New Favorite...

Okay, so I have a new all time favorite grocery store!

I was talking to my counselor at SG yesterday about the fact that I was getting into a rut with my food. Since I am so close to goal I am only allowed to eat Supergenic thermosnacks. While these are delicious, there is a limited number of them. So, I have had to get creative, but lately, that creativity is floundering... Anyways, she mentioned that I go to Sprouts Farmers Market. This isn't a normal farmers market where local farmers set up a booth (it is more like a grocery store that sells local, healthy, and organic stuff). I was really nervous going in because I just KNEW that this place was going to be super expensive (like Central Market and Whole Foods). Guess what? SO CHEAP!

I found a lot of 50 calorie bread options (a cinnamon raisin bread and a honey whole wheat is what I purchased). Some amazing 100 calorie flatbreads, and some huge 100 calorie burrito tortillas. There is also a ginormous selection of calorie free/fat free salad dressing (I bought a bacon ranch, honey mustard, Asian, and sesame ginger). PLUS I found a calorie free caramel dip and marshmallow fluff. I bought them both (I don't know if it is on plan but it seemed legit and only had 50mg sodium and nothing else...way less than the salad dressings I am allowed to have...). I used the caramel last night with my apples and it is so potent. I think I barely used a teaspoon of this stuff for a whole apple. It is great! You get the amazing taste of caramel without the sugar and fat! I am going to use the marshmallow fluff tonight with my Banana Creme ice cream that I am making to add another layer of flavor and texture. I will ask Monday when I weigh-in if this stuff is allowed, but I don't see why not... This place also had a great selection of salt free spice mixtures so I picked up 3 different spice mixtures, some minced onions, onion powder, and vanilla extract. I also found a no sodium Vegetable bouillon that I am going to use to crockpot some chicken.

Anyways, they also have an amazing meat section. I couldn't use the area to its full potential right now, but I am dreaming of using it when I finish the weight loss phase. There was Venison, Elk, Wild Boar, Bison, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, and any fish you could dream of! I bought some beautiful sashimi grade Ahi tuna for dinner tonight, some ground bison for burgers and chili, and a huge 3lb thing of boneless skinless chicken breast, and two dozen eggs.

The produce section is also to die for. There was produce I had never heard of! I was talking to Shane while I was shopping and had him googling stuff! I ended up buying some Watermelon, Pineapple, Peaches, and limes for fruit (I had some great strawberries and blueberries and apples at home still). Then for veggies I bought an herb salad mixture (lettuce, dill, cilantro, other stuff I can't remember), cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, Green Onions, eggplant (I'm gonna try to like it!), and mushrooms.

I got all of this...and some stuff I am probably forgetting, for $130! That seems ridiculously cheap to me, especially considering the salad dressings and seasonings and processed breads I bought since those are usually pretty pricey! I don't know if I am way out in left field here, but the prices seemed awesome to me!

GOOD NEWS TEXAS FOLK: There is a Sprouts in Austin (several locations including in Round Rock), Carrollton, Cedar Hills, Coppell, Dallas (Forest and Marsh Ln?), Flower Mound, Fort Worth (1-20 and Hulen), Frisco, Plano, Richardson, and Southlake.