How to Make a Healthy Grocery List that Lasts All Week

Stocking your kitchen with nutritious food encourages healthier eating habits and feeling better throughout the whole week.

To do so, you need a healthy grocery store list.

Having a healthy grocery list allows you to navigate the store aisles better and will even save you money and time! Planning your meals and creating a list ahead of time is the key to successful grocery shopping and having balanced meals all week.

Here are 3 important steps to follow so you can make a healthy grocery list that will last all week.

Want to add more protein to your diet? Check out these 7 Effective Tips to Add More Protein to Your Diet.

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So many people go to the store and grab whatever looks good but then they get home and realize none of it can make a full meal. Or they end up throughout half of it away.

Not anymore!

The number 1 most important tip when making a grocery list is to actually make one and plan. It’s as simple as that!

So if you want to actually create a healthy grocery list that lasts all week, you’ve come to the right place.

1. Organize your grocery list

This one really helps the shopping process go smoothly. Generally, grocery stores in the US have similar layouts.

Fruits and vegetables on one side of the store, meats and cheese on the back wall, dairy and frozen food on the other side of the store, and then all the dry goods in the middle.

And that is also how you should separate your store list.

The reason this is an important step is that a majority of your list should come from the outside walls of the store. The middle section includes a lot of processed, refined foods so minimal time should be spent in those areas.

Of course, there are things you may need from those sections such as pasta, rice, beans, condiments, granola, etc.

So, let’s get into creating the foundation and outline our your list.

Start by dividing your list into these categories:

• Fruits/Vegetables
• Protein/Meats
• Dairy
• Others

Leave space in-between each category to fill in with specific ingredients.

Now, you are ready to move to step 2 and figure out what actually you need to buy.

2. Plan your meals

Now let’s get into actually creating your list.

First and foremost, before you even go to the store, you are going to want to plan your meals. I like to start with breakfast and lunch because they are usually the easiest and stay consistent throughout the week. Then move on to dinners.

This section should be the majority of your grocery list.

For breakfast

When you plan your breakfast, make sure it includes some protein. Some good options are eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, and protein smoothie.

Don’t like any of those? You can even opt for a protein bagel and whipped cream cheese which as substantially less calories than regular cream cheese.

Once you figure out what you want for breakfast, you can figure out the ingredients that go along with it.

For example, if you want eggs for breakfast, you may also want to add bread, tortillas, and cheese to have with those eggs. For more ideas, check out these 5 Easy and Delicious Scrambled Eggs Recipes you can make for breakfast.

For yogurt or oatmeal, you may want peanut butter, fruit, brown sugar, granola, etc.

Add all the ingredients you will need for your breakfast to your shopping list. If you have multiple people in your household, make sure to account for the food they would like and the quantity of ingredients.

For lunch

Decide what you would like for lunch during the week. For easy shopping, consider keeping your lunches consistent throughout the week and changing it up next week if you wish.

Make sure your lunch includes protein and either a fruit or vegetable.

Some options include a turkey sandwich with an apple, chicken salad, or taco bowl. Add the ingredients to your healthy grocery list.

For dinner

Dinner tends to be the most complicated but it usually includes more ingredients and more variety. Keep in mind that you want healthy, balanced dinners that include a protein source, carbohydrate and a vegetable.

Pick 3-5 dinners.

I found that 4 dinners a week is perfect to account for nights that you have leftovers or get dinner out.

Add all the ingredients for those dinners to your list.

Want healthy dinner inspiration? Check out these 75 Healthy Dinner Recipes.

3. Add healthy snacks/drinks

Once you have an organized grocery list including your breakfast, lunch, and dinner ingredients you are ready for the next step.

You should choose 2-3 healthier snacks.

Some of my favorite healthy snacks include:

• Apples and peanut butter
• Salted Edamame
• Quesadilla with low-calorie tortilla
• Carrots and Italian dressing
• Popcorn
• Any fruit

You also don’t want to forget about any drinks you may want. Try to get drinks with natural ingredients and low added sugar.

Some drinks may include:

• Oranges juice
• Iced tea
• Vitamin water
• Lemonade

And there you have it! Now you have a healthy grocery list with ingredients and food that will last you all week.

It’s time to go shopping!