Believe it or not, grocery shopping is my favorite kind of shopping! Crazy, I know! 😉 I’m going to take you through my grocery shopping process and a few staples that are always on my list!
First things first: MAKE A LIST! Having a list keeps me organized and helps me save money. I try to meal plan for the month which plays a part in my list making as well. I also am a huge fan of coupons so I try to incorporate as many as those as possible! Anyone else a coupon lover? My list also varies depending on the time of year. (Example: summertime I get most of my produce from my garden or farmers markets.)Â Â Keep in mind I do garden in the summer and freeze/preserve what I can so there are items I don’t buy at the store. (Ex: salsa, peppers, red sauce, green beans, beets, applesauce) I also try to buy organic when I can.
I break up my list into 6 different categories: produce, frozen, meat/protein, grains/canned items, dairy, snacks/misc.
Produce:Â 
This list will vary depending on my meal plans or what is on sale, but I ALWAYS buy:
- lemons (for my morning lemon water)
- greens (a variety of lettuces, kale, spinach)
- carrots
- celery
- onions
- garlic
- fruit
- avocados
- sweet potatoes
Frozen:
I tend to buy more frozen vegetables in the winter due to the lack of fresh produce in season. Frozen veggies are a better option than canned as they are picked when they are ripe and frozen which helps maintain the nutrient content. Some of my staples are:
- broccoli
- riced vegetables (big into making stir frys & love to use riced cauliflower as a rice alternative)
- peas
- corn (for my crockpot black bean taco recipe)
- pizza (because sometimes you want a pizza & eating a organic pizza every once in a great while is fine 😉
- frozen fruit (for smoothies or smoothie bowls)
- Ezekiel bread
Meat/Protein: 
We are fortunate to buy most of our meat (mostly beef) in bulk from local sources so I don’t tend to buy a lot in the stores. However, when I do, this is usually what I buy:
- bacon (sugar free, nitrate free)
- chicken breasts/thighs
- whole chicken
- chicken sausage
- organic turkey (like this one I picked up on sale after Thanksgiving)
- eggs (I only buy these in the store when my local supplier is out)
Dairy:
I personally don’t eat a lot of dairy but my husband does well on it. My parents also own a dairy farm so we get our raw milk from them if we do use it.
- organic greek/full fat yogurt (breakfast yogurt bowls are eaten frequently around here)
- sharp cheddar cheese (for hubby’s snacks)
- goat or brie cheese (special occasion)
- heavy cream or organic half/half (for my coffee, make sure it is “clean”)
- cottage cheese (I personally can not STAND the taste of this but my hubby is a fan and eats it for a snack with fruit)
Grains/Canned Items:
- black beans
- chickpeas
- brown rice
- quinoa
- Dave’s Killer Bread or sourdough
- nut butter
Snacks/Misc:
- gluten free crackers
- blue chips (chips & guac anyone?)
- dark chocolate
- hummus
- green juice
- new healthy products that I want to try or are on sale
Obviously this list is subject to change, but I wanted to take you through some of my staples. What items/products do you currently use? Is there something new you want to try? Let me know in the comments. Happy Shopping!
