Grocery Shopping List

I've received a few requests to share my grocery shopping list. Mari's last post, the one below, has many of these items included in it (it also has some great storage ideas and budget friendly ways to shop- my favorite post so far!) so this might be a bit redundant but here it goes.

Staples (I usually buy these in bulk to have on hand because they are used so often):

• rice
• quinoa
• pasta, usually linguine
• beans (I do organic canned because I still haven't mastered soaking and cooking my own)
• steel cut oats
• cold cereal for Josh, he prefers Mini-Wheats
• walnuts
• pine nuts
• pecans
• chicken and fish- Like Mari I buy fresh and freeze it myself.  It's better that way.
• peanut butter
• agave nectar
• vinegars- balsamic, white balsamic
• olive oil

My regular/weekly grocery list looks something like this:

• baby spinach or mixed greens- I love the organic Earthbound Farm brand for all my veggies
• baby carrots 
• peppers, usually red or orange unless I know I'll be needing other colors for a recipe
• green onions
• red onion
• butternut squash
• tomatoes
• sugar snap peas
• strawberries
• raspberries
• blueberries
• melon- usually cantaloupe or honeydew in our house
• pineapple
• peaches
• apples
• bananas
• lemon
• oranges or tangerines
• garlic
• sage
• basil
• deli meat for the husband
• hummus, or the ingredients to make it at home
• tzatziki as vegetable dip and a sandwich condiment instead of the fattier alternatives
• Food Should Taste Good multi-grain cracker chips
• good quality cheese- love the Yancy's Fancy brand, it's delicious and not ridiculously expensive.
• milk
• plain yogurt
• organic or cage/hormone/antibiotic free omega-3 eggs
• fresh bread- I'm a Great Harvest snob and love their High Five Fiber bread.
• fresh salsa
• fresh squeezed orange juice

Remember to only buy produce that is in season.  Otherwise, you'll be really sad when you get a bland or rancid mouthful of your favorite fruit or veggie.  To save a few bucks and to get the freshest food possible, try to find your local farmers market and shop there.  Not only do you get the best deals and the best food but you are supporting locals, which makes my heart sing.  Try to avoid buying crappy, junky food.  When you put them in your house that is what you and your family eat.  Most of what is on this list is easy to quickly grab and eat, and you can use all of these ingredients for multiple meals throughout the week which saves time and money.

 Remember to never grocery shop while hungry, you're more likely to make poor choices and will come home home with more food that is less healthy, than when you shop with a content tummy.

Plan, plan, plan.  Always make a grocery list and stick to it!  You'll come home with healthier items and will spend less money if you do.

If you haven't yet, be sure to read Mari's Savvy Shopping post.  She shared great, smart shopping ideas, her list of staples and some great ways to make sure you actually use the food you buy- brilliant!  If you have any requests for future posts, please feel free to leave suggestions in our comment box.  I'm really excited about my next post.  I will be sharing a meal plan for a week that is practical, delicious, and of course healthy!  It will be based off of the lists above, what I would normally cook in a week and show how to use ingredients in more than one meal.

Happy to be healthy (and hoping this little girl gets her foot out of my ribs soon),

Courts