Nutrition

Grocery Lists

What better way to plan healthy meals than to have healthy food ingredients on hand. In fact, you may not have to plan at all. If you have the right foods available, it becomes easier and quicker to eat healthfully! Please see our suggestions for preparing grocery lists. If you are on a budget, another version gives money-saving tips.

Grocery List for Economical Shopping

Milk

nonfat powdered milk
mix nonfat powdered milk + regular low fat milk

Grains

whole wheat or seeded rye loaf bread
brown rice (avoid instant rice mixes)
cereals are expensive, eat bread instead

Starch Vegetables

dried beans and peas (garbanzo, pinto, kidney, white, split, black-eyed)
lima beans
lentils
small red/white potatoes with the skins (avoid instant potato mixes)
corn

Vegetables/Fruits

fresh, frozen, canned…select best buy
if you have diabetes, avoid buying fruit canned in syrups; canned in water or juice is better, fresh is best
if buying fruit juice, select frozen concentrate v ready-made

Protein Foods

peanut butter
canned tuna (in water)
low fat cottage cheese
eggs (select medium size to avoid too much cholesterol)
turkey/chicken, lean economical cuts of beef
avoid bologna, hotdog, bacon, sausage

Fats

olive oil
tub spreads instead of margarine or butter

Select store brands whenever possible, bargain shop from several stores if possible.

Economize by limiting restaurant foods, convenience foods, and snack foods.

Bargain shop for cleaning supplies (use newspapers instead of paper towels for cleaning windows, etc).

Grocery List for Healthy Eating

Milk

skim milk
soy milk (enriched/fortified with calcium/vitamin D)
yogurt (plain fat-free; fat-free, artificially flavored)

Grains

whole wheat or seeded rye bread (Nature's Own, Arnolds, Pepperidge Farm)
look for 2-3 grams fiber per slice
brown rice, wild rice (avoid instant rice mixes)
cereals (avoid instant), oatmeal, bran, Fiber 1, All Bran, Total, Kashi (mix brands)
crackers (Triscuits), look for 2-3 grams fiber per serving
whole wheat pasta
whole grains (bulgur, corn, whole cornmeal, buckwheat, barley, amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, spelt, triticale, popcorn)

Starch Vegetables

dried beans and peas (garbanzo, pinto, kidney, white, split, black-eyed)
lima beans
lentils
small red/white potatoes with the skins (avoid instant potato mixes)
sweet potatoes
corn
squash, winter (butternut, acorn, pumpkin)

Vegetables

collards, kale, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, dark green salad greens
fresh, then frozen, then canned
low sodium vegetable juice

Fruits

fresh, then frozen, then canned
apple, peach, pear, banana, orange, grapefruit, berries, melons, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, dried fruit
avoid buying fruit canned in syrups; canned in water or juice is better, fresh is best
juice (100% fruit juice), avoid fruit punch, Kool-Aid

Protein Foods

fish (wild salmon, tuna, mackerel, haddock, herring)
turkey, chicken, lean beef (round, sirloin, flank, tenderloin, rib, chuck, rump, T-bone, porterhouse, ground round)
peanut butter
canned tuna (in water)
low fat cottage cheese, low fat Laughing Cow cheese
eggs (select medium size to avoid too much cholesterol)
avoid bologna, hotdog, bacon, sausage (buy Canadian bacon, Healthy Choice/Healthy Request, Boar's Head low fat products)

Fats

olive oil
tub spreads (Take Control or Benecol) instead of margarine or butter
salad dressings made with olive, canola, or peanut oil
fat-free mayonnaise
nonstick cooking spray

Nuts

almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts (raw, dry roasted, no salt added)

Other

tea, coffee
garlic
herbs, fresh or dried
spices
mustard
vinegar
salsa
low sodium broth or bouillon
lemon juice, lime juice
fat-free dairy products (cream cheese, sour cream, whipping cream, half and half)
no sugar added jelly
artificially sweetened syrups

Desserts

vanilla wafers
ginger snaps
graham crackers
animal crackers
individual ½ c ice cream containers (12 per bag)
sugar-free Jello-O, sugar-free puddings

Look at the label: select low fat (3 g or less fat per serving), low sugar (5 g or less sugar per serving, milk and fruit have 12-15 g of sugar), low sodium (about 200 mg sodium per serving)

Bon Appetit!