Make a Healthy Grocery List in Minutes (2024)

Having a well-planned grocery list gets you in and out of the store quickly and helps you stick to your healthy eating plan.

Use these tips and in just a few minutes, you'll have a blueprint for a cart full of groceries that won't bust your budget or diet.

Organize your grocery shopping list by aisle. Follow these tips for filling that list with the healthiest foods from each aisle.

1. Bakery and Bread

On Your List:

  • Whole wheat bread, pita pockets, and English muffins
  • Whole-grain flour tortillas

Look for the words "whole wheat" or "whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient on the label.

Choose whole-grain breads that contain at least 3 to 4 grams of fiber and have fewer than 100 calories per slice.

2. Meat and Seafood

On Your List:

  • Skinless chicken or turkey breasts
  • Ground turkey or chicken
  • Salmon, halibut, trout, mackerel, or your favorite seafood
  • Reduced-sodium lunchmeat (turkey, roast beef)

If you buy red meat, choose the leanest cuts -- ones with very little marbling.

Eat ground chicken or ground turkey breast instead of ground beef. These are much lower in fat. Get creative with the condiments and you’ll get flavor without the fat.

3. Pasta and Rice

On Your List:

  • Brown rice
  • Whole wheat or whole-grain pasta

Again, favor whole grains whenever possible.

4. Oils, Sauces, Salad Dressings, and Condiments

On Your List:

  • Tomato sauce
  • Mustard
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Red-wine vinegar
  • Salsa
  • Extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, nonfat cooking spray
  • Jarred capers and olives
  • Hot pepper sauce

Many sauces and condiments are surprisingly high in sodium and sugar. Look for sugar-free varieties. Keep track of sodium levels, especially if you're cutting back on salt.

Replace mayonnaise and other high-fat condiments with options like salsa and hot sauce, or choose light mayonnaise.

5. Cereals and Breakfast Foods

On Your List:

  • Whole-grain or multigrain cereals
  • Steel-cut or instant oatmeal
  • Whole-grain cereal bars

Buy cereals and cereal bars that are high in fiber and low in sugar. Use berries, dried fruit, or nuts to add sweetness to your cereal.

6. Soups and Canned Goods

On Your List:

  • Diced or whole peeled tomatoes
  • Tuna or salmon packed in water
  • Low-sodium soups and broths
  • Black, kidney, soy, or garbanzo beans; lentils, split peas
  • Diced green chilies

Check the label to see how much sodium is in canned vegetables and soups. Look for lower-sodium varieties.

When buying canned fruits, choose brands that are packed in juice rather than syrup.

7. Frozen Foods

On Your List:

  • Frozen vegetables: broccoli, spinach, peas, and carrots (no sauce)
  • Frozen fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries (without added sugar)
  • Frozen shrimp
  • Pre-portioned, low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt
  • Whole-grain waffles
  • Whole-grain vegetable pizza

Buy frozen vegetables to throw into soups, casseroles, and stews.

Low-fat frozen yogurt blended with frozen fruit makes a quick, healthy smoothie.

8. Dairy, Cheese, and Eggs

On Your List:

  • Skim or low-fat milk or soymilk
  • Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
  • Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese
  • Low-fat cheese or string cheese snacks
  • Eggs or egg substitutes
  • Firm tofu
  • Butter or spread (a variety that doesn't contain hydrogenated oils)

If you like whole-fat cheeses and butter, you don’t have to deprive yourself. Just use smaller portions.

Buy strong-flavored cheeses like Parmesan or goat cheese, so that you can use a smaller amount without sacrificing taste.

Don't buy pre-sweetened or flavored yogurts, which can be very high in sugar and calories. Instead, buy plain yogurt and add your own flavor with a tablespoon of fresh fruit or jam.

9. Snacks and Crackers

On Your List:

  • Whole-grain crackers
  • Dried fruit: apricots, figs, prunes, raisins, cranberries
  • Nuts: almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios (roasted and unsalted)
  • Seeds: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, whole or ground flaxseeds
  • Peanut butter, almond, or soy butter
  • Hummus
  • Dark chocolate pieces (containing more than 70% cocoa)

10. Produce

On Your List:

  • Fruit: bananas, apples, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, blueberries
  • Vegetables: sweet potatoes, baby spinach, broccoli, carrot sticks

Look for a large variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. They have the most nutrients.

Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season and locally grown. They taste better and cost less.

Precut fruits and vegetables save you prep time.

11. Drinks

On Your List:

  • Unsweetened green and flavored teas
  • Calcium-fortified orange juice
  • Sparkling water

If you buy juice, make sure it's 100% fruit juice and not a "juice drink," or "-ade."

