My Grocery List: Eating for One

Eating and shopping for one person is so difficult. I always end up buying too much or too little, and I feel like I throw out so much food. This year, I'm committing to making grocery lists and meal plans for my weeks so I don't waste anything, and so I try new foods. My plan is to only buy 2-3 types of fruit and 2-3 types of veggies at a time, and switch it up week by week. I also plan to make a lot of cold salads to eat throughout the week when I'm being lazy.

Be sure to buy in-season produce in small quantities.

I try to keep on hand most of the time:

Grains

• Whole wheat bread (as small of units as I can buy)
• Whole wheat English muffins or bagel thins (alternating between them so they don't go bad)
• Whole wheat pasta
• Rice

Dairy

• Skim milk
• Laughing cow cheese or cottage cheese (low fat, alternating)
• Low fat cheese sticks
• Feta (occasionally)

Protein

• Turkey burgers
• Tilapia/Salmon
• Occasionally chicken breast for grilling
• Eggs

Legumes/Nuts

• Black eyed peas or chickpeas
• Black beans
• Peanut butter

Veggies

• Pick 2-3 of: broccoli, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, bell peppers, peas, corn, etc.
• Baby carrots and/or cucumbers
• Olives

Fruits

• One or two "whole" fruits: plums, grapefruit, clementines, bananas, etc.
• Grapes, pineapple or cherries
• Apples or cantaloupe

Other

• Olive oil
• Healthy dressings
• Mustard
• BBQ sauce
• Healthy crackers
• Dark chocolate
• Tea

I buy a good bit of the stuff that doesn't go bad (sauces, pastas, canned beans, etc.) and hit up the store about once a week for fresh produce, grains and proteins. Everything on this list can be found for relatively cheap if you pick veggies and fruit that are in season and don't buy too many. For me, the most important thing is keeping junk food out of the house. If I buy it, it'll be gone instantly and I won't eat my healthy food. If I just keep good food in the house, and let myself splurge when I'm out occasionally, I do so much better.