I go grocery shopping at least once a week. Usually to pick up a few miscellaneous things I may have forgotten about in my original trip or to find the perfect addition to a new recipe I want to try.
When shopping, try to stay around the perimeter of the store; that’s where the best good-for-you food is located. Shop local when possible or convenient ❤ Support your local farmers!
Here’s a fairly comprehensive guide to what I normally have somewhere around my kitchen….
All opinions are my own. I have not been paid, sponsored or endorsed by any companies or brands for this post! These are just my preferences as of 2018. Some reference links are provided for additional education.
I try to get organic or farm fresh whenever possible- but I grew up on canned veggies, so I don’t discriminate (: Any veggies are better than NO veggies at all!
- Bananas – snacking and baking. Peel and freeze to add to smoothies!
- Apples – Pink Ladys are my fave! Along with granny smith, braeburn and gala. Best for snacking and baking
- Berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and more! Add them to your cereal, yoghurt or salad for extra colour and flavour or freeze them to add to smoothies.
- Oranges – great for snacking and making dressings
- Peaches – when in season
- Onions – red, yellow and sweet – save the ends for vegetable stock
- Potatoes – ANY AND ALL. I love potatoes.
- Tomatoes – sauce, salads and more!
- Carrots – great for roasting, snacking and making soup!
- Celery
- Romaine/spinach/kale or salad mix
- Broccoli – check out this recipe for broccoli tots
- Cauliflower – riced cauli, anyone? Or Pizza?
- Sweet + bell peppers – great for adding bulk to stir frys and for snacking on raw
- Zucchini – I use these mostly for baking
- Green beans
- Spaghetti + Butternut squash – and any other seasonal gourds you enjoy
- Corn on the cob
- Lemons + limes
look for lean meats without added nitrates, nitrites and artificial flavours. I try to buy meat in bulk and freeze it so I always have something ready to work with
- Chicken – I prefer breast and tenderloins the most, but buy what you prefer. I’ll use thighs for pot pie, and I also use my grinder for meatloaves, tacos, pizza crust and burgers; I’ll rarely get wings or bone-in anything.. coz let’s face it. I don’t want to have to deal with that. Cooking a whole chicken is usually cheaper, but more time consuming so it all depends on what you’re willing to do!
- Turkey breast
- Ground beef – the lower the fat content the better. I try to get what’s on sale and sometimes I’ll splurge on higher priced grass-fed beef
- Other beef cuts – I’ll get a roast to mix things up a bit every once in a while for stews or steak, but I usually have ground beef more readily available
- Pork
- BACON – always when its on sale
- Pepperoni – for pizzas and pizza bowls
- Shrimp + other fish/seafood – especially salmon, cod and scallops; when on sale
- Natural peanut butter – no added sugar!
- ^Beans + Legumes – black beans, red, beans, chickpeas, lentils and more! buy dry in the bulk section of your grocers or opt for canned
- ^Nuts – all varieties
- Soy/Tofu based products or other meat substitute – I don’t usually have meat substitutes stocked, but I like to experiment with them every now and then
- Greek yoghurt – I used to buy the individual containers, but now I pick up a couple of large vanilla containers and add some mix-ins to create my own flavours
- Whole milk – Ryan uses this the most, but I bake with it, too
- Almond milk – used for baking and as liquid smoothie base
- CHEESE – I always have a huge assortment of cheese. For me, the more the better. I prefer to shred my own (anti-caking agents are often added to pre-shredded cheese, even when it’s natural)
- Cream cheese – flavoured, whipped… it’s all good; but always full fat – gluten free pancakes are a great way to use up extra cream cheese!
- Unsalted butter – never margarine. NEVER. Choose cows over chemicals
- Eggs – I aim for cage-free, but always buy what you can afford
- Coffee creamer – I am a coffee fiend. I always have at least three different flavours in my fridge. Yes, yes, some have artificial colours and flavours in them… sue me!
- Mayonnaise – full fat all the time
freeze bread and bagels and defrost them as them as needed. I can’t go through bread very quickly so this makes sure that it stays fresh longer!
- Oatmeal – proats, proats, PROATS!
- ^Brown rice – try this recipe for quick Mexican inspired brown rice
- Franz Great Hemp Seed + 24 Grain bread – I’ve also tried my hand at making my own! Learn more about Reading Bread Labels
- Tumaro’s wraps – all flavours are amazing
- Whole grain english muffins + bagels – on occasion for breakfast sandwiches
- ^Whole wheat or veggie pasta – Barilla makes a BOMB veggie pasta!
- Quinoa – great for salads and sides and as a rice substitute
- Popcorn
- Beans – refried beans, black beans and chickpeas, especially
- Tuna
- Coconut milk – for vegan recipes or substituting heavy cream
- Tomatoes – for big batch sauces or a quick fix
- Pumpkin – because you know your girl is basic
- Veggies – just in case
- Tomatoes + chilis – like Rotel
When I’m not making my own treats, sometimes a packaged snack hits the spot. Be sure to read those ingredients!
- Jerky – Krave black-cherry bbq is my fave!
- Smartfood popcorn – tried and true favourite
- Kettle brand potato chips – local (Salem, OR) and delicious
- Triscuits – best with cheese!
- Wheat Thins – more cheese, please!
- Pretzels – what… you don’t like cheese? I use these in lieu of breadcrumbs sometimes, too.
- Oil – for cooking and baking, EVOO, coconut, avocado.. Whatever you prefer; just stay away from hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils!
- ^Spices – stock up, you’re going to need them.. The more the better!
- ^Flours – whole wheat, white whole wheat, almond, coconut and oat flours, depending on the recipe
- ^Baking soda
- ^Baking powder
- ^Cocoa powder
- ^Cinnamon
- ^Sugars – light/dark brown, coconut sugar and sometimes white granulated sugar. I NEVER use artificial sweeteners when I’m baking
- ^Chia seeds
- ^Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- ^Chocolate chips
- Salsa – taco night is always better with salsa
- Honey
- Mustard – I make a bomb honey mustard sauce. I named it Stoopid Sauce coz its stoopid good
- Maple Syrup – real, natural maple syrup; no sugar-free substitutes in this house
- Marie’s salad dressings – recently obsessed
- Sour cream or plain greek yoghurt
- Assorted jams/jelly/preserves – watch for fake or added sugar
- Minced garlic – the refrigerated kind in a jar. I can never go through fresh garlic fast enough
I’m working on getting some additional brand/personal equipment information, too…. come back soon!
Items marked with “^” indicates an item I usually buy from the bulk section of most markets. Check your local market for availability!
The Joy of Mindful (tr)Eating 