Fit, Fueled, And Busy - a podcast for ambitious women juggling life, family, and fitness
Welcome to Fit, Fueled, and Busy — the podcast for ambitious women who are juggling life, family, and fitness! Each week, your host, Janine from Couture Fitness Coaching shares practical tips, mindset strategies, and real-life hacks to help you feel strong, energized, and confident — even when life gets crazy. Tune in every Wednesday and learn how to stay fit, fueled, and fierce — even on your busiest days.
Fit, Fueled, And Busy - a podcast for ambitious women juggling life, family, and fitness
Episode 77: Boost Your Metabolism at Costco and Sam's Club
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Ever find yourself lost in the supermarket aisles, wondering what to buy? In this episode, Jo and Lauren discuss their best grocery shopping tips and share their regular Costo and Sam's Clubs shopping lists. They also share a fool-proof formula for meal planning that is sure to boost your metabolism and make you feel great!
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Nutrition and Grocery Shopping Tips
Speaker 1Hey everyone , welcome to the podcast . You've got Joe and Lauren here today and we're going to be talking about the very exciting topic of grocery shopping . I'll get more into that in a minute , but first just a few words about what's going on at couture coaching . So we will be launching our metabolic makeover program again in July . If you're interested in getting a spot in our one-on-one coaching program , there's a link in the bio with more information , and I really encourage you to schedule a discovery call with us to see if our program might be a good fit for you . If you want to explore that , we also always have our master your metabolism $79 course . That's available . Link to that is in the bio or , I'm sorry , in the show notes . And so that's a bit about what's going on at couture In terms of this podcast .
Speaker 1Lauren is on the show today , as I mentioned , so so I and the other coaches , we're going to take a bit of a break from launching the podcast every other week . This summer we have I have a very busy summer coming up , and so we're just going to take a bit of a break and go down to one a month . So you'll be getting you know your regular listener one new podcast a month and then , hopefully , when things die down in the fall , we can go back to our regular schedule of two posts a month or two podcasts a month . So I know my summer plans are maybe not that exciting to some , but I have a daughter who's going to be a senior in college , so we're going to be doing a lot of college visits , some ID clinics , some road trips , so just a summer that we're going to sort of slow things down , and I know there are very few summers I have left with her where she'll be under my roof , so I'm going to enjoy that . Lauren , what do you have planned for the summer ?
Speaker 2So I'm on the opposite end of Joe in terms of wearing with raising kids . My kids are six and eight , and so our summer is going to be a lot of making sure that their bucket lists are checked off . And so my son , who is six , he is a . He was a late bloomer when it comes when it comes to swimming , like he literally wouldn't touch the water until he was four and a half , and so now he wants to be on a swim team , yet he can't swim . So we are going to learn how to swim and so we're going to probably spend a lot of time doing that .
Speaker 2And my daughter is very into dance , and so we have nationals coming up , and so there's going to be a lot of helping her learn all of her tricks , and I just learned how to spot an aerial , and so there will be a lot of that going on every day . And then we actually do have a couple trips planned , and you know weekend lake trips and we have a boat , and so we've not yet bet on the boat because of dance actually . So we're going to try to get on the boat a little more . Not yet bet on the boat because of dance actually , so we're going to try to get on the boat a little more . So just trying to , you know , keep the kids , keep the kids entertained this summer and keep up with everything else .
Speaker 1Yeah , well , it does sound like a busy summer .
Speaker 1So , um , and they fly by , and before you know , you'll have a senior in high school and you won't believe that you're there already . So okay , so today , as I mentioned , we are going to talk to you about where and how we grocery shop and some of our favorite finds . So , honestly , the question we get the most from clients when we start coaching them is what the heck do I eat ? And usually followed by and how in the world am I ever going to eat as much protein as you want me to eat ? So the title of this podcast is about boosting your metabolism and , honestly , protein is a game changer . It has the highest thermogenic property of any macronutrient . 20% of calories from protein are burned up by your body just processing that protein .
Speaker 1Most women are under eating protein and so that is a bit of the challenge when , usually when we do give our clients their nutrition plans , is that it's a lot more protein than they're used to eating . And also , most people , just in their day-to-day life , aren't very intentional about their nutrition . But for changing your body composition losing weight , gaining muscle , sort of making over your metabolism nutrition is 80% of the game , um , and that means you know that also means in terms of thought , effort and intention . You know , you , you , you know that also means in terms of thought , effort and intention . You know you really need to focus in on your nutrition , so that can make it a more challenging part of this lifestyle , especially when someone is first getting started . So the thing that we love about macro based dieting , or assigning nutrition and organizing nutrition based on macronutrients , is that it is so flexible . But it can also be .
