My go-to grocery shopping picks for healthy eating an overall healthy living. PLUS, a downloadable, printable template for you to make your own clean eating grocery list.
Hey everyone! Tackling a long asked for ‘reader’s request‘ post today!
I get a lot of questions about my typical grocery store purchases, how much money I spend on groceries, and how I manage eating healthy with a pretty busy schedule. So I thought it would fun to share some insight into what I buy for groceries and how I save money as an entrepreneur in my 20s.
Before we get into the list itself, a few notes…
- I go shopping once a week to two different stores: Wegmans and a discount store called Price Rite Marketplace (you may have a ShopRite or Price Rite in your area depending on where you live…they are owned by the same company but vary regionally). Price Rite Marketplace saves me a TON of money. That’s where I get mostly all of my produce because it’s just so cheap. Overall I spend about 70-90 dollars on groceries a week. It might seem like a lot, but it’s worth it for me to cut back in other spending areas (living CARfree for example) so that I can have fresh, healthy food daily.
- I buy food from every single food group and aim for balance. Lots of produce, some lean proteins, cheap legumes and beans, tons of whole grains, and healthy fats! I don’t follow any dietary labels, but if I had to call myself something, I’d be a WHOLE FOODIE.
- Another way I save money is by not eating a very meat heavy diet. I stick to chicken, turkey, and fish…and even then I don’t by the most expensive kinds. Instead, I use a lot of canned products, sale items (whatever fish is on sale that week), and try to eat a lot of plant-based protein sources as well.
- I don’t eat out a ton, so the money I save from that can go towards buying higher quality, healthier foods. Also, when I work out of the house, at a coffee shop for example, a bring food with me to save money.
- I’m fortunate that I receive a lot of products to snack on sand cook with from companies because of my blog. So on a daily basis I have access to a lot of expensive ‘extras’ that I wouldn’t normally be able to purchase on my own with my budget. This is awesome and I am so grateful to work with some of the amazing companies that I do. Samples supplement my grocery shopping needs as well.
- The key for me each week is having a general idea of what lunches and dinners I’m going to make. But other than that everything is pretty much decided in the moment. I rotate favorite meals because it’s just easier that way during the week. The less thinking and deciding…the better! I save more creative meals for the weekends.
- I also try to take advantage of in season produce, special deals, and COUPONS. No shame here in using coupons at the store! Great way to reduce costs.
Without further adieu, a look at my weekly (and monthly) grocery purchases….
Weekly Buys
Produce:
Fruit–
apples (I love Fujis!)
oranges
cantaloupe (when in season)
bananas
Veggies–
broccoli
mixed greens or lettuce
spinach
grape tomatoes
carrots
broccoli slaw
cauliflower
asparagus/eggplant/brussels sprouts/green beans (I rotate a new veggie into the mix depending what’s on sale!)
Dairy/Refrigerated:Â
32 oz container of plain greek yogurt
plain kefir
no salt added cottage cheese
unsweetened cashew or almond milk
Proteins:
no salt added smoked turkey breast
canned tuna
liquid egg whites
smoked salmon (make sure there is no added sugar)
Canned/Frozen:Â
pumpkin puree
frozen strawberries
frozen veggies for soup making
Pantry:
no salt diced tomatoes
low sodium vegetable broth
Monthly Buys
Produce:
Veggies–
kabocha squash
spaghetti squash
Japanese sweet potatoes
cabbage
Dairy/Refrigerated:
low-fat cheese sticks
shredded cheese
tempeh
Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda Cheese (vegan)
Meat: Â
frozen tilapia or whatever fish is on sale
chicken breast tenderloins
Bilinski’s Chicken Sausage
canned sardines
Canned/Frozen:Â
frozen blueberries
garbanzo beans
white beans
fat-free refried beans
salsa
tomato puree
soft silken tofu
crushed tomatoes
Pantry:
Food for Life Low Sodium Ezekiel Bread or Alvarado Street Bakery Flax Bread
Rudi’s Spelt English Muffins
Paskesz No Salt Brown Rice Cakes
popcorn kernels
kelp noodles or Palmini
raw nuts and seed
dried plums/raisins/medjool dates/turkish apricots (make sure you get UNsulphured)
Pantry Staples
cinnamon
salt-free herbs & spices (I like Mrs. Dash and 21 Salute from Trader Joes)
Amazing Grass Chocolate Greens
various protein powders
nori sheets
protein bars
Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free quick oats
apple cider vinegar
natural peanut butter/sunbutter/mixed nut butter
nutritional yeast
Dijon mustard
New Gem Foods Origami Fruit & Veggie Wraps
I also created this printable shopping list for you all to use. I like organizing my list based on department so I can get everything I need in a certain section at once. Keeps me from forgetting things!
