A basic weekly grocery list
Here are the basics that go into almost every menu, aisle by aisle. The store cupboard runs down slowly: check it once a month. Chilled food, fruit and vegetables and protein are bought for the week’s meals.
| Aisle | The basics |
|---|---|
| Store cupboard (pantry) | pasta, rice, oats, lentils, tinned (canned) tomatoes, tinned beans or chickpeas, flour |
| Oils and seasonings | olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, spices, stock cubes |
| Chilled | eggs, milk, butter, plain yoghurt, cheese |
| Fruit and vegetables | onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, lemons, bananas, seasonal vegetables |
| Meat, fish and alternatives | chicken, fish, tofu or pulses, depending on your meals |
| Frozen | frozen peas, frozen vegetables, frozen fish |
| Bakery | wholemeal bread, wraps |
How to make a grocery list that works
- Start from the week’s menu, never from what you think is missing.
- Add up the quantities of every recipe, for everyone at the table.
- Cross off what is already in your cupboards.
- Sort the list in the order of the aisles in your shop.
- Note what goes in the freezer when you get home.
A healthy grocery list starts with the menu
A healthy grocery list isn’t a list of “good” foods. It is the list of a balanced week: vegetables and fruit, a source of protein for each meal, starchy foods (wholegrain when you can), and a few staples.
The quantities matter as much as the items: a list without quantities ends in food bought twice, or forgotten.
One shopping list for the whole household
In a family there is only one list, even if everyone has their own portion. The quantities depend on who eats at home, and on which day.