Speaker 1The most intimidating part is just learning how to get your different macros in , and I think the other thing to realize is that there's no one size fits all , and what I mean by that is that you know , lauren and I do the nutrition piece of this very differently from each other , and I do it different from other coaches . No two people do it exactly the same , and so we thought it would be helpful for you to hear how we approach nutrition for our own families and ourselves and what we , how we carry it out , starting with the grocery store . So we're going to go through our grocery lists . So , and like I said , we we generally give in terms of nutrition and how we help clients with their nutrition and nutrition planning is we give kind of a budget where you have like a calorie budget and then , how we want you to make up those calories in terms of carbs , proteins and fats . And , like I said , that's really , um , we like that because it's very flexible .
Speaker 1You learn a lot about nutrition when you understand what your nutrition is comprised of . Um , and we just think it's a really flexible approach and and can be very successful as well . Um . So , lauren , any other thoughts on sort of our approach to nutrition ?
Speaker 2Yeah . So I would just say so we talk a lot about protein because protein really is a cornerstone of the program and just how we eat , um , but it doesn't mean that we think carbs are bad . I think that's important to note . We focus on protein and we make a note of , you know , really teaching people how to get their protein in , really only because the American diet just doesn't focus on it and it's just not as intuitive and it's just not as available as carbs and fat are in our diet .
Speaker 2But that by no means means that we're like don't eat carbs or don't eat fat . It's just having a well-balanced and intentional approach to eating all three macronutrients carbs , fat and protein . So I think a lot of I mean I know a lot lot of like my .
Approach to Meal Planning and Shopping
Speaker 2What I'll focus on today is kind of my grocery list around protein , just because it is the hardest , um , but by no means do I only eat protein and I'm like you know , no , none of us only eat protein and like swear off carbs , um , so we don't . I don't want to give that impression . That's kind of . The only thing I would add before we get into this is you know , we will probably talk about a lot about our protein hacks when we're grocery shopping . That doesn't mean we don't eat carbs and fat . It just means protein is just it's just harder . It's just harder because it's it's not as it's just like it's an American diet .
Speaker 2It's not as there .
Speaker 1Yeah , it's not as fun to eat either as carbs Right . Right , right so yeah , no , I agree with all of that .
Speaker 1Yeah , okay , um . So I think it's also , as I mentioned , it's also important to recognize we're all individuals , we all have different lives . We have different um lifestyles in terms of where we have to be on any given day , how big our families are , what our family's like . So I think it's important that we recognize , like I said , not not every once grocery shopping list is going to be the same . So , lauren , do you want to talk about sort of your approach to grocery shopping and meal planning ?
Speaker 2Yeah , and I think , like before I even get into that , I'm just going to , you know , generally talk about like the type of eater I am , and then you know , maybe when I turn it over to Joe she can talk about the type of eater she is , because I do think that kind of dictates how I meal plan , how I grocery shop , or at least that's kind of like the foundation of it , and you'll understand when I , when we get into it , what I mean . So my general philosophy on everyday eating fast , simple , I don't want to put a lot of thought into it , and so I by nature I'm a very , you know , efficiency is like one of the things I love , and so the way I eat is kind of right in line with that . So what this kind of looks like on an everyday basis is I eat the same foods often . I eat things and I cook things that don't require a ton of ingredients . I like to cook in bulk and I generally am not creative in the kitchen . So I basically am the opposite of a foodie .
Speaker 2I just don't not that I'm robotic about it , or it's just I haven't necessarily a philosophy of , like you know , eat to live or something I just I still need to eat and feel satisfied . For me , though , I just don't need a lot of variety . For me it's just on an everyday basis , like I like to go out to eat and I like to have my treats , and you know , when I go out to eat I like to try new things , but just on an everyday basis . That's just not where I want to put my energy , or not necessarily where my energy goes right now at this time in my life . Um and again , like Joe is not like this , but I'll let her explain that . Um , so yeah , joe , why don't you just like kind of explain how different you are in terms of that ?
Speaker 1Yeah , well , yeah , I'm kind of the opposite . I wouldn't . I'm not a picky eater at all , but but I do , yeah , have definite opinions about things . But , more more importantly , I really do like to cook . I like to try new recipes , I like to cook with certain ingredients . My favorite thing ever is to plan a dinner party and get it all ready and do all the cooking and the meal planning for it , and the fancier the better . So that that's sort of how I'm naturally wired .
