I suggest to new zoners when you do shopping you don't need shopping list with exact amount of particular food. When you come to store first go to 'protein section' and buy the best quality and best price what you have in a store at that time, then go to 'carbohydrate section' and buy the best vegetables and fruits, and to 'fat section'. You need to know what food is zone favorable and only buy zone food, never buy wrong food because lately you will eat it.
When I come home from shopping i always cook chicken breast and eggs, so I will have them in a fridge. So when time comes I can always grab them, if you don't have right food in a fridge and ready to eat - you will eat some wrong food. So take chicken, add vegetables and any fat and you are OK.
I always cook some vegetables like cauliflower (boil in water then fry with egg), red pepper(broil), eggplant(broil), cabbage(slice , then fry very quick), chickpeas(cook and freeze), green peas(freeze) .... I have it in fridge all the time. I use always olive oil. I like avocado, sometimes olives, nuts, light mayonase). Also keep yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast.

SO THE MOST IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT IS ZONE FOOD.

Also I want to share with everyone that I am on Zone diet more than 10 years. I was 35 and I started on a blood pressure medication. My mother died from stroke when she was 62. I was very upset that in my early age I have high BP and I need to take medication. My doctor recommended me to start zonediet. Unfortunately very seldom doctors think about prophylaxis of disease, I was lucky to meet him.
So I started to read books and site on Internet, I send first message and Sue responded and encouraged me by her story about the same problem. So Sue and Cranberry and John are on this forum many years, I feel sometimes they are partners ( lol ). They are very helpful, I always read all there messages.
Now I am 48 I don't take any medication since I started diet and fish oil. My BP went low and I stopped pills. I am petit women, and I eat a lot of food , but I look fit because I don't have big abdomen and I have waist line. All my friends tell me that I eat a lot, but I eat zone meal only that's why it works. I don't use new products(baked breads) which are recommended on this site. I eat real zone food.

I am very grateful to Dr.Sears for his research, for his books and for these site and helpful forum.
Good luck to everyone!

Janetta, thanks for sharing you story with us. Hopefully someone reading it will be inspired by your words and success, as you were once inspired by mine. I'm happy to say I've never needed blood pressure meds, thanks to the Zone and Omega Rx. Your suggestions to new Zoners are excellent. That's my approach, too, to have only the best foods for the Zone in the house. All the best for your continued success! :)

Thanks for sharing that, Janneta! It is sound common sense, and put very well. I totally agree. Sometimes people make it so difficult, but it really is no big deal as long as we stick to the list of favorable foods.

I, like you, cook up my chicken so that it is easy to use later.

I tend to shop the store by going to the produce aisle first, then sticking to the "periphery" or the outer edges of the store. Most of the Zoned food will be there-produce, deli, meats, dairy, frozen. I only enter the aisle for special ingredients, i.e. olive oil, nuts, spices, etc.

Again, thanks!

Typo...in my previous post here I mean to write that I've never needed to go back on blood pressure meds.

I think this post should be highlighted or something so people new to the forum and to zone find it first! Thank you for the tips!

Thank you Janetta also for your kind words about Sue, Cranberry, and myself.

Jessie, you're welcome!

For the ladies that are cooking up meat, you probably would love a little tip to this.

Rotissari Chkn is sold in the stores generally.

I buy one or two depending on my week?weekends coming up...I take all the skin off and cut out only the white breast meat (this gets me 5 3 oz chkn bags) enough for 5 days! I get rid of the dark meat to whom ever wants to eat it or waste it. I know I know...wasting food is not good, but I do this to save on time.

Hope this helps.

Nice tip! I sometimes depend on those rotisserie chickens, as well!