My Clean Eating Shopping List

I honestly LOVE grocery shopping. I don’t necessarily love crowds, but if I could walk up and down each aisle and look at all the food products, read labels, and check out new items then I would be in heaven! If I could get paid to grocery shop, then I totally would.

I feel like there are list-people in this world and there are non-list-people in this world. I, for one, am a list person. I hate going to the store and forgetting ONE item because I didn’t make a list. However, I don’t always shop with a list because I pretty much know my go-to items when it comes to filling my pantry and refrigerator. If I want to try a new recipe or have a couple items that aren’t weekly purchases, then I definitely make a list. Otherwise, I have some grocery-store staples that I buy each week to use for meals.

Have you heard that it is healthier to shop on the outer edges of the grocery store and not in the middles aisles? This is true most of the time. Think about it, the packaged foods are usually in the aisles in the middle while the produce, dairy, and meats are generally on the edges! Makes sense. I try to stick to the outer edges, but certain items can be found in the aisles and still be healthy.

Here is a list of items that I try to always have on hand for quick, healthy meals. I don’t have to buy these every time I go to the store, but I try to keep them in stock at all times. I will not buy all these fruits and all these vegetables at once either. I try to rotate them or, if seasonal, purchase them in their peak season. The asterisk* refers to foods that I purchase pretty much on a weekly basis. Everything else I purchase when I run out or will buy to mix up my meals.

Produce:

• lettuce & leafy greens – romaine, spring mix, spinach, kale (usually one type per week)*
• squash – zucchini*, yellow squash, butternut, acorn, spaghetti
• Brussels sprouts
• asparagus
• broccoli*
• cauliflower
• green beans* or haricot verts
• carrots* (baby & regular)
• broccoli slaw
• tomatoes* – generally grape or cherry
• sugar snap peas
• cucumbers
• celery
• bell peppers* – all colors
• red onion
• potatoes – sweet, russet, Yukon gold, red, fingerling
• avocado*
• apples*
• bananas*
• blueberries
• strawberries
• oranges
• pears
• peaches
• lemons*

Dairy:

• unsweetened almond milk*
• unsweetened cashew milk
• 1% cottage cheese*
• 0% fat Greek yogurt*

Meats/Proteins:

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
• ground turkey
• extra lean ground beef
• beef tenderloin/fillet
• pork tenderloin*
• fish – cod, salmon, halibut
• eggs*
• canned tuna (packed in water)
• canned salmon

Grains/Beans/Breads:

• Cereals/Grains – quinoa, farro, brown rice, millet, oats (rolled & quick), puffed millet, popcorn kernels
• Beans – black, pinto, chili beans, chick peas/garbanzo beans, northern beans/white beans
• Breads – Ezekiel bread (plain or cinnamon raisin), English muffins (whole wheat or Ezekiel), whole wheat tortilla
• Pasta – whole grain pasta, bean pasta, gluten free pastas (made with quinoa, brown rice, etc)

Canned/Jars:

• tomatoes – diced, stewed
• diced green chiles
• marinara
• green chile sauce

Nuts/Seeds:

• raw almonds
• cashews
• dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
• pistachios
• chia seed
• sesame seed
• coconut – unsweetened shredded, unsweetened chips
• nut butters – almond butter, peanut butter, coconut butter, cashew butter

Condiments:

• mustard – yellow, Dijon, spicy
• Cholula
• Sriracha
• soy sauce

Sweeteners:

• raw honey
• agave
• maple syrup
• molasses
• coconut sugar
• stevia
• Truvia baking blend 

Miscellaneous:

• Oils – Extra-virgin olive oil, unrefined virgin coconut oil, sesame oil
• Vinegars – balsamic, white wine, apple cider, rice,
• Dried fruits – dates, cherries, cranberries, raisins
• Protein powder – plain soy protein, whey isolate, whey concentrate, plant protein

That is pretty much what my pantry and refrigerator look like. I did not include items that I use for baking (flours, spices, etc). If you are interested in a list of those items then let me know!

I hope you can use this list as a tool next time you plan a shopping trip!