Speaker 1Where I currently am in my life , though , is very much a convenience cook in terms of . You know , I've got two high school children going in different directions every night . I'm a working mom , so I am in an office many hours during the day , so I don't have hours and hours at my disposal , especially during the weekdays , to cook gourmet meals . So for me , really , it's about getting food dinner on the table a few nights a week . I think my kids would eat out every night if they could , probably Chipotle I think they are going to turn into a chipotle burrito , but um , so anyway , you know , there is some convenience aspects to how I cook these days as well , um , and what I've realized is , even though I love , you know , trying new recipes and and being a bit of a fancier cook , you know if you're working and you're really busy that that's not really practical .
Speaker 1I know sometimes we do have clients that say like I just I don't want to have a meal plan or I don't want to make myself a meal plan because that sounds boring . And I like to . You know , I don't like to eat the same thing two nights in a row , but the reality is is that there's going to be some of that probably in everyone's life , unless you have a personal chef or something like that . So , um , but I do . I do have some go-to um macros , bloggers that I like , um , I'll talk about that when we go through my Costco list . So , um , so left , left to my druthers . I would do a lot more cooking than I do . I try to do some nicer meals on weekends , but during the week it's a lot of stuff with crockpots , cooking in bulk and and really having a plan is probably the most key that I would say to how I approach nutrition . Okay , so , lauren , do you want to go through your grocery list ?
Speaker 2Yeah , and planning a dinner party and being having a create big sounds like my worst nightmare . So , lauren , do you want to go through your grocery list ? Yeah , and planning a dinner party and being having a , it sounds like my worst nightmare . So , just like , even if I had all the time in the world , I'm not sure if I would . If I'm ever going to be like good at cooking or like really into it , it just it stresses me out . But , yeah , so , like , as I mentioned , I eat this . I eat a lot of the same things I like to cook in bulk . None of it bothers me . Like I can eat the same thing day after day and you know , like Joe said , like some people that doesn't appeal to or like they want to . You know like they don't want to do that . But I think the reality is , and especially if you're getting started with like a life , this lifestyle , or like eating in like a macro balanced way , it really is . Until you get good at it , it really is , I think , key to find your staples and to find the things that you can eat , even if that means maybe like two meals you eat almost the same every day and maybe a third meal you switch it up , but or you keeping your snacks the same all the time . I mean , it's just , consistency is key , and I just think the easiest way to be consistent , especially when you start with this , is if you just have your go-tos and you figure out what those are . Um , so you know what you know . Because of that , I think Sam's and Costco are all of our best friends . I shop at Sam's more than I shop at Costco , so I'm going to talk about my Sam's finds today , and then I will also talk about the things that I regularly fill in from , just like the regular grocery store . So I think I'll go through this , I'll try to go through it in terms of of meals , I guess , like breakfast , lunch , dinner , snacks . So , um , you know , and I I will forewarn you , this is , this is not exciting , um , but I I really do like it . Um .
Speaker 2So , for breakfast , largely , largely , um , liquid egg whites are my staple , and I will note that I do shop at Sam's and Costco . For whatever reason , I prefer Sam's liquid egg whites over Costco's or anyone else's , I don't know , I can't explain it . I just think they cook better , I think they're fluffier , I don't know . But so Sam's liquid egg whites are on my grocery list every week , every other week . I go through them pretty quickly , one so at Sam's . They come in a carton of six and then each or a pack of six cartons , I guess , you would say and each little carton has about two cups of liquid egg whites in it , and I do about a cup a day , which is about 30 grams of protein , and so I do that usually just either as an omelet or well , actually , probably more often I scramble it , just because omelets can even omelets can get kind of complicated in the morning and they also actually reheat well if you scramble them . So , um , that is , that is like definitely like a go-to of mine . Um , but they they do have at Sam's that I buy often these like egg bites , their ham and cheese egg bites , and so they come in this like little packet and they come in almost like a . They almost look like a cupcake , um , but they are great to like throw in my bag and like if I do go into the office or if I , I don't know , I just don't feel like getting , you know , cooking on the stove or whatnot , um , and they have really good macros . So that is , um , there's called , like I was trying to think of . I should have put in my notes what the brand name was , but I think there's called like ham and cheese egg bites , um , and then a newer item that Sam's just started carrying . That um I actually have added to my grocery list often , and my kids will eat as well Um , premier protein , which they are known to make their protein shakes .
