Not Throwing in This Towel!

Yay the time has come for me to share about my "clean" shopping trip with all of you! I could barely contain my excitement and almost blogged over the weekend! I had such an amazing time on Saturday. I dragged my mom along with me and I think she enjoyed herself too. I was kinda on a time crunch Saturday afternoon but we were able to fit in four grocery stores!

So our first stop was Trader Joe's!

I fell in love with this place when I walked in the door and saw these...

This picture doesn't even begin to describe the amount of beautiful flowers there! Next time I will be grabbing some of those hydrangeas! Absolutely gorgeous! The flowers weren't even the best part, I just loved being in a store full of healthy choices. I was in heaven! Oh and it made this going clean thing seem a little bit easier. Once we walked in I made my way over to the meat section. I wasn't planning on purchasing any meat there but I just wanted to talk a look...

Oh boy! My husband would have been in love too. I actually purchased a pork tenderloin and I cant wait to throw that baby on the grill this week! I also purchased some bread, juice, yogurt, greens, and a few other items that were on my list. So after walking around the store for about 45 minutes, I knew it was time to check out and head across the street to Whole Foods. I seriously could have stayed in Trader Joe's all. day. long!

Total at Trader Joe's: $48.55

Next stop was Whole Foods!

They also had an awesome display of fresh flowers! 

I didn't snap any pictures inside because the place was super packed! I think that is why I was a little turned off. I will be making my next trip during the week, so maybe it will be a bit better. I did love this store though. Definitely a lot more options than Trader Joe's! I purchased some snacks and organic tomato sauce (haven't perfected my own just yet).

Total spent at Whole Foods: $29.94

So after we walked around TJ and WF, we stopped into Kroger, which is literally right behind WF. The only time I ever go into Kroger is when we are visiting my Uncle and Aunt up in Richmond. But I have heard great things about them, so I decided to stop by. I was immediately floored by the produce section. It was amazing! They had a huge organic section and the prices were very nice. The only thing that didn't stand out was the meat section. I am so used to Harris Teeter and Kroger, to me, came no where near HT.

To be perfectly honest I felt like crying in Kroger. I definitely think I overwhelmed myself and being in a strange grocery store and not knowing where anything was, I about broke down. Thank goodness my momma was there! It was an exciting day and a whole lot of new stuff to process and by that point I was ready to throw in the towel, but I just decided to finish my list off at Harris Teeter. Don't get me wrong, I will definitely go back. They really did have a killer produce section! 

Total spent at Kroger: $47.74

Total spent at Harris Teeter: $65.29

It doesn't surprise me that I spent the most at HT. I love love love that store but they are pricey! Oh but they do have an awesome meat section!

So my total for the day was $191.52. That is about $70 above my normal shopping trip but with a total life style change I expect it to be a bit high in the beginning. Its back to stage one when it comes to the grocery store. I now realize that my weekly trip to Harris Teeter will change and my usual one hour trip may turn into three but I am okay with that. I am okay with investing a little bit more time when it comes to my family's health. I am willing to spend a little bit more to know that what my family is eating, is going to be good for them and not something full of preservatives. 

I know that my almost breakdown in Kroger will not be my last and I am okay with that as well! 

I did have a great day!!

I will share with you guys tomorrow a few recipes for our dinners this week. I am also starting a little project on Wednesday, so maybe my Thursday I will fill everyone in!