If you have to go straight to work from an early grocery run, get a good cooler to store cold stuff, and buy those frozen veggies as backup ice packs for meat! This sounds counter intuitive, but be realistic about your shopping needs for who you are right now. The goal is to make putting a decent meal together at home easy and simple, not stressful and unpleasant!

Bonus movement, and you have to think carefully about whether you really need the item! Before you go, check out our book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete. Read more in our privacy policy. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Read our privacy policy for more info. Molly Hurford is a journalist in love with all things cycling, running, nutrition and movement-related. She also writes regularly for publications including Bicycling magazine, Outside, Map My Run, and Nylon. Molly is a little obsessed with getting people—especially women—psyched on adventure and being outside, and she regularly hosts talks and runs clinics for cyclists and teaches yoga online and IRL… And in her spare time, the former Ironman triathlete and cyclist now spends time racing ultra-runs on trails.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at mollyjhurford. Cait Dumas of Champion System discusses the state of sponsorship[ Yes, add me to your mailing list. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. If you stick to these three things, it will help you stay within your budget.

Shop at grocery stores that are discounted. A list keeps you on task. A list will prevent you from forgetting your items that you need. A distracted shopper tends to buy more unnecessary ingredients which takes more money out of your wallet.

With a list, you are able to make mindful purchases rather than compulsive purchases. The only difference between store and name brand products is price. Organic is more expensive due to the organic farming practices. It is a much smaller industry than conventional food and farming.

Organic refers to the way that farmers grow and process food. Don't treat the animals with antibiotics or growth hormones to prevent disease or enhance growth. Not all organic foods are more expensive.

Look for fruits and vegetables that are in season, locally grown, because sometimes they are similar in price to nonorganic food. If your budget allows, consider buying organic produce from the suggested dirty dozen list that can be found on the Environmental Working Group website.

Fruits and vegetables on this list have the most pesticide residue levels. Eating conventionally grown produce is far better than not eating any fruits and vegetables, at all.

Something to keep in mind. Researchers concluded that organically and conventionally produced food are comparable in nutrient content, however the research is ongoing. Eating organic versus conventional food will not give you a leg up in competition.

Focus on high performance foods that are rich in nutrients compared to overall calories. nut butters, seeds and avocados. Steer away from foods with empty calories with very little nutritional value like soda, chips and candy.

Use the unit price to save money. Large containers of oatmeal and blocks of cheese are typically cheaper than prepackaged single serve items. Try to buy in bulk.

Include frozen fruits and vegetables. If you find that your produce goes bad before you can eat it, save money by buying frozen. Consider buying frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, or fresh in season.

I am across from a market with a fresh food section that prepares hot meals- that is where this meal comes from. Dinner: Often nothing or a light snack eatne late. Decaf coffee. Sometimes a sweet in the off season such as a cookie or whatnot. That is about my typical pattern.

Tom Demerly The Tri Shop. Re: Endurance athlete's grocery shopping list [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ] Quote Reply.

Post 15 of 53 views. Not sure I would eat salmon everyday, eventhough I love it too. Both farm-raised and wild salmon can have alot of mercury buildup. Sardines have much less mercury per pound although obviously don't tast as good.

Maybe substitute chicken or sardines once or twice a week. Post 16 of 53 views. Breakfeast Mon to Fri : 3 packs of pop tarts with peanut butter between each pair plus two big glasses of water and a Starbuck's coffee.

Lunch is usually whatever I have on the bike like perpeteum. Dinner is at a restaurant and isusually grilled chicken with rice or salmon with rice.

Re: Endurance athlete's grocery shopping list [ericM] [ In reply to ] Quote Reply. Post 17 of 53 views. Post 18 of 53 views. Post 19 of 53 views. Things I buy: Rice lots of rice Pasta Good luck with your grocery shopping Cardinal Head.

Post 20 of 53 views. See list below. I will also note that I like to buy things that are easy to make. For me, the trick is to make eating healthy as easy as possible.