Speaker 2But they also have a food line . So Sam's just started carrying their frozen pancakes and they have , I think I want to say like 14 grams of protein per serving and my kids eat them , I eat them , they're easy . And then I just pair those with um like low sugar , uh , low sugar maple syrup , um , if you want to get like fun , sometimes I put like some cool whip on them , um , and that that's good . Or and actually like a really kind of like almost like the perfect um kind of macro balanced um . Breakfast is the protein pancakes with like a half a cup of the egg whites , cause then you have just kind of like the right amount of fat , proteins and carbs and it's like very filling and just very satisfying .
Speaker 2And then also that we always have this in our house the Kodiak cakes , oatmeal we always have . We've always had oatmeal in our house , the Kodiak Cakes oatmeal . We've always had oatmeal in our house and Sam's just started carrying the Kodiak Cakes oatmeal , which Kodiak Cakes , for anybody knows . They started with a pancake mix which used to be a staple of mine , except for , I think , somewhere they sell them in the frozen version , but not at Sam's .
Speaker 2So I don't buy them , um , but that's kind of another thing that's always in my closet . And again , like the oatmeal with you know serving or a half cup of egg whites , it kind of just really makes for like kind of the perfect macro balanced breakfast . Um , so that's kind of my breakfast . It's not much more exciting than that . Uh , I don't know , sometimes I'll mix it up and have my protein shake with oatmeal instead .
Speaker 2It's you know that's kind of as creative as I get . Um , and then my lunch . Well , if you thought my breakfast was boring , you're gonna die when you hear my lunch . So , um , I basically eat a couple things for lunch every day Tuna fish with a little bit of light mayo and relish in it and like just crackers on the side . I just again , like you can buy anything in bulk at Sam's , and so I buy my tuna fish in bulk at Sam's , cause they eat a lot of it .
Speaker 2Um , I think , like my , the way I portion it out , it's like 34 grams of protein . So it's , you know , it's a really good protein source and it's easy . Um , and then my other go-to , uh , lunch is just a , just a , a wrap , like a del , like a wrap or a um sandwich or like a deli sandwich . So I get all my deli meat from Sam's . Um , sam's carries mission the brand is mission and they're low carb wraps and they are the best tasting low carb wraps . Like they actually taste like real wraps , like they don't have that gra , they don't have like that grainy texture or anything . They taste like a real flour wrap . They're really good .
Speaker 2And then Sam's also carries Sara Lee Delightful Bread , which has always been a staple of mine . You can't get that at Costco and it's actually pretty extensive bread if you get at the regular grocery store . So you literally get it for like half off at Sam's . I mean , I guess that's one thing too , like a lot of people will hear like , but it's so expensive to eat healthy , it's protein is so expensive and that's true it is and groceries are expensive and everything's expensive . Now , but I do think you know shopping at Sam , shopping at Costco being intentional , having your staples , can really cut down on your grocery bill as well . So I think that's one thing to keep in mind .
Speaker 2Oh , the other , I guess , thing about the Sara Lee Delightful Bread and the egg whites the liquid egg whites combine those two things and you have killer French toast . So you just like what I do when I have time so this is usually a weekend thing is just put the liquid egg whites , put a little bit of trivia , a little bit of cinnamon , you know , mix it up a little bit of milk , just like you would with regular French toast , and then you dip the surly delightful bread and be pretty heavy on the egg mixture . Dip the surly delightful bread and be pretty heavy on the egg mixture , um , and then just put it , you know , like , uh , cook it in a pan like you would regular French toast , and it's actually really , really satisfying , um , and just take , and my kids love it too , so that's . And it's packed , packed with protein , um , so that's kind of .
Speaker 1I made that for my daughter when she had her tonsils . Out was super protein fortified French toast .
Speaker 2Yeah , I mean , who doesn't love French toast ? I mean like , and it's just it really . I mean I like , even my , my kids really can't tell the difference , like you know . So it's , it's just a really good like . I think it's a really good weekend option when you have time . Um , yeah , and I guess you , I mean I guess it would probably , if you like , made it in bulk , maybe for a couple days you could like reheat it , but I've never tried that . So that's my , that's my , that's my lunch , and then I obviously went back to breakfast for a minute and then let's see snacks . So , again , very boring .
Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping Tips
Speaker 2I think everyone needs to have a go-to pre-made protein shake , and at Sam's they carry my . My go-to is fair life chocolate protein shakes . They taste exactly like chocolate milk . They have none of that fake protein taste to them . Um , 30 grams of protein , 150 calories . You know , it's just a . Really , they're easy .