An easy at-home recipe is to add fruit juice to sparkling water.

Make a Healthy Grocery List in Minutes (2024)

FAQs

What makes a good grocery list? ›

A good grocery list for one person should include essentials like fresh produce (fruits and vegetables), proteins (meat, fish, or plant-based options), grains (rice, pasta), dairy or dairy alternatives, and pantry staples (canned goods, spices).

What healthy food to buy at grocery store? ›

Buy unseasoned canned or frozen whole foods such as vegetables, chicken, or fish (salmon, sardines, tuna), which are often cheaper than fresh versions. Wait for sales of healthy nonperishable staples like quinoa, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, and high-fiber cereals.

What is a master grocery list? ›

The master grocery list works more or less the same way—it's a reference list of all the staples we generally need to have around. I keep it on a magnetic whiteboard in my fridge, but it might work even better in a spreadsheet or task-management app in my phone.

What is a normal grocery list? ›

Simple grocery list for one person
  • Pantry staples (spices, pasta, sauces)
  • Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)
  • Protein (chicken, beef, tofu)
  • Legumes (beans, lentils, peanuts)
  • Raw vegetables (salad, baby carrots, avocado)
  • Cooking vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts)
  • Fruits (apples, oranges, berries)
Nov 29, 2023

What is the number one grocery item? ›

If the pun didn't make it obvious, the most popular grocery store item is bananas. Apparently, Americans can't get enough of the number one best-selling grocery store food. The average American consumes around 90 of the potassium-filled fruit every year. This equates to roughly 27 pounds of bananas.

What is 5 4 3 2 1 grocery list? ›

Here is an easy-to-follow “54321” grocery shopping formula if you don't like rigid meal plan (or just lazy to do meal plan) 5 types of vegetables -long lasting vegetables -vegetables to be eaten raw -quick cooked vegetables -colourful vegetables (non-green vegetables) -starchy vegetables 4 types of protein -dairy - ...

What are 5 popular health food items? ›

Top 15 healthy foods you should be eating
  • Fish. ...
  • Broccoli or any of the cruciferous vegetables. ...
  • Beets. ...
  • Spinach and other leafy green vegetables. ...
  • Kale. ...
  • Peanut butter. ...
  • Almonds. ...
  • Mangos.
Apr 5, 2019

Which food is healthy and cheap? ›

Cheap, Healthy Foods
  • Lentils. 1/14. Serving size: ½ cup cooked. ...
  • Eggs. 2/14. Serving size: 1 egg. ...
  • Oats. 3/14. Serving size: ½ cup (dry) ...
  • Potatoes. 4/14. Serving Size: 1 medium potato. ...
  • Sweet Potatoes. 5/14. Serving size: 1 medium sweet potato. ...
  • Sardines. 6/14. Serving size: About 4 ounces. ...
  • Beans. 7/14. Serving size: ½ cup cooked. ...
  • Popcorn. 8/14.

How do I start a grocery list? ›

Check your fridge, freezer and pantry for items already on hand. Make a shopping list. Put it on paper or use a meal-planning app on your smartphone that generates a shopping list based on your chosen recipes and other items you add. Many supermarkets offer apps that let you make lists and clip electronic coupons.

How do I memorize my grocery list? ›

Make memories memorable.

For example, start with four items to remember a grocery list: bacon, toilet paper, eggs and lettuce. To link them in a memorable way, picture a sizzling strip of dancing bacon joyfully dripping hot grease onto the next item on your list – toilet paper.

What are basic food items? ›

Basic foods can be broken into groups:
  • Vegetables and Fruit: Includes fresh, frozen, canned and dried produce like beans, carrots, corn, lettuce, apples and blueberries. ...
  • Grain Products: Includes whole grains, bread, cereals, bannock, crackers, pasta, etc.

How do I make my own grocery list? ›

Check your fridge, freezer and pantry for items already on hand. Make a shopping list. Put it on paper or use a meal-planning app on your smartphone that generates a shopping list based on your chosen recipes and other items you add. Many supermarkets offer apps that let you make lists and clip electronic coupons.

How do I make a healthy weekly food schedule? ›

Here are some simple tips to get you started:
  1. See what you already have. ...
  2. Write down your meals. ...
  3. Write down recipes to try. ...
  4. Think about your time. ...
  5. Plan to use leftovers. ...
  6. Make a grocery list. ...
  7. Build your shopping list as you go. ...
  8. Buy a mix of fresh, frozen, and self-stable items.

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