I go with frozen veggies or micrwaveable rice all the time. The difference in these type of foods vs "raw food" or stuff made from scratch is pretty minor I think. Not to mention if food prep is too much of a pain in the ass with a busy work schedule, having a personal life and training, I will end up eating out anyway.

Re: Endurance athlete's grocery shopping list [Cardinal Head] [ In reply to ] Quote Reply. Post 21 of 53 views. You guys are good. My diet consists mostly of milk, cheese, sugar, and white flour. The milk is skim and organic, but the cheese is CABOT certainly not low fat. For flour I make my own bread as much as possible, can go weeks and weeks without buying junk grocery store bread.

My bread contains - flour, water, salt, yeast. no crap. Oil, etc. Pasta - Really enjoy, for a sane alternative to disgusting WW pasta - Trader Joe's multigrain with flax.

And cookies, don't forget cookies. I do eat 1 banana and 1 apple every single day. Post 22 of 53 views. There are usually two of us eating together - BF and myself. We're both allergic to wheat, dairy and him soy, so we buy very little processed stuff.

apples organic bananas broccoli cauliflower acorn squash avocados mushrooms onion salmon fillets tilapia fillets pork roast aidelle's chicken and apple sausages dijon mustard for the salmon tia rosa tortilla chips jardines medium salsa nutella corn bread crumbs for the salmon Palema's bread and muffin mix gluten free baking mix cranberry juice grape juice sour patch kids addicted brown rice arborrio rice for risotto gluten free corn chex cereal reduced-sugar frosted flakes for BF rice crispies for BF frozen spelt bread for BF - i can't eat spelt frozen gluten-free waffles.

Re: Endurance athlete's grocery shopping list [austin79] [ In reply to ] Quote Reply. Post 23 of 53 views. I like this thread, but I SUCK BADLY when it comes to food. I am the pickiest eater, maybe not on the planet, but perhaps North America. breakfast - 2 bagels in the car on the way to work with water Kroger brand cinnamon raisin or blueberry.

A handful of blueberries before a morning workout. If workout is short min swim or 6 mile or less run , just water. Any time on bike, either Gatorade or Accelerade. midafternoon snack is a Clif bar nothing else When they talk about getting your recommended daily allowance of vegetables, that's what I consume in a month.

I wish that was a joke, but its not. My diet when it comes to veges is a joke. I'll occasionally have baby spinach leaves with mandarin oranges. More often a handful of carrots. There is OH SO MUCH room for improvement. Tad It took awhile, but I finally discovered that its not the destination that's important, but rather the journey.

Post 24 of 53 views. I log my diet. Always unsuccessfully trying to improve my habits. From highest to lowest - here's my current intake for November: Sorted by carb intake top 5 brown rice veggies perpetuem cytomax beans Sorted by fat intake top 5 pb mayo soy butter olive oil mixed nuts Sorted by Protein intake top 5 whey protein egg white chicken salmon pb I eat way too much peanut butter Post 25 of 53 views.

To begin your list, to do when planning a list is figuring out what type of list works best for you. You can write it down on paper or use the notes on your cell phone.

If you are struggling to know where to start, check out my free grocery list template. You can easily google your favorite grocery store to find their weekly ad. The weekly ad is great for showing you what is on sale and for the categorization of your list.

It can be overwhelming at first but the weekly ad is simply organized by the food categories in the grocery store. Each grocery store is different in where they place products but all food products should be categorized with like items.

You can easily follow this design when building your list. I recommend planning out your meals first and building out your list from the ingredients.

I recommend starting with fresh produce fruit and vegetables. By starting your trip and weekly grocery list with the produce section, it encourages you to fill up your grocery cart with nutrient-rich foods to help with immunity, recovery, and gut health.

In-season produce are fruit and vegetables that are being grown in their optimal growing season so they are extremely nutrient-rich and tasty. Using the weekly ad as your guide, build out your meals to include in-season produce that is extremely nutrient-rich and a good value.

The in-season produce is going to be on sale! Next, check out the meats and all the consumer packaged goods! As mentioned above, plan your meals for the week based on what you see on sale. After you plan out your meals, check out your pantry to see what items you already have in stock. You know you have ended up with 6 cans of unused black beans in your pantry!