Speaker 2Um , you know , I would say don't , in a normal diet , like , don't eat more than one protein shake a day . I mean , try to get your protein from other natural sources . But I think everybody should , you know , probably plan for one protein shake a day if you're trying to eat 120 or 150 grams of protein . But Sam's also carries I mean , I think they have their own brand of protein shakes that I've never tried but they carry premier protein in like a million flavors . So premier protein has so many flavors , so many crazy flavors , and Sam seems to have at least four flavors at a time , if not more , and like even like their seasonal flavors . So think like pumpkin , spice and um caramel and mochacha , and then obviously regular vanilla and chocolate . But again like those are like 150 , 160 calories , 30 grams of protein . They're easy . Again , like just make sure you have stuff on hand that you can go to .
Speaker 2And then a couple more of just my kind of my go-to snacks is Greek yogurt . I buy Oikos triple zero Greek yogurt , which you know Greek yogurt can get expensive , so I highly recommend buying that . I like a Sam's or a Costco Sam's happens to carry that and that's the one I eat . So that's what we do in my house . And then and this is not like a really a Sam's thing , but I have to mention cottage cheese while I'm talking about Greek yogurt . That's kind of a go-to , but I mean you can buy it in bulk at Sam's . And so , again , like everything's cheaper when you buy it in bulk .
Speaker 2And then , as far as dinner goes , we have been on a kick of again boring , but I think it's satisfying is we will , um , cook like a so a protein . So whether that be chicken or salmon , we do salmon a lot , or some kind of pork tenderloin or pork , uh , pork chop . We will do a protein , um , but then we will do baked veggies basically . So we just put a bunch of veggies on a pan , a sheet like a sheet pan cookie pan thing , drizzle a little olive oil and seasoning on it , stick it in the oven and then you can get like days of veggies out of that . And again , the reason I buy these things at Sam's is because you know we eat them often . We eat them in bulk and it's just cheaper .
Speaker 2The other kind of hack I would say here is decide on like one to two protein sources a week , like for dinner . If you're going to do this , like , don't buy pork and salmon and chicken and beef because it's going to go bad . So pick like one or two you know meat sources and buy that for that week . I mean , obviously you can freeze things and like take them out of the freezer and all of that , um , but just for for waste purposes , I fight . I find it just easier to just like find one or two protein you know meat sources for the week and buy that . Oh and then my .
Speaker 2The last thing I'll say about Sam's and this is like an only at Sam's and a treat is they have these things called Clio bars . What they are are these chocolate covered Greek yogurt like , almost like frozen Greek yogurt bars covered in chocolate . They are delicious and I've not found them anywhere else but Sam's . Um , they're spelled C-L-I-O . They , I think this flavors they have are like strawberry and vanilla . They come in like a 12 pack and they literally taste like chocolate covered cheesecake . I mean , they are the most satisfying , best macro friendly dessert that you can easily get , and , again , only at Sam's . So that's actually one of the reasons I started going to Sam's so much because they carry those in their cars .
Speaker 2So , anyway , that really is most of my food , how I , how I eat it every week .
Speaker 1Okay , great , yeah , well , I might have to go on a field trip with you to Sam's to get the Clio bars . I don't have a Sam's card . Those sound pretty good , okay . So let me talk to you . I'm going to talk to you about Costco , because I belong to Costco and I don't belong to Sam's .
Protein Sources and Meal Prep
Speaker 1And so first , I think the first , the best way to explain this is to first explain sort of the primary protein sources that my family eats . So I would say , you know , we get 95% of our protein from beef , chicken , pork , lean cuts of pork I would say mostly pork , tenderloin , eggs and egg whites , greek yogurt , yogurt , cottage cheese and then like a whey protein powder or or a dairy-based shake that's high in protein . Um , I get most of my recipes . I have a few macros bloggers that I I cook almost primarily from and I like them because all of their recipes are already in my fitness pal . They're , they're normal recipes , their foods , it's not weird . Um , it's pretty family friendly , it's stuff my kids would eat , but they're , they follow a great macronutrient profile , meaning they're high in protein and then very reasonable in carbs and fats . So I like , oh , snap , macros . Um , she's been on our podcast before Lauren fit foodie . She's been a guest on our podcast before skinny taste . I would love to get um . I think her name is Gina Gina on our podcast , but she's a little . She's a little bigger , bigger than us , but I love the skinny taste recipes and then Lily eats and tells are my go-to bloggers . If I need a recipe or need inspiration for something to cook , I usually go there first .
