Grocery Shopping - Meat Edition
Today I'd like to focus on the meat department. Your “proteins.” Our focus as healthy individuals should be on “whole food” living. And what exactly does that mean? It means mostly staying away from the middle of the grocery store. I want you to start mapping out your grocery store the next time you visit. Usually, the produce section comes first. Beyond that, you’ll find meat and seafood. Continue around, and you will find the dairy section. So far, so good.
In the middle of the store is “shelf-stable food.” Held together with fillers like soy, sugar, and corn syrup, these products are meant to last on shelves for months and years without any dip in quality. These are the foods I want you to work on getting out of your diet. Remember, Twinkies and cockroaches will outlast you and your entire family line.
However, not everything in the middle is bad. I will dip in for coffee, grains, canned goods like beans and tomatoes, and then head out to the checkout.
So, what meats do I buy when preparing food for my family?
Ground beef. 90/10 (90% lean and 10% fat), if possible. However, there are factions in healthcare that will say 80/20 is just fine. Choose your own adventure. From this, I will make meatballs, chili, tacos, stuffed peppers, and hamburger patties. All of these are a good source of protein for mental health and muscle maintenance.
Seafood, specifically shrimp and salmon. And have you had a mahi-mahi taco? Little bit of guac and cilantro? Delightful. High in omega-3s, fish can help lower inflammation in the body while helping stabilize cholesterol. Toss with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt, granulated onion, and garlic, and roast in the air fryer or oven for a main dish.
Chicken. Dark meat or white meat. I like to take chicken breasts and soak them in a mixture of 5% salt water solution. That’s 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every cup of water. Dissolve salt in water and let the chicken breast sit for one hour before cooking to keep the meat tender without making it too salty. This same brining process can be done with pork chops. Don't go over a couple of hours though, you absolutely will taste the salt at that point.
Stew meat. This works on a variety of levels. I use it for stews (obviously), but I can also prepare a stroganoff with mushrooms and onions or a “saucy beef” with tomatoes and gravy over brown rice. Stew meat also lends itself well to African dishes, including Moroccan beef, which includes aromatics like ground cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika, turmeric, and coriander, along with chickpeas and dried fruits such as apricots or raisins.
There are many more items I can choose from in the meat department, and I will list more as time goes on. But I believe this list gives enough of a blueprint for your next trip to the store.
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