Simplify the dreaded task of grocery shopping by creating a list of staple foods you can buy each week. This will not only help keep your fridge fully stocked with foods to keep you on track, but also gives you the freedom to add new food items and/or ingredients for new recipes each week. My current staple food list contains clean, versatile foods that allow for a variety of meals and snacks to be created throughout the week. With time and experience, you will be able to add a remove items from your staple list to create a list that fuels your meal plans each week.

TIPS FOR CREATING A STAPLE GROCERY LIST

TIP ONE: Stick to the outskirts.

I keep the majority of my grocery list staples within the outskirts of the store, meaning everything outside of the processed food aisles. This includes meat, dairy, produce, bakery or breads, deli, and nuts and seeds. Following this tip will ensure that you don’t come home with too many overly processed foods.

TIP TWO: Choose versatile foods.

Making choices to include staples with a lot of versatility will ensure that you never get bored while meal planning and prepping. For example, sweet potatoes can be used for a dinner side, breakfast casserole, baked fries at lunch, or even as a bowl for chili.

TIP THREE: Organize your list.

It saves me so much time to organize my grocery list into departments so that I can shop quickly and efficiently. The categories I use are:

• Protein

• Dairy

• Grains

• Nuts and Seeds

• Fruit

• Beans

• Veggies

• Misc. (or aisles)

You can even go a step further and sort each section in the order in which your store has them laid out so that you can complete each grocery department in a smooth succession.

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If you need ideas for where to begin in creating your own staple grocery list, or you’re just curious what mine looks like, this one’s for you! You’ll notice I follow the tips of sticking to the outskirts, choosing versatile foods, and organizing the list.