Speaker 1So , in terms of sourcing protein , so beef . So I grew up on a farm . My grandparents had beef cattle . My parents have beef cattle , so I'm I'm used to eating meat , and beef In particular . My grandmother had t shirts for my sisters and I at that we wore around that said beef builds beautiful bodies , and that's true Beef does , so I am used to eating it . It doesn't . You know . I know some people don't love beef , but I do , and so I source all of my beef from my family . It's 100% grass fed and grass finished . These cows have never had any grain . We know antibiotics , so it's honestly probably some of the healthiest protein that you can get your hands on . So I'm very lucky in that regard . My mom had it tested at K state , um , which is the local , like um , or closest land grant university to where we live and um , it has basically the same profile as like wild salmon in terms of um , omega-3 fatty acids and that kind of thing . So very , very healthy . And I'm very lucky that I get , and because I have a , I have an extra freezer in my house , so that's how I am able to store that .
Speaker 1So I what we normally eat in terms of beef cuts are things like hamburger ground beef and it's very lean I would say it's like 97% lean and then things like roasts and stuff that you can cook in a crock pot . So that that's it was . Steaks occasionally , but I don't have a lot of time during the week to be cooking steaks , so we eat a lot of beef and then chicken and pork . So the chicken and pork I have to source , you know , outside of somewhere else , so so hence my Costco list . So we go to Costco about every two weeks and then once a week or so , I supplement at Trader Joe's or the regular grocery store for things that I need to make various meals . And , like I said , I have a freezer and then I just redid my kitchen and I have two fridges in my kitchen because I eat a lot of protein and you need to sometimes refrigerate protein . So just know that I have a lot of refrigerator space and that's how we get by with going to Costco just every few weeks .
Speaker 1Um , so this is what's on the list for Costco . I mean , yes , we might add some things , but I would say this is the basics . So , chicken breasts from Costco um , I like the frozen , like the ice packed frozen chicken breasts that you can just pull out one at a time , or even the tenders , because then I don't have to cook an entire package of chicken . If I just need a few breasts , I can really . Or if I want to make , like you know , six breasts to up the protein content and something that would normally cost for call for like four servings of chicken , I can do that . So I like those . I find that very convenient . I don't necessarily need to get a package of those every two weeks , but it's on the list . Um , we really like the bear chicken . Um breasts .
Speaker 1Um , so this is like a lightly breaded , um precooked situation that a lot of people think tastes just like Chick-fil-A or is a good sub for Chick-fil-A . So we like those , we like the breasts , we like also the nuggets , but I usually get the breasts and we'll do like Chick-fil-A sandwiches . Sometimes we get our milk there , we get our eggs there , our egg whites at Costco , usually you know the whatever pack I can't remember how many come in a pack , but the bulk pack of egg whites . I think a dozen and a half of eggs . Also the Oikos triple zero Greek yogurt . So that's basically our protein .
Speaker 1I do try to get the Fairlife protein shakes when Costco carries them . So I agree with Lauren . I do try to get the Fairlife protein shakes when Costco carries them . So I agree with Lauren . It's good to have like a shelf , stable , grab and go protein shake or protein bar at your disposal that you can just have on hand . That doesn't need a lot of refrigeration . So we get those and then . But what I find with those with my kids , is they'll drink like half a shake and then I'll find it sitting in their room , which makes me angry because those are expensive .
Speaker 2And nothing smells worse than old protein shake .
Speaker 1Yeah , it starts to stink after a while , um , so we also get protein powder there . They carry optimum nutrition protein powder , which is a high quality whey protein . So , um , I will get that there sometimes . Um , the other things I like to get at um Costco um , this also falls in the protein category is they have now a real , a lot of really great like pre-prepared meals that you can stick in the freezer . So the Kevin's brands are good . Um , they're the Amy Lou um , she has meatballs , chicken um patties , things like that . Those are really great that you can just pull out of the freezer . Or I pulled out of the freezer and just like I might heat up some rice and vegetables to go with them . Or some of the meals , like you know , the Indian chicken my kids love and it feels like we're going out to an Indian restaurant . But I know what the macros are and I don't think it used to be like this in terms of processed food . But the macros on these meals are amazing . Like you , you almost can't beat them . Making them at home like very , very high in protein again , reasonable carbs , reasonable fat , so pretty healthy and very convenient and tasty . So I always have three or four of those in the freezer so that if I know it's going to be a crazy night and I have to get dinner on the table in 20 minutes , I can just heat one of those up and we're good to go .
