Master Shopping List

If you're just starting the switch from a convenience-foods-based diet to one that relies on whole foods, it can be a little tough to figure out what you need in your pantry and refrigerator in the way of ingredients. As in the October 27, 2002 newsletter, I'll start with the "four basic food groups." This is a list based upon the ingredients I keep on hand; please add your own as well. To stick as much as possible with whole foods, think "ingredients." Dry pasta is an ingredient, Hamburger Helper is not. Then I have a "miscellaneous" group that's a catch-all for everything else that doesn't fit in any of the four main groups, like spices, coffee, and tea. I should also say that while I don't exclude oils or salt or simple sugars (they're all in the "miscellaneous" group), they're used sparingly.

I also try and buy a lot of hardy or frozen fruits and vegetables and fewer of the more perishable ones so that if I don't feel like shopping, I don't have to more than about once a month; that's part of the "lazy" lifestyle too. :-)

The four major food groups:

• Beans/Proteins
• Grains/Carbohydrates and Starches
• Fruits
• Vegetables

Beans/Proteins

Because I'm vegan, my list doesn't contain any animal products, but you can include those here too. Except for the soybeans and (dried) garbanzo beans, which likely must be ordered from the health food store or online, everything can be had at most local grocery stores.

Mine include:

• Pinto beans
• Kidney beans
• White beans (Great Northern and/or navy beans)
• Soybeans
• Green split peas
• Lentils
• Garbanzo beans
• Peanut butter
• Peanuts
• Sunflower seeds
  

Occasional use:

• Veggie cheese

Your additions:

• ________________________________
• ________________________________
• ________________________________
• ________________________________

Grains/Carbohydrates and Starches

• Brown rice
• Whole wheat flour
• Spaghetti
• Elbow macaroni
• Potatoes (yes, they're a vegetable, but they really act as a starch in terms of their nutritional value and function)
• "Old-fashioned" rolled oats (as opposed to quick oats, which are much more refined)
  

Your additions:

• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________

Fruits:

Hardy fresh fruits, which can be bought as seldom as once a month:

• Apples
• Oranges

Frozen fruits (either buy fresh, wash and chop by hand, and freeze, or buy prepared frozen, no sugar added):

• Bananas (for smoothies and baking)
• Strawberries
• Frozen (from fresh) pineapple
• Frozen melon
• Frozen peaches
  

"Fragile" fruits:

More fragile and won't keep for much more than a week, but are a relatively inexpensive summer treat excepting bananas and pears, which are inexpensive and available year-round in most places:

• Bananas
• Nectarines, peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Watermelon
• Fresh strawberries (buy by the flat and freeze for winter use too)
• Fresh cherries
• Cantaloupe, honeydew melon

Your additions:

• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________

Vegetables

Hardy fresh vegetables (need only be bought once a month or so):

• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onions

"Fragile" fresh vegetables, which need to be bought weekly to twice monthly:

• Lettuces
• Fresh spinach
• Green peppers (can be frozen for pizza and stews, etc.)
• Mushrooms (can be chopped and frozen for pizza and stews, etc.)
• Tomatoes (technically a fruit, but function as a veggie for cooking purposes)

Frozen vegetables, can be bought as seldom as every three to four months:

• Broccoli
• Mixed veggies
• Green beans
• Corn
• Cauliflower

Canned:

• Stewed or whole peeled tomatoes
• Tomato sauce
• Tomato paste

Can be used for anything tomato-based, from tomato soup to spaghetti sauce to pizza sauce.

Your additions:

• ____________________________________
• ____________________________________
• ____________________________________
• ____________________________________
• ____________________________________
• ____________________________________

Miscellaneous:

From spices to sugars to oils to yeast, these are things that don't fit within the four food groups:

• Canola oil
• Various spices
• Condiments (mustard, catsup, etc.)
• Salt
• White sugar
• Brown sugar
• Egg replacer (binding agent for baking for those who don't eat eggs)
• Corn starch
• Baking yeast
• Cocoa powder
• Coffee
• Tea
• Baking soda
• Chocolate chips (for baking)
• Raisins (really a fruit, but because of high sugar content used sparingly for baking)

Your additions:

• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• _________________________________

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This page updated January 5, 2003
©2002-2003, Kim Olson