains

Besides potatoes, we get our carbs from plenty of different foods. These are ones we are always grabbing at Walmart and always needing re-stock.

1. Lower-carb Tortillas: Any lower carb tortilla is great, but some of my favorite brands are La Banderita, X-Treme Wellness, and Mission carb-balance tortillas.
2. Joseph’s Lavash Wraps: These are very high protein for a wrap and make you feel SO full.
3. Dave’s Killer Bread (thin sliced): These are only 70 calories per slice and are delicious. Amazing for avocado toast and sandwiches.
4. Quick Oats: I use these in my muffin recipes and overnight oats. I like the smaller cut of the quick oats, but they have the same calories as the regular old fashioned oats if you like those more.
5. Pasta: I get both the regular pasta and the Banza chickpea pasta for a tiny bit of extra protein.

Condiments

Condiments can be tricky. They can add a lot of calories in not a lot of time if you’re not careful. This is especially important if you’re trying to lose fat. A lot of times I’m making homemade sauces and dressings, but there are some that I like to have on hand and ready to go. Those, I buy.

1. G Hugh’s Sugar Free Ketchup: Lower calorie and tastes exactly like regular ketchup to me.
2. Yellow Mustard: No calories and adds a TON of tang and flavor.
3. Dill Pickles: Add to so many salads and sanwiches.
4. Sugar Free Maple Syrup: Maple Grove Farms makes the best tasting one! I use this in all my baking and I drizzle it on my sweet breakfasts.
5. Bolthouse Farms Avocado Cilantro Dressing: This is a yogurt based dressing, and a great option if you like to stay away from sugar-free things. It’s much lower calorie than regular ranch and super yummy with veggies or salads. You can find this at Walmart by the produce.
6. Olive Garden Light Italian Dressing: My most used dressing for salads. Love it so much.
7. Balsamic Glaze: This stuff is amazing on roasted veggies or avocado toast.
8. Salsa: Love to eat with breakfast burritos, tacos, or chips. Love both red and green.

There are plenty of other condiments I use on occasion or in certain recipes, but these are ones I use most regularly.

***If you don’t like sugar free things just buy the regular versions! Will just add some calories:)

Treats!

Some of my favorite lower calorie treats I like to snag while I’m at the store :)

1. Yasso Bars: If you’ve tried one you know why they’re on this list. A bit pricy but delicious. The Sea Salt Caramel and Fudge Brownie ones are my favorite!
2. Fudge Pops (no sugar added): I love these when I need just a small quick treat. Only 40 calories per pop!
3. Lily’s Chocolate Chips: I add these in my baking recipes, but I also like to just grab a small handful here and there…
4. Fiber One Cinnamon Coffee Cake Bars: These are dangerous.

And that’s all!! There are plenty of things I keep in my pantry for recipes that I haven’t included in this list since they aren’t things I’m grabbing every time I go to the store. But these are the basics for us – we can make the majority of our simple meals and snacks with these things. And they are all high protein and great for muscle growth/fat loss.

Hope this helps you in your grocery shopping adventures!!

Get your free printout here with each of my 6 categories so you can best plan out what you’ll get! You can tap and hold on your phone or save it over on my Pinterest.