Grocery Shop Like Wellness Bodybuilder Julia Rene For Smarter Calorie Choices

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Julia Rene’s Weight-Loss Focused Grocery List

Rene’s complete grocery list:

Lean Protein

• Chicken breast
• Egg whites
• Cod
• Shrimp
• Jenny O’s turkey bacon
• Jenny O’s 93/7 turkey
• Tilapia
• Swaii

During a cut, Rene switches to lean protein sources like chicken breast and white fish to facilitate fat loss. She also begins her day with a serving of liquid egg whites.

Fatty Protein

• Bison 90/10
• Beef 90/10
• Steak
• Salmon

Rene suggests high-volume, low-calorie foods since they promote satiety while in a calorie deficit. She incorporates fatty protein sources into her meals to fulfill her daily fat requirement.

During her cut, Rene swaps her preferred full-fat beef, which she enjoys during the off-season, for the leaner Jennie-O 93% lean/7% fat ground turkey. She replaces pork chops with chicken breasts and bacon with Jennie-O turkey bacon. 

Fats

• Avocado
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Zero-calorie olive oil spray
• Pb2
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Unsweetened cashew milk
• Fairlife protein milk
• Egg yolk
• Dark chocolate

To minimize calorie intake during a fat-loss phase, Rene suggests swapping regular olive oil for a zero-calorie olive oil spray, peanut butter for PB2, and whole milk for unsweetened almond milk.

Carbs

• Bob’s red mill oats
• Puff wheat cereal
• Chex gluten-free cereal
• Orville Redenbacher’s smart popcorn
• Banza chickpea pasta
• Sarah Lee bread 45 cal bread
• Dave’s killer bread or bagels
• Oikos fat-free Greek yogurt
• Quaker rice cakes (plain, chocolate,
• apple cinnamon)
• Quaker cheddar rice crisps
• Black beans, lentils, or chickpeas

Rene prefers gluten-free cereal during the cutting phase to avoid bloating. She suggests substituting whole wheat pasta with chickpea pasta, which offers more protein and feeling of satiety.

Veggies

• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Zucchini
• Squash
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Bell Peppers
• Green Onions
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Sweet potato
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Radishes
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables

Cabbage is Rene’s go-to veggie while at home. When traveling, she opts for the convenience of a frozen vegetable mix and adds cucumbers as a quick, satisfying snack during the day. 

Rene keeps pre-chopped green onions and bell peppers readily available in a container and adds them to her meals for flavor and nutrition.

Fruits

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Pineapple
• Raspberries

Rene eats a serving of blueberries each morning, valuing their antioxidant properties that aid in flushing out metabolites from the muscles. (1) Post-workout, she opts for pineapple, a fruit low in calories but high in fiber and antioxidants.

Extras

• Yasso Greek yogurt bars
• Diet Soda
• ICE zero-calorie drinks
• Bolthouse Farms salad dressing dressing
• Waldfen Farms coffee creamer
• Walden Farms sugar-free syrup
• Walden Farms salad dressings
• G Hughes BBQ sauce
• Splenda
• La Croix
• Pickles

Following a training session, Rene enjoys a pickle, a low-calorie snack (five calories) that helps replenish electrolytes and prevent muscle cramps. Rene uses Splenda in her coffee and oats. She uses sugar-free syrup in other recipes to add sweetness without extra calories.

Rene keeps a well-stocked cabinet of low-calorie sauces and syrups, rotating them to add variety and excitement to meals.

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Reference

1. Satheesh Babu, A. K., Petersen, C., Iglesias-Carres, L., Paz, H. A., Wankhade, U. D., Neilson, A. P., & Anandh Babu, P. V. (2024). Blueberry intervention mitigates detrimental microbial metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide by modulating gut microbes. BioFactors (Oxford, England), 50(2), 392–404. https://doi.org/10.1002/biof.2014

Featured image: @_juliarene on Instagram