Detox Day 16: Make it Fresh and Direct Please!

How times have changed. Years ago I would roll my eyes at people who didn't have the time to go grocery shopping or run basic errands. I would find it hard to understand why they wouldn't be able to make the time to go clean their apartments or run to the supermarket. Nowadays I often find myself in the same position and have come to understand and appreciate that some things can be done in a more efficient way. Why spend 2-3 hours a week cleaning if you can have someone take care of it and you spend your time being productive? Why run to 3 different stores to get something if you can order in on Amazon? Why waste time standing in line at the supermarket when you can order online and have it delivered? You catch my drift. Time is important to us New Yorkers and if we all had 50 hours in a day then doing these chores wouldn't be an issue. But, the reality is that we spend a good amount of time doing things that aren't necessarily productive or fruitful, so why do them?

When I ordered my groceries from Fresh Direct for the first time more than 5 years ago I considered it an absolute luxury. Back in the days when I worked 15 hours at a desk job I came home so late that the supermarkets were already closed and so I chose the easy way out. But it wasn't just easy. It was also an amazing way to get high-quality produce into my fridge. Since then I've been ordering from Fresh Direct on and off. You know how I love Trader Joe's, so I do my best to get there as often as I can but when things are too busy I like the click of a button.

Since I received so many great remarks about my Trader Joe's blog post and how $103 can feed you for 10 days and get you slim and strong, I thought I would show you a repeat performance. Enter Fresh Direct. Here is my shopping list, which added up to $136.59.

Coffee
FreshDirect 'Jumping Java' Far East Blend  (1.5 lb, Electric Drip - cone, Standard Pack)
($6.99/lb)	$10.49
Dairy
New England Fresh Grade A Large Brown Eggs  (1 dozen)
($2.99/ea)	$5.98
Fruit
Lemons  (Farm Fresh, Med)
($0.69/ea)	$1.38
Meat
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Family Pack  (Grade A)
($3.29/lb)	$13.16
Organic & All-Natural
90% Lean Ground Beef, Raised Without Antibiotics  (No Antibiotics Used)
($6.99/lb)	$13.98
Ready to Cook
1.5 lb
Fish Cubes  (Hand-packed)
($6.99/lb)	$10.49
Seafood
Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon Fillet Family Pack  (4pk, Hand-cut)
($8.99/lb)	$40.46
Vegetables & Herbs
Broccoli  (Farm Fresh)
($1.50/ea)	$3.00
3
Garlic  (Farm Fresh, Med)
($3.69/lb)	$2.21
2
Green Zucchini  (Farm Fresh, Med)
($1.99/lb)	$1.99
2
Grimmway Baby Carrots  (Farm Fresh, 1.0lb bag)
($1.75/ea)	$3.50
4
Hass Avocado  (Farm Fresh, Med)
($2.00/ea)	$8.00
1
Mint  (Farm Fresh)
($1.99/ea)	$1.99
2
Orange Greenhouse Bell Pepper  (Farm Fresh, Med)
($3.99/lb)	$3.99
2
Red Greenhouse Bell Pepper  (Farm Fresh, Med)
($3.99/lb)	$3.99
1
Satur Farms Wild Arugula Pack  (5oz)
($3.49/ea)	$3.49
2
Spanish Onion  (Farm Fresh)
($0.99/lb)	$1.78
2
White Stuffer Mushrooms, Packaged  (10oz)
($2.99/ea)	$5.98
Estimated Subtotal:	$135.86
Tax:	$0.00

Yes, it's a bit more than I had spent at Trader Joe's but I bought a mega portion of salmon and chicken breasts to freeze for the coming weeks. I also ordered coffee, which was a good $10.

What's so great about Fresh Direct?

• They have amazing produce. It is the highest quality you can get. 
• Also, they have great customer service. If something arrives either broken or not up to par you email them or call them up and they will make you happy by either issuing you a credit or send you the right item with your next order. 
• The greatest way Fresh Direct saves you time is that you your account stores all your previous orders. You simply log in and repeat previous orders and/or modify them according to your needs. 
• The company delivers (right now for free) right to your door when you want it with a 2-hour delivery window. 
• You can also find recommendations for you based on your order.
• The nutrition facts are listed with each item for your review. 
• Fresh Direct sells local produce, organic and kosher items and has a full offering of household items for cleaning and bathroom needs. 

So, why waste time in the store if you can do it all at the click of a button? I found you a great coupon. As a first-time customer, order more than $99 and get a $20 discount. Enter Coupon Code AFCPN3 at checkout. Nope, they didn't even give me a free box of eggs to say this. When you find something good then I just want to spread the word.

Food-wise Thursday wasn't my best day. Even though I got to sleep in, I felt tired and hungry, but what else is new... It was the day after the Launch Party and all the excitement caught up with me. I did get into the protein bar habit that I'm immediately stopping again because bars are not filling and definitely not clean and make me crave sweets en-masse.

Food Diary: 
Breakfast: 3 Eggs with 2 slices of bread, 2 coffees black
Snack: Protein Bar
Lunch: Celery sticks, bell peppers, slice of bread, protein shake
Snack: Protein Shake, coffee
Dinner: Curry fish with steamed broccoli and carrots - delish. I was secretly craving it and before I knew it Mr. 5-Star Chef had made it for dinner. I love ESP.
Snack: Protein bar

Water: about 2.5 liters
Exercise: 75 minutes of Slim & Strong Spin
Supplements: The usual