Best Buy HCG

Shopping List & Cost Saving Tips on HCG Diet

Once you have purchased an HCG kit you are not done. Now you need the food. The HCG diet is based on eating a lot of healthy foods, many of them fresh vegetables and lean protein. Many of  the foods you are usually eating will fit into the plan. On some occasions you will need to do some special shopping.

All of the food choices were based not only on how appropriate they would be for this diet, but also the cost and ease of purchase. If the food is only found in a few health food stores, it will not fit into most people’s day to day eating experience. An complete shopping list is available with the purchase of any HCG kit.

Proteins in the HCG Diet:
Fresh meats, chicken and fish can be some of the most expensive items in a grocery store. In this diet you will need them twice a day&emdash;lunch and dinner.

If you look through my HCG recipe book you will see lots of food suggestions. However, some of these foods involve expensive ingredients such as filet Mignon, fresh chicken breasts and unusual fish preparations. There are many simple recipes as well. One of the most important steps you can do to keep costs down is to buy your protein in bulk. Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, B-J’s and many other large retail chain grocery stores sell protein in bulk. When you stock up on large packages of protein you cut food costs almost in half. 

You can separate large protein purchases into small packages and then freeze them. You can cook lower cost beef cuts, tenderize them and then freeze the smaller containers. Using various spices and condiments to make the protein more interesting is another cost saving trick. Plan your weekly meals around whichever meats, poultry and seafood items are on sale. If you take just an hour each week to plan your meals carefully, you can save a ton of money at the grocery store. An alternative to the usual protein are eggs and tofu. Both of these foods add a lot of protein at little cost.

Drinks in the HCG Diet
Sales for these products vary from week to week, when Coke products are on sale Pepsi products are not, and vicev-ersa. So, either stock up when your brand of choice is on sale or switch back and forth depending on the sale. At our local stores, a 2-liter on sale will cost about 89 cents, while a 2-liter not on sale will cost up to $1.39! In other words… No sale, No buy!!  Smaller containers (cans and bottles) are always more expensive than the 2-liters, so try to avoid purchasing those altogether if possible.

A lot of store brand sodas are decent, but not great. Some of the flavors, like grape and orange, the kids seem to love. Other than that, the decision is up to you. I suggest trying the store brands when they’re on sale to see if you like them. If you don’t – especially if it’s just awful, take the remaining soda back to the store and ask for a refund. And if you discover that you DO like the store brand sodas you may save a fortune over the next 20 years!

Vegetables and Fruits in the HCG Diet
The beginning dieter on the HCG plan often buys the pre-mixed salads rather than putting together the ingredients. At $3.00 – $5.00 a bag, this is not great deal. It’s much cheaper to buy a couple heads of different types of lettuce along with some other vegetables. With just 5 minutes of preparation a head of fresh lettuce (iceberg, romaine, green leaf or even spinach) will make more than twice as much salad and cost less than half! Invest in a salad spinner which can make the lettuce much crispier and more palatable.

Watch out for 2 for 1 sales – lettuce does not freeze well and doesn’t last that long in the fridge; you might end up buying too much and throwing out the savings. Split your 2 for 1′s with a friend of neighbor. No one wants to eat spoiled fruits or brown lettuce! Watch out for large bags of fruits or vegetables. Some markets will hide the older fruit at the bottom of large bags.

To get the best value, store produce properly after your purchase. (Do not put tomatoes in the fridge!) If fruit is a little under-ripe, place in a paper bag for one or two days and it will ripen very quickly. If it’s over-ripe, put it on the menu for today or tomorrow and either freeze any extra or share with the neighbors if you have more than your family can eat.

Buy fruits and vegetables when in season. Here’s a brief list for the Southern U.S. (The list will vary depending on where you live.)

March – Early June
Asparagus, Broccoli, Lettuce, Peas, Onions, Mushrooms, Strawberries

June
Apples, Broccoli, Cabbage, Peas, Peppers, Garlic, Onions, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tomatoes

July
Acorn Squash, Apples, Apricots, Beets, Black Eyed Peas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cabbage, Carrots, Cherries, Cucumber, Garlic, Green Beans, Lima Beans, Onions, Peaches, Peppers, Plums, Radishes, Summer Squash, Tomatoes

August
Acorn Squash, Apples, Apricots, Beets, Berries, Cherries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cabbage, Cucumber, Garlic, Green Beans, Okra, Onions, Parsnips, Peaches, Pears, Peppers, Plums, Radishes, Seeds, Tomatoes

September
Apples, Blueberries, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower, Collards, Green Beans, Kale, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Okra, Parsnips, Peaches, Peppers, Plums, Raspberries, Summer Squash, Turnips

October
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Peas, Peppers, Raspberries, Soybeans, Spinach, Turnips

How To Chose the Best Products in a Supermarket & Calculate Calories in Each Food

How do you choose the best among the thousands of products in a supermarket, all claiming to be the latest “low-calorie,” “low-fat,” “reduced sugar” or “no sugar added” product? Which products fit into the guidelines of this plan and which do not? 

Foods you choose should have the following characteristics:

1. Proteins: portions of extra lean beef, white meat of chicken, turkey, fish (except salmon) should be between 4 oz (beef) to 6 oz (fish and chicken and turkey)
2. Vegetables: unlimited, except no peas, carrots or corn
3. Fruits: 3 fruits per day, medium size, except including 6 strawberries, 1/3 cantaloupe, apple, pear, peach, nectarine, 1/2 grapefruit, pear, 1/3 cup berries

Remember the total calories per day should not exceed 800 calories. Each portion should have 2 grams of fat or less and 2 grams of sugar or less. For prepared food in packages, look at ease of portion control. Read the manual that comes with each HCG weight loss kit for much more about picking specific foods and making a shopping list.

Ease of Portion Control:

One of the key factors is some degree of “automatic” portion control when it comes to so-called comfort foods. In the HCG Diet shopping list, all of the foods and beverages were selected based on the following criteria:.

1. Ease of purchase and cost: If you have to search store after store for a product, or if the product is too expensive, it will never become part of your family’s everyday eating experience. Products on the HCG shopping list are widely available, common foods that are low to moderately priced.
2. Ease of preparation: Complex recipes or extensive cooking works only for a few weeks, but the novelty eventually wears off and few people will continue preparing complicated recipes over the long term. While some of the recipes in my HCG cookbook are great for people who like to cook, many of the recipes are easy to prepare and don’t take too long to make.
3. Portion control: Portion control is an often-overlooked issue in most diet plans. Recent studies show that dieters underestimate food portions by 30 to 50%. I encourage all dieters to choose products for their single serving packaging. Dieters should avoid foods, especially snacks, packaged in bulk. Be careful, because while everyone knows that a super-sized bag of chips is not one portion, the medium-sized bag often fools people (it’s not one portion either).
4. Desired calories: This factor depends on the specific foods and their preparation. Be careful not to add hundreds of extra calories by frying foods or adding high calorie sauces. Each selection on the shopping list was based on providing an appropriate number of calories for easy weight loss and maintenance for that particular food – while still making it enjoyable to eat.