Speaker 1Okay , things that are not protein , that are on my regular shopping list at Costco . So I buy bags of frozen veggies there . This is a new thing that I've discovered . We can't eat through vegetables enough before they start going bad . But I saw someone on Instagram . She takes any basically any frozen vegetables . It can be broccoli . They have a lot of different vegetable mixes at Costco and you put the frozen vegetables on a sheet pan , I spray it with olive oil , I put some salt in it and then you stick it in the oven at 350 for like eight to 10 minutes and it makes like the perfect roasted vegetables and then you don't have to worry about the produce going bad . It's pre-chopped . There's like literally no prep to this other than sticking them in the oven . So that's what we do for most of our vegetables now is .
Speaker 1You know , I usually buy broccoli and some other blends that they have there and that's that's how we have our sides of vegetables . So I like those . I usually buy berries at Costco , um , cause we can eat through those Um , and I can buy enough for two weeks . Um . I also like the Catalina crunch at Costco .
Speaker 1It's a protein-portified cereal that I like to add to things like Greek yogurt , and so I think the other thing I like that they have at Costco is they have BCAAs , or we call it energy drink at my house , which is kind of a recovery drink . It's supposed to help you recover from weightlifting workouts , make you less sore . I don't know if that's the case anymore , because I drink it all the time . I wouldn't be able to tell if it's helping me recover , but I like the taste of it and drink a lot more water when I have those in it .
Speaker 1So , like I said , I don't get a lot of fresh produce at Costco because it just ends up rotting in our fridge .
Speaker 1I just can't cook through it quick enough .
Speaker 1But the rest of the stuff I can get there and then , like I said , I usually pick two or three recipes from those macro bloggers that I mentioned that I know that I plan to cook at some point during the week and then I might do a Trader Joe's run to get anything like , you know marinara sauce or anything I need to do to get to supplement and make those recipes , but it's it's not by any means any sort of large grocery haul , it's like it's like I in and out of Trader Joe's in 10 minutes or so to get those extra ingredients . So that's how we do our grocery shopping and really the key for me is just like having all that protein on hand . Oh , I forgot , I also get my pork tenderloin at Costco . They have really great pork tenderloin and you can , and you can put that in the freezer too , and all of these are meats that you can cook in the crock pot or not in the oven , and so just very , very convenient ways to prepare protein . So that's my Costco shopping list .
Speaker 2Yeah , and I will say , joe , you're talking about kind of like the pre-made meals that have really good macros . I've not been able to find that as much at Sam's , so that kind of stuff , because we have both memberships and we do that kind of stuff at Costco . I just think , just for people to know , depending on the kind of eater you are and you're like , should I do Sam's or should I do Costco , I mean , costco definitely has more of those kinds of options . So yeah , and then the other thing you said that I forgot to mention was protein bars .
Speaker 2So Sam's carries two protein bars that I usually have in my house um built bars and um fit crunch bars . We usually just kind of always have those and they're not , you know , built . Built comes in a million flavors and I think the ones it's like caramel and brownie batter that Sam's has , um , but it's just it's , it's it's nice to pick them up there and not have to like order them special or go somewhere else special Um . And then the fit crunch bars are just , you actually can't find those a ton of places , um , but they do have those at Sam's .
Speaker 1Um , I didn't know that Sam's had built bars . I'm definitely going there with you . Yeah , I love built bars .
Speaker 2Yeah , so , um , I think that's the only things I forgot to really mention from Sam's . The other thing , though , I did want to kind of back to . You know this this thing we hear is it's so expensive to eat this way , aldi I don't frequently shop at Aldi's , but they really have like stepped up their game in the past couple of years of having really healthy options and interesting options . Again , can't speak like a ton to it , but if you're like definitely check it out , like if you haven't checked all these out in a few years , um , and you want to , like you know , have like a high protein based diet or a good macro based diet there's , that is a very good option .
Speaker 1Yeah , um , I haven't been there lately either , but I feel like I see a lot of people posting on Instagram about high protein finds that at , uh , aldi . So , yeah , definitely something to check out and all the owns Trader Joe's . So they they aren't similar , but but sort of similar in terms of kind of how they're organized and structured . So , okay , I think that's it for the shopping lists . The last thing we were going to talk about is sort of a formula maybe for thinking about how to construct your meals . Formula maybe for thinking about how to construct your meals and especially as you go through meal plans . So Lauren and I for a while worked with the same bodybuilding coach and she taught us sort of a meal formula that I still , like just got ingrained in my head and I think it's a really great meal formula and works and kind of guarantees that you have balanced healthy meals works and kind of guarantees that you have balanced healthy meals .
