I think one of the “trendiest diets” lately has been this talk of being “pro-metabolic”. While, physiologically, I am a big fan of SUPPORTING our body through food and nutrients, I think sometimes we can get bogged down by the names of different “diets” and forget the whole purpose. (If you want to hear me rant about orthorexia and diet culture, you can read about it in my post My Problem With Pro-Metabolic Eating)

What Is Pro-Metabolic Eating?

I have a full blog post HERE that is more in depth on the idea of pro metabolic eating, but the short and sweet version is this:

supporting your body nutritionally from whole foods that have high bio-available nutrients to help minimize physiologic stress

This looks like a diet filled with high-quality animal proteins from meats, eggs, and dairy, and organic seasonal fruits and vegetables.

It looks like eating enough nutrient-dense food for your body to have the energy to function well, without running off of stress hormones.

But even beyond that, I think there needs to be an emphasis on turning inwards and looking at how your own body is responding to the foods you eat. Some people may tolerate dairy right away, others may not. Some people feel good eating well-prepared grains like sourdough and those that are soaked and sprouted. Some people digest raw leafy greens fine, while others may struggle with indigestion, gas and bloating. This individual response to certain factors can be summed up in a term known as “bio-individuality”. In my health coaching course, we spent a lot of time focusing on this term and how it applies to helping guide people towards more holistic, sustainable health.

While my family’s diet would easily fall into this pro-metabolic category, we are also very flexible with it. We go out to eat with friends and family, we love an occasional Chip cookie, and we enjoy holidays and special occasions without anxiety around food.

And I think that comes from a foundation where the majority of the time we focus on high-quality, bio-available nutrients that make us feel strong and energized. We prioritize a healthy diet in how we prep our food, but also in our budget for food. My husband and I are comfortable spending a bit more money to invest in high-quality nutrition for our family, but we are also generally pretty frugal. So we love finding ways to make healthy decisions, both for our food and finances.

We do a big shopping trip every month at Costco to stock up on bulk items, and then weekly for our staple groceries.

But sometimes, going into Costco can feel so overwhelming, especially when you are trying to make smart choices for your body and there are so many different options!

After over three years of working to heal my body through food and nutrition, I have found some staple items that we love to stock up on and keep on hand!

(p.s. depending on where you live, your local Costco may not have all the exact same items in stock, but this list can be good things to look out for!)

Pro Metabolic Grocery List

Fridge

• kirkland plain greek yogurt - this is one of my go to’s for a blood sugar balancing snack

• organic coconut water (check the ingredient list on these, because depending on what brand they carry at the time, some are filled with gums and stabilizers even though they are organic)

• organic beets (did you know that beets are awesome for your liver? We usually buy these pre-cooked beets and have them as a side dish, or put them into burgers, salads, or sandwiches)

• organic orange juice -mix this up with some coconut water and sea salt for a hydrating adrenal mocktail

• cheese- Costco usually has a few great cheese options. We prioritize pasture-raised and organic cheese, and occasionally can find a good raw option as well.

• grass-fed butter

• siete tortillas (made with cassava flour and great for my husband and daughter who are both gluten free!)

Freezer

• frozen berries! (we looove buying frozen produce and keeping it stocked up in the freezer. it is usually picked at the freshest point which maintains the nutrients, but it is also often a lot more affordable option than fresh produce! We will blend it into smoothies, thaw it out and add it to yogurt bowls, oatmeal, or just eat it plain!)

• popsicles- every once and a while I can find an organic 100% fruit popsicle option that I will throw into the freezer for my toddler, especially when she is teething

• wild raised frozen fish

Pantry

• organic cacao powder (if you haven’t tried Fallon’s Hot chocolate yet, do yourself a favor.)

• .RX bars

• That’s It bars- 100% fruit bar that is great for on the go toddler snacks

• Chomps beef sticks- a great on the go protein option!

• Simple Mills Crackers

• Organic dried mango

• Siete chips- we love having these on hand for a healthier version of tortilla chips. They are cooked in avocado oil rather than vegetable oils which is a requirement for chips in our house

• Primal kitchen condiments- our costco is always carrying different ones at different times. Some of our favorites to have on hand are the avocado mayo, buffalo sauce, and their honey mustard vinaigrette dressing and marinade

• Rao’s marinara sauce- one of my favorite ways to sneak in extra liver is creating a ground beef blend with some added liver and mixing with marinara for a hearty and nourishing tomato sauce

• Safe catch tuna- I love that this fish is sustainably caught and tested for mercury levels!

Produce

** We try to prioritize organic when we can, and typically go off of the “Dirty Dozen and Clean 15” List that the EWG puts out every year. I have a blog post HERE and a free image that you can use as a reference on your next shopping trip. As a generalization, most produce we buy from Costco is always organic. But choose whichever works best for your family and your budget!

• berries

• organic zucchini, squashes etc.

• cucumbers

• spinach ( ya know how you buy those tubs of salad greens and then throw half of it away once it starts to get slimy? Just me? When you buy the spinach, throw half of it into a silicone stasher bag in the freezer like this one. This will help from wasting so much, and you can throw the frozen spinach into the blender for smoothies, or thaw and sauté to add to a meal!)

• carrots

A Few Things I DON’T Buy From Costco

• household cleaners- hopefully one day they have some more non-toxic cleaning options but for now, we purchase most of our cleaners from Thrive Market or make our own with diluted vinegar

• collagen- Costco has carried a few different collagen powders through the years and while I have tried a couple out of convenience, I have always gone back to my tried and true favorite from Perfect Supplements- it is grass-fed, pasture raised and is actually unflavored 👏 it also dissolves like a champ and every batch is third-party tested!

• meat- We purchase a part of a cow each year and split it with our friends! It ends up being a lot cheaper buying in bulk and I love knowing the type of farming I am supporting

• For chicken, I usually purchase organic, whole chickens form our local co-op and keep them in the freezer and then cook one a couple times a month. It is a rhythm that we have gotten into and it is so helpful for meal prepping and having quality protein cooked and ready!

• Milk- I opt for grass-fed, organic whole milk for our family which I usually purchase from our local co-op or a local farm!

• Supplements- did you know that supplements are not regulated?? And oftentimes they do not contain what they are marketed to include?! Not to mention a lot of them are filled with artificial ingredients, preservatives, and fillers that aren’t helping your body in any way. And Costco is notorious for carrying low quality supplement brands. I have a very conservative approach to supplements and always recommend a food-first approach with my coaching clients.

There you have it! Some of the costco items you can just about always find in our home. Unfortunately, each costco carries different things and will change products frequently, so you just have to get into the habit of checking out labels and seeing what’s new!

Let me know what your favorites are!

Kaelyn

P.S. I also have a pro-metabolic shopping list for my favorite grocery delivery service- Thrive Market!

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