My "When Life Is Chaos" Grocery List (and the meals it becomes)
By Jessica Corwin, RDN
You Know the Weeks
Spirit week.
Two kids with games on opposite sides of town.
A late meeting.
The dog threw up. Again.
You forgot it was picture day.
This is not the week for a new recipe.
This is the week for structure.
Because in perimenopause, chaos outside the body can easily turn into chaos inside the body.
And when stress rises, your blood sugar, sleep, and cravings feel it.
Research consistently shows that sleep disruption and chronic stress increase insulin resistance and appetite signaling. In midlife, when estrogen is fluctuating, those swings can feel even more dramatic. That's one reason why blood sugar stability becomes more important in perimenopause, not less.
As my friend and colleague, Maria Luque often writes about in her work on muscle and metabolism in women, midlife isn't about eating less — it's about protecting lean mass and metabolic stability. And that starts with regular protein intake.
So when life is chaos, we simplify.
Not restrict.
Simplify.
One more time for the ladies in the back.
Simplify.
Here's my no-fancy, no-perfection grocery list.
The Chaos Grocery List
Protein Anchors
- Rotisserie chicken - Eggs (fresh and/or hardboiled) - Greek yogurt - Cottage cheese - Pre-cut veggies - Berries - Canned salmon or tuna - Ground turkey or beef - Protein powder - Dried beans or canned - Lentil soup
Why protein? Because distributing 25–30g per meal helps preserve muscle mass and stabilize blood sugar — something Jill Foos talks about beautifully in her posts on midlife fueling. Resistance training plus adequate protein has strong evidence behind it for maintaining lean mass in women over 40.
Fiber + Smart Carbs
- Old-fashioned oats - Lentils or canned beans - Quinoa or microwave rice - Sweet potatoes - Whole grain wraps or bread - Berries (fresh or frozen) - Apples (shout out to my Michigan Apple Farmers!)
Fiber isn't trendy, but it is powerful. Higher fiber intakes are associated with improved glycemic control, better satiety, and even healthier estrogen metabolism (if you aren't familiar with the estrobolome, you may want to check it out).
Vegetables (minimal prep)
- Bagged spinach or arugula - Broccoli florets - Baby carrots - Cherry tomatoes - Frozen mixed vegetables
Healthy Fats + Extras
- Avocados - Olive oil - Nuts or nut butter - Hummus - Salsa - Shredded cheese
That's it.
Now let's turn this into meals that don't require emotional bandwidth.
Breakfasts on Repeat
Greek Yogurt Bowl
- Greek yogurt + berries + chia or nuts - Add oats if you could use extra complex carbs to support those killer workouts. - Protein: ~25–30g
Egg Scramble
- 3 eggs + leafy greens + shredded cheese - Whole grain toast - Protein: ~25g
Protein Oats
- Oats + scoop protein powder + nut butter + seeds + berries - I often add in a splash of goat milk kefir myself. - Protein: ~30g
Starting the day with protein helps buffer the natural morning cortisol rise and reduces mid-morning crashes. Research on protein distribution shows that spreading intake across the day supports muscle protein synthesis more effectively than loading it all at dinner.
Lunches That Assemble in 5 Minutes
Chicken Power Bowl
- Rotisserie chicken + chickpeas + spinach + quinoa + olive oil + lemon
Cottage Cheese Plate
- Cottage cheese + carrots + cherry tomatoes + whole grain crackers
Salmon Wrap
- Canned salmon + hummus + spinach in a wrap
Turkey Rice Bowl
- Ground turkey + rice + frozen veggies + salsa + avocado
Notice the theme? Protein. Fiber. Color. Fat.
That combination slows glucose (aka. sugar) absorption and keeps energy steadier — something my pal, Gretchen Spetz often emphasizes in her metabolic health writing: we don't need to fear carbs, we need to pair them wisely.
Dinners That Don't Break You
Sheet Pan Everything
- Ground turkey or chicken + broccoli + sweet potatoes - Olive oil + roast
Taco Bowls
- Ground meat + black beans + rice + salsa + avocado
Rotisserie Remix
- Chicken + microwave rice + frozen veggies
Lentil + Salmon Combo
- Lentils + salmon + arugula + olive oil
Stir-fry
- Frozen stir-fry vegetables + fresh broccoli florets + leftover diced chicken or steak + a side of rice or quinoa
No 17-step recipe. No elimination plan. No "starting Monday."
Just stable fuel.
The Pattern That Keeps Showing Up
Because here's what often happens on chaotic weeks, and I see this ALL the time:
- Coffee-only mornings
- Light lunch
- White-knuckle until 4pm
- Spiraling out on snacks
- Overeating at night
- Blaming yourself
That pattern isn't about willpower. It's physiology. Undereating earlier in the day increases evening hunger and can drive stronger cravings, especially in hormonally fluctuating phases.
The Real Strategy
Chaos weeks are NOT the time to:
- Try intermittent fasting - Cut carbs - Add a cleanse - Start tracking macros - Punish yourself
Chaos weeks ARE the time to:
- Eat within 1–2 hours of waking - Include protein at every meal - Not go longer than 4 hours without food - Repeat the same 5–7 meals
Midlife metabolism loves predictability.
Your schedule may not be predictable.
Your meals can be.
And if all you manage is protein at breakfast and a balanced lunch?
That's not failure.
That's regulation.
Need help building your own chaos-week plan? Book a consultation and let's make it fit your real life.
