Written by Sarah Plymire, MS, RD, LD
Grocery shopping - a chore we all have to do but a chore most of us don’t like.
Maybe you’ve heard of the concept to “shop the perimeter” of the store. This is a good starting place, but would likely cause a lack of carbohydrate foods and fun foods in your grocery store haul.
A better concept is to ensure you buy enough food to nourish yourself, physically and emotionally.
Below is a strategy you can try out the next time you go grocery shopping.
Note: this list is geared towards a single person household for ~1 week of groceries.
3 types of fruits, with the goal of 2 different fruits daily
3 types of veggies, with the goal of 2 different types per day
The fruits and veggies can be in any form - fresh, frozen, or canned. Buying frozen produce is just as good as buying fresh! Frozen might actually save you money and will keep for longer.
3 types of carbohydrates, with the goal of a different carbohydrate at every meal
Examples include bread, pasta, chips, quinoa, rice, and potatoes.
3 types of protein, with the goal of a different protein source at each meal
Examples of protein include eggs, beans, lentils, seafood, turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, and pork.
2 different types of cheese (omit if you have a dairy allergy/intolerance).
Try to purchase cheese in different forms (crumbled, sliced, shredded, string, cubes, etc.) so that you have a variety of ways you can add cheese to meals and snacks.
2 different convenient meals
Examples include salad from a salad bar, pre-made meals from the deli, or frozen meals.
1 protein rich snack
Examples include premade protein shakes, greek yogurt, jerky or meat sticks, string cheese, nuts, and nut butter.
1 snack “just for fun”
This is whatever you prefer to snack on! Could be something you ate as a kid or something you’ve been having a craving for recently.
1 sweet treat
This is self explanatory (and essential, in my opinion).
Other items that are not included above but may be good to purchase include sauce for meals, dip for snacks, and any drinks you like to have on hand. If you have leftovers of the above items, there is no need to repurchase them the next week - just use up what you have to replace as needed. Making sure you have the foods you enjoy eating and enough food overall will help you eat at home more often, saving you money and the frustration of multiple trips to the grocery store throughout the week.
If you find these tips helpful, we are glad we could provide you with some guidance and hopefully relief! Grocery shopping, meal planning, among all the other things that we have to do on a daily basis to feed and nourish ourselves can become difficult and boring. As “simple” as they are, when we run out of creativity or have a week of fatigue, it can be really hard to get back on track.
Our dietitians at Bamboo Nutrition provide simple guidance such as this and more. We love to educate our clients so they feel empowered to avoid these ruts and live a healthy life. If you’re interested in talking with one of our dietitians, click the button below.
Bamboo Nutrition is a group of registered dietitians and therapists in Columbia, MO and Rochester, MN. We work with clients online in other states as well, including but not limited to, California, Tennessee, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and more.