Looking for some easy meal and snack ideas? I know you will love my easy high protein bagels and overnight oats! Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store allows you to fill up your cart on fruits, veggies meat, fresh bread, and dairy first. Start with produce and fill up your cart with fresh fruits and vegetables, especially focusing on in-season produce!

Like mentioned before, the produce on sale will be the items that are in season. Dairy and dairy alternative products are extremely important for competitive soccer players like yourself. Dairy alternative milk options almond, cashew, oat contain calcium but not much protein usually g per cup.

I find many athletes make this mistake and want to make you aware of it so you can fuel properly! When looking at both dairy and dairy alternatives, yogurt is going to be a great source of protein that you can include in meals or snacks.

I recommend following the easy guideline of more protein than sugar to make sure your yogurt is appropriate for fueling! I always recommend this little guideline on both dairy and dairy-free yogurts. When choosing yogurts at the grocery store, try adding Greek yogurt to your cart.

There are often deals on Greek yogurt, and buying a larger container, rather than multiple single-serving containers, will usually save you money. Frozen Section: When shopping in the frozen section of the grocery store, go right to the frozen fruits and vegetables.

These are picked at their peak of ripeness and frozen right away — making them just as nutritious as fresh fruits and vegetables. Frozen fruits and vegetables can be a good money-saving choice when you want produce that is not in season.

Also, keep in mind: Frozen meals can be convenient, but they are often highly processed and can be expensive. If you start planning your meals ahead of time, and making enough for leftovers, you will not have to rely on buying frozen meals. This will save you both time and money.

Cereal Aisle : Just as with the bread aisle, it is important to stick with whole grain options. There is a new consideration in the cereal aisle, though — the sugar content. Luckily, there are plenty of healthy, and tasty, cereals available that are low in sugar. There are often coupons available for brand-name cereals, but if you are looking to save money without using coupons, you can opt to buy the generic brand.

Canned Food Aisle : Canned foods tend to get looked down upon, but they can be good options - especially for athletes on a tight budget. When purchasing canned vegetables, look for options that are low in sodium, or have no salt added.

Bulk Food Section: This section of the grocery store is great for purchasing items such as nuts, trail mix, whole grains, flours, and dried fruits. Buying these items here is often less expensive than buying them in other areas of the store.

This is because you are not paying for any pre-packaging, and you can get the exact amount that you need. The grocery store may also have specials on various bulk foods — so if one of your favorite items goes on sale, buy extra!

Condiment and Sauce Aisle : This can be a tricky section of the grocery store, since condiments and sauces have a wide range of fat and calorie contents. When buying condiments, try to stick with low fat options, and limit creamy dressing such as ranch as much as possible. Bottle waters and sports drinks may also be found here and can help with your fluid needs as an athlete- keep in mind though, utilize sports drinks with sports and not just mindlessly drinking sugar!

Have you seen the fiber content of whole grains? When the daily fiber goal is 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men, whole grains can help get you there. Plus, fiber is great for stabilizing blood sugars, lowering cholesterol levels, and ultimately helping you feel full faster and for longer. The healthiest nuts include almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pine nuts, and my personal favorite pistachios.

An excellent source of nutrition here, and make a nice salty, crunchy snack option. Just be careful of your portion size as the calories can add up quickly. A small handful is a serving size.

The most important factor about fruits and vegetables is that you eat them. Whether they came fresh, frozen, canned or eaten raw or cooked, all that matters is that you include them in your diet.

A good source of protein, B-vitamins, and fiber, and very versatile to use in cooking. Dried beans are very easy to cook up in a slow cooker, and canned beans are often available in no-salt-added options. What are your go-to healthy items in the center aisles of the supermarket?

The fueling guide bundle is your one-stop-shop for strategies to fueling before, during and after your workouts. How well do you know your fueling? Answer these questions and let's see where your endurance nutrition knowledge is at!

Race Day: Triathlon Nutrition Planner. level up your nutrition game with these freebies. Planning what goes on your plate. Putting the right foods in your grocery cart.