My GLP-1 Grocery List: What I Actually Buy

Typical weekly GLP-1 grocery haul with high-protein foods, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and frozen meals. — *_{A realistic mix of protein-focused foods, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and convenience meals that I commonly keep on hand.}*

Grocery shopping. The weekly chore that we all must do. Since starting GLP-1 medication, it has become something of a challenge. I had to rethink what I was buying because my appetite had changed so much. Not to mention my new protein requirements. So what did I do?

I began reading nutrition labels. Which gave me a crash course in nutrition as I compared products to evaluate their protein and fat content and calorie count. I learned things like peanut butter, while high in protein, is also high in fat, sugar, and calories. That lesson led to the discovery of powdered peanut butter, which has a much better nutritional profile.

That’s the way a lot of my shopping experiences went until I had a stable list I could rely on. It took some experimenting to learn what I could tolerate, especially when my appetite was low. I also wanted foods that tasted good, were high in protein, and fit within my daily calorie count.

High-protein snack foods including cottage cheese, cheese cubes, Babybel cheese, beef jerky, apple slices, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and a clear whey protein drink.

One of the main things I learned was to have protein options available. There were plenty of times when I knew I needed to eat, but nothing sounded especially appealing. Having something handy that was palatable and fit into my meal plan was helpful.

Over time, I discovered that dairy products that were already portioned out made life a lot easier. Things like string cheese, cheddar cheese sticks, Colby Jack cheese cubes, and mini Babybel cheese rounds are something I rotate through regularly.

Another thing I learned is that portioned snacks and frozen meals kept me from overindulging. They also made it easier to track my protein and calorie counts. And of course, frozen foods save time and make meal preparation a lot easier.

If you’re looking for ideas, here’s the grocery list I put together after some trial and error.

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My GLP-1 Grocery Shopping List

A printable grocery shopping guide featuring protein foods, snacks, frozen meals, produce, and pantry staples that I regularly use while taking GLP-1 medication.

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Preview of the My GLP-1 Life Grocery List PDF download

My Biggest Grocery Shopping Lessons

Read the Nutrition Label

Nutrition label on a packaged food with calories, protein, fat, and sugar highlighted for comparison shopping on a GLP-1 diet.

The biggest lesson I learned was that the front of the package doesn’t matter nearly as much as what’s on the nutrition label. Just because something says “high protein” or “GLP-1 friendly” doesn’t automatically make it a good choice.

Sometimes the protein was decent, but the calories, fat, sugar, or salt content was out of line with my expectations. I quickly learned to ignore marketing claims and read the back of the box. That’s why I encourage you to look beyond the packaging and take a closer look at the nutrition labels before you buy.

Frozen Meals Aren’t Always High Protein

There are a couple of things you should know about frozen foods. Very few frozen meals contain 18g or more of protein, and many are higher in calories than you’d expect. I’ve included a few options on my list, but I still encourage you to compare nutrition labels before buying. Even within brands like Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine, protein and calorie counts can vary significantly from one meal to another.

Caution with Breaded Chicken and Meatballs

Another thing to be aware of is the protein and fat content of lightly breaded chicken and chicken meatballs. Some are better choices than others, and it’s only by reading the nutritional label and comparing products that you’ll find the best option for your meal plan.

Comparison Shopping Online

To make comparison shopping easier, I recommend using your grocery store’s website before you head to the store. Product nutrition labels are usually listed online. Walmart is especially useful because they carry such a wide variety of products.

Thoughts on Protein Pasta

One more warning: protein pasta. I’ve tried quite a few of them. In my opinion, most chickpea and lentil-based protein pastas aren’t worth the calories. I found the texture odd and the flavor difficult to get used to. Durum wheat semolina is the only ingredient that makes protein pasta remotely similar to regular pasta. It usually has lupini bean flour mixed with it. I found Brami Fusilli High-Protein Pasta at Walmart and recommend it.

I hope this grocery shopping list is helpful. I usually have some, but not all of these foods on hand during the week, with adjustments made for the season. What works for me may not work for you, but hopefully this list gives you some ideas and saves you some of the trial and error I went through. I suggest you look at the list as a jumping-off point for creating your own list and meal plans. Good luck shopping!