Speaker 1So sort of every meal that you eat , you want to think about number one , like where's your protein ? So you want to have at least a good serving of protein in that meal , that this also includes breakfast . So we're we're talking most
Balanced Meal Formula for Optimal Nutrition
Speaker 1meals here . Snacks maybe not quite the same formula , but at least your major meals . So protein , so 20 to 30 , um grams of protein in that meal . You can go up to 40 . Really , however , you need to hit your macros , um .
Speaker 1And then you want to have a carb , a serving of carbs in that meal , um . And then a fiber which really think of in terms like of a vegetable or a fruit , so like a broccoli or a berry or something , but some sort of fiber source . Fruit can also be your carb source , so probably more vegetable than fruit , but that's your fiber source . And then some source of fat in your meal and like a small serving of fat , so that can be the fat in your meat . It can be if you use olive oil on your vegetables . If your carb source is a baked potato and you have a little butter on that , you don't typically need to add a bunch of fat to round out that meal and to hit your fat macro . But then you've got a meal that's balanced in terms of protein , carbs and fat . It's very satiating , it will keep your blood sugar very stable and it's just a really great way to balance your meals .
Speaker 1If you just think of that formula , so I think the biggest . When I started constructing my meals in that way that the biggest thing I learned was number one what I thought of serving of protein was was much smaller than it actually is . And then my carb servings were through the roof . So like I didn't really know what like a half a cup of rice looked like . It was much smaller than what I thought a serving of carb was , and that's the standard American diet . I mean that there's no surprise there . But what if you start sort of constructing it that way ? You might be surprised how good you feel and just how easy meal planning becomes . Any thoughts on that , lauren ?
Speaker 2I really just think it comes back to like the ease of it and just we're kind of removing that , you know , decision paralysis out of it . You know it's like it's just very easy to think okay , like protein , carb fiber . I think of it as usually , like protein , vegetable , something else , and a lot of times that something else is rice or potatoes we love sweet potatoes in our house and again , like , for me that's just more of a dinner thing . And like at breakfast and lunch it looks a little different . Like I was talking about earlier , at lunch my carb is maybe something a little more processed , like a wrap or bread , and at breakfast it might be , you know , something more processed , like a frozen pancake or oatmeal .
Speaker 2But by dinnertime I feel like my , my carbs just really tend to get , you know , like simple carbs or whatever they are , the the , the more natural carbs , um , but it really does take a lot of that like , oh my God , how do I eat ? What do I eat ? Like this is so complicated , um , kind of all of that out of it . Uh , and also it prevents the um and not like this is terrible if you have to do every once in a while because you have an event or because you have a dinner or something um come up , but it really prevents that , like you know , front like the eating all your carbs at one part of the day and eating all your protein at a different part of the day , cause you really do want to have it more balanced um from meal to meal throughout the day .
Speaker 1So yeah , and I know when we Cause you really do want to have it more balanced from meal to meal throughout the day . So , yeah , and I know when we've I've done some coaching with clients are like , oh , I'm just starving or I can't figure this out , and so we'll go through their meals and it'll be like just two cups of egg whites or something like okay , well , you have no carbs here , you have no fat here . Like this is not going . Of course you're hungry , Um , and so just balancing out those macronutrients throughout the day it really does help with like you'll feel really really good if you eat this way . So that's something else to think about . And then you just want to do your grocery shopping to make you make sure you have those components of your meals in your house . So I think that's a really good way to think about it .
Speaker 2Yeah , and again , like I know this is very we've talked a lot about protein . But carbs and fat are not bad and , like you , absolutely need them in your diet for energy . And you know , the other big part of you know this lifestyle and of our program is the fitness part , the lifting part , and you have to have carbs and fat and protein in order to exercise and lift in the way that you you should be doing um in this lifestyle . So you have to have carbs . I just can't say that enough , that carbs are not bad , but you have to have protein too .
Speaker 1So yeah , yeah , yeah , you're just gonna . You just want to kind of even out that energy load throughout the day so you kind of always have a steady supply of of in all these . All the macronutrients give you energy kind of in a different way , so so , anyway , this is just a good way to kind of even it out is in the meal formula that I just mentioned .
Podcast Wrap-Up and Call to Action
Speaker 1Okay , I think that's all we have for today . Thanks for listening . If you have any questions or you want more episodes like that , feel free to give us an email or let us know , and if you want to leave a review for the podcast , that would be helpful . Otherwise , have a great rest of the day and we'll talk to you next month . Thanks everyone , bye .