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Walking into a grocery store unprepared can be a challenge for anyone. Throw needing a low-glycemic diet into the mix, and shopping for food can become downright overwhelming. I know this first-hand as a someone who lives with PCOS. So if you’re like me and need a low-sugar, high-quality, PCOS-friendly diet each week you are in luck as today I’d like to share with my nine tips to PCOS-Friendly shopping at Sam’s Club. By following some simple tips, you can master your grocery shopping in-club and learn how to stock your fridge with all the right products you need for a healthy low-glycemic diet.
1. Never shop on an empty stomach. It’s not just an old wives’ tale. When we’re hungry, we tend to crave the most calorically dense foods. It’s a survival mechanism that can wreak havoc on those who need low-glycemic diets because when you have periods of low blood sugar, you may start to gravitate towards products high in fats, carbs, and sugars. Then before you know it, your cart is full of the sweetest foods in-club. And in bulk quantities! My best advice to remedy this is to eat a high-protein snack, such as a handful of nuts with one ounce of low-fat organic cheese before shopping to maintain blood glucose levels. With a clear mind and a satisfied tummy, you’ll make wiser food choices while browsing the food aisles in-club.
2. Purchase foods in their original form. In general, you want to focus on purchasing fresh foods in their original form — fruits, vegetables, fish, and lean protein. Something I learned early on living with PCOS was to purchase and consume foods with the shortest lists of ingredients possible. The least processed and more organic the foods the better. For example, instead of buying sugary juices, or pre-made fruit snacks opt for fresh, sugar-free juices made with stevia, dried fruits without added trans-fats and sugars, or no-sugar-added frozen fruit.
3. Map out your week’s menu in advance. A must-do, before you head to the grocery store, is to plan your menu for the week. Set aside a half-hour on a set day each week to create a list of foods you will eat for the week. Consider not just your meals but PCOS-friendly snacks as well, as those who need low-glycemic diets should eat smaller meals and snack every 3-4 hours throughout the day. After you plan what you’ll make for the week, take inventory of what you already have on-hand stock and then write out a grocery list. This will help you purchase healthier foods and spend less money in-club as well!
Now if you’d like to see how I meal plan at home for insulin-resistant PCOS, check out of my favorite meal plans below:
Monday
Breakfast: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Olive spread, with crackers, grapes, and almond milk.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Pioneer Woman Veggie Stir Fry, served with brown rice.
Dessert: Strawberry, stevia, and almond milk smoothies.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Avocado, Banana, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
Lunch: Olive spread, with crackers, grapes, and almond milk.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Salad and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Grilled cheese sliders, grapes, and ice water.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Easy Protein-Packed Chili with corn on the cob and green tea.
Dessert: Strawberry, stevia, banana, and almond milk smoothies.
Thursday
Breakfast: Avocado, Banana, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
Lunch: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, steamed broccoli, and ice water.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Lasagna Roll-Ups, green beans, and tomato and cucumber salad.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Friday
Breakfast: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Grilled cheese sliders with grapes and almond milk.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Veggie Pizza and crystal light.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Saturday
Breakfast: DIY Organic Granola with Strawberries and Almond milk.
Lunch: Grilled cheese and almond milk.
Snacks: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Chicken mole, served with steamed rice, corn, and ice water.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Sunday
Breakfast: Banana pancakes, strawberries, and almond milk.
Lunch: Grilled Spaghetti, green beans, and green tea.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Grilled Spaghetti leftovers, green beans, and ice water.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
4. Stick to the outer rim of the store. Often times the healthful foods can be found along the perimeter of the store — fresh produce, dairy products, health supplements, and fish and lean meats. This is where you should spend most of your time in-club. Look for organic nuts, canned beans, vegetables, and heart-healthy olive and coconut oils in these locations in-club.
5. Read labels carefully. Just because a product says it’s healthy doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Make sure the ingredients section on the nutrition label lists words such as fair-trade, organic, whole, pure, or the like. This is especially true for whole-grain products such as grains and rice.
6. Take the phrase “sugar-free” with a grain of salt. Sometimes foods that say they contain low-sugar ingredients actual mean that while they may contain fewer sugars they may also contain more carbs and saturated fats as well. This also goes for foods marked fat-free as well because very often the removed fat has been replaced with sugar. Instead look for phrasing on packages that contain low cholesterol and low sodium, as many of these foods tend to be low-glycemic foods.
7. Shop frozen when out of season. It goes without saying that when it comes to buying produce, you should always buy fresh and buy local. But sometimes this isn’t always an option. So for times when you can buy fresh fruits and veggies, opt for frozen varieties instead. Some of my favorite in-club buys are large bags of frozen veggies and fruits for low-sugar vegan smoothies. I love buying frozen, especially in winter, since frozen fruits and vegetables tend to be picked at their peak ripeness, making them not only convenient but also still nutrient-dense.
8. Meal Prep. One of the ways I keep my insulin-resistant PCOS in check is to immediately meal prep my food for the week. This is especially important after shopping at Sam’s Club, as with other bulk shopping, you purchase large quantities of food so you need to serve and store it properly. Generally, before I shop at Sam’s Club I prep my kitchen at home. On one side of my counter tops, I leave out mason jars, snack containers, and glass containers so as soon as I come home and unload my groceries, I’m ready to meal prep for the week. My favorite meal to prep for the week? Mason jar salads. They are super simple to make, feature fresh, affordable ingredients, and last for up to a week in the fridge!
9. Take a daily vitamin pack. Take a daily vitamin pack. No matter how savvy your shopping is in-club, you may benefit from supplementing your diet with vitamins. While your vitamins of choice may differ from mine, but for me, I choose the Nature MadeⓇ Daily Diabetes Health Pack, which provides me with daily nutritional support. † The Nature MadeⓇ Daily Diabetes Health Pack is a multivitamin and mineral supplement that provides essential vitamins and minerals for daily nutritional support; including fish oil with vitamin D3 to support a healthy heart†; vitamin D to support bone, teeth, muscle, and immune health†; magnesium to support healthy bones, and teeth, plus helps convert food to cellular energy†; vitamin C to help support the immune system†; alpha lipoic acid with green tea, which has antioxidant properties†; and chromium, which is necessary for carbohydrate metabolism and utilization, and supports healthy glucose metabolism†.
The Nature MadeⓇ Daily Diabetes Health Pack is easy to find and inexpensive when you purchase in-club at Sam’s or online at Sam’s Club. And for those without a membership? No problem. You can still shop with a 10% fee added. I’ve been known to order many of my vitamins and supplements online and love that when I order online at Sam’s Club, my order is often on my doorstep the next morning which I love!
And if you’d like a sample shopping list for shopping in-club for PCOS-friendly foods, be sure to check out this awesome Sam’s Club Nature MadeⓇ Shopping list for people needing to shop for low-glycemic foods. Feel free to save it to your smartphone and reference it while shopping in-club on your next trip to Sam’s Club. You can also learn more about Nature MadeⓇ by visiting their Facebook page.
Now, friends, I have to ask, how will you use these shopping tips to help take better care of your insulin-resistant PCOS symptoms at home this summer? And if you are already shopping for low-glycemic foods, how do you meal prep and meal plan with these strategies in mind? I’d love to hear about it below!
† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
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