If you want to set yourself up for success during big holidays and celebrations, you have to shop smart. This means not getting any food that would spike blood sugar or put on weight.

This is especially important if you have a condition like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or high blood pressure. Here are 7 things that have to go on the grocery list if you’re in that position.

1. Veggie Trays

You want to focus on these pre-meal, because if you can fill up on vegetables, you’ll get fiber in and be too full to eat carbs or sugar.

Vegetable trays usually include pickles or olives, but you really want to focus on the vegetables. Carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, and cabbage are some great options to have.

You can watch my videos on cucumbers and broccoli to see just how beneficial these are for your health!

Many veggie trays do come with dip. I like to have hummus out, like black bean hummus, regular hummus, or roasted red pepper hummus.

When you’re shopping for those, try to find a dip without oil. If it’s going to have oil, make sure it’s at least olive or avocado oil.

Another option is ranch dip.

Ranch gets you in trouble because it often uses canola, vegetable, or soybean oils, which will make you just as congested and unhealthy as sugar will.

I suggest buying a healthy version from a company like Primal Kitchen.

You can also get a Simply Made powder to make ranch dip out of; you mix it with sour cream, which should be hormone-free, and ideally organic.

2. Healthy Meats

Make sure that the meat you’re eating is from a clean source, which means free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, and wild-caught fish.

This is important because it will allow you to cut down the amount of antibiotics and hormones in the meat, and the harm that they cause your body.

Not only is eating meat keeping the carb and sugar count down, but when you get clean meat, it makes a huge impact on the toxic load that your body’s taking in.

3. Beans 

Whether it’s through hummus or as a side dish, beans are a great way to get fiber in.

They do have some carbohydrate count, but the fiber normally counteracts it. Beans are a good way to speed up your digestive system and make you feel more full.

My favorites are black beans. I use them a lot in different Mexican dishes, and my kids like to eat them straight up.

They’re very high in magnesium, and you can actually get them in the form of bean-based pastas and noodles.

Beans are an easy way for you to cut down the carb load, increase fiber, and keep your meal way more diabetic-friendly.

4. Frozen Foods

If we’re shopping for frozen foods, we want to focus more on fruits and vegetables, not the packaged goods that you’re popping in the microwave.

I know those meals are convenient, but making a smoothie with frozen berries is going to be so much better for you.

It’s an easy way to grab a quick breakfast, especially during the holiday season when there’s a lot of carbs at dinner.

If you’re shopping for frozen berries, you can also pick up a clean collagen protein powder to include in your smoothie.

Frozen vegetables are a good way to add a side dish for a family meal. I like to keep Brussels sprouts and broccoli in the freezer to add to a meal quickly.

5. Alternative-Based Grains

If you’re having bread-based products like crackers, tortilla shells, or chips, try to shop for nut-based or cassava flour-based grains.

These are becoming more and more prevalent.

There are brands out there, like Siete and Simple MIlls, that use almond flours or cassava flours that don’t spike your insulin levels, which is huge for a diabetic.

You can still enjoy a chip, tortilla, or some kind of cracker and not have a big spike in insulin because of flour, and they’re still fortified with a lot of nutrients.

You’re getting a lot of fiber, and you’re keeping the carb load down for breads and grains.

6. Healthy Fats

If you want to be a fat-burner, then you’re going to have to eat lots of healthy fats.

I recommend getting avocado, olive, or nut oils on top of a salad or in other dishes. Fats are crucial when it comes to clearing out the congestion inside of your cells.

7. Drinks

When you’re shopping for drinks, sparkling water is a must. If you like to have a soda or something else besides water, sparkling water is an easy, low-carb, low-sugar way to fire up the taste buds a bit.

Tea is another great option that you can have iced as well, and sweetened with Stevia or monk fruit so it has some sweetness without the sugar.

Coffee is a fantastic option. I like to skip breakfast and have a coffee with healthy fats in it like coconut oil, butter, and some Livingood Daily Collagen + Multi.

Electrolyte drinks are also a good, non-insulin-spiking drink to have.

An electrolyte powder is an easy way to curb cravings and get some sweetness, and those drinks can be sweetened more with Stevia or monk fruit.

Summary

If you struggle with shopping for healthy foods like these, let me take you to the grocery store in my Supermarket Secrets video.

We’ll go over some secrets to know for buying clean, healthy foods at the store, especially during the holiday season.

If you need more help on how to make health more simple, check out my book, which will help you through it.