To download the list as a PDF and print it…CLICK HERE!Â
How do you tackle grocery shopping? One trip per week? Daily stops?
What are some of your weekly/monthly purchases?
How do you save money when you grocery shop?

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Hey Kaila! What brand of egg whites do you typically buy? I’ve been wanting to look into buying those more often but not sure about which brands might or might not have weird, added ingredients or ingredients I should watch out for. Not sure if you knew, but thought I would ask!
I buy the store brand at Wegmans or an off brand at my local discount grocery store when they have them in stock! I’m not picky! LOL
ahhh I go far far far too often but only for the fruits and veggies (every other day here!), but the rest of it I stock up and use till gone.
Not a bad thing that you go through produce quickly! 😉
Great list! Love that you’re a “whole-fooder” 🙂
Thanks Jess!
Wow, what a great round up! I love lists they just keep me SO organized! Thanks for sharing xo C
No problem!
I use the same grocery list each week (I’ll stock up on my breakfast and snack staples, then choose two meals to prep for the week’s lunches and dinners) the lives in the Notes section of my phone 🙂 I’m lucky I don’t mind eating the same thing every day, it makes shopping really easy!
That certainly would make shopping super easy! I just crave some variety though. 🙂
This is perfect! Well organized and a great tool for anyone struggling with making the right choices at the grocery store!
Thanks Pragati!
One trip per week is how we do, and I stock up on meats, specifically the unconventional ones like bones and organs. I shop for herbs and fish too!
That’s cool! Where do you buy your specialty meats?
Nowhere special–where I live there are many chinese supermarkets and as don’t like to waste parts of the animal so we sell even the bones and such after they are butchered. I can’t say our products are as high quality as where you buy your things, though.
Just cuz I’m nosy: what is your fave brand of Greek yogurt? Also, why do you buy a 32 oz. and smaller ones? And do you think that the individual ones taste different than the larger ones even of the same brand? Maybe it’s my imagination but I do! They seem to differ in consistency too. I’ve never tried kefir–what brand do you recommend and how do you use it? I just love your ability to embrace all the food groups! You seem very balanced in your approach to food. I need to be less rigid about my food choices. I need more variety–I get into food ruts for sure. It would be pretty cool to see how you go about deciding what to eat at a given meal for a day. Do you just go by food cravings or do you have a more nutritionally based method? I just can’t tell you enough how much I admire you and your balance eating approach. Hope your knee is doing better! Hugs!
I buy Wegmans Plain Greek yogurt. I buy the big size for use at breakfast and the individual ones for use at snacks. I don’t think they taste different. I buy Lifeway Kefir. I appreciate the kind words! I just go into every meal with an idea of what I’m in the mood for and then make sure I have carbs, proteins, and fats with every meal and snack!
Thanks for sharing this list. I am trying to eat healthier this semester and this list will make it so much easier!
No problem!
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Great post. I will use this as a checklist. Thanks!
Stopping from sitsgirls link up
Glad it could help!
Great list! I am on my last week of the Whole30, and needed a bit of inspiration! I never knew you could freeze bananas and those are constantly gobbled up in my house, so it would be nice to have a stock on hand. I found you through SITS, although I’ve visited you before. I’m a new follower so we don’t loose touch again! Happy weekend!
Happy you stopped by again! 🙂
HI. I love this post. I just included in in my weekly recap of health and wellness news/info. It will go live late tonight or tomorrow evening. I’m coming to you from SITS.
Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to read it!!
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This is great! As a new mom just having a newborn. Your list is super helpful ?
So happy that it will be helpful to you! 🙂
Thank you for this great list Kaila!
Thanks Sandra!! Hope you find it helpful!! 🙂
I love this! I’m always looking for a complete grocery list! We try to eat healthy most of the time. We cut out all milk and dairy 6 months ago
I hope you find this helpful!! 🙂
I love this!! So helpful for people just getting started. I shared this on my community Pinterest board for healthy lifestyles!! Your killed this post – so detailed and thought out!!
Thanks Sammie!! Appreciate the share!! 🙂
We shop approximately once a week but some weeks we run out of food faster than I planned (with three tween/teenage boys it seems like food just flies off our shelves). Lately we’ve mostly been buying tons of fruits (each week two pineapples, two containers grapes, two- 3 containers strawberries, apples, clementines, bananas, and blueberries if I can find them), lots of veggies– spinach, romaine, mushrooms, carrots, etc. Everything to make two HUGE salads a week. We also buy fresh asparagus, green beans, cauliflower and broccoli to cook as side dishes or throw into other recipes. We try to eat mostly lean proteins like chicken breast, chicken tenderloins, turkey breast, ground turkey, and fat free dairy. It can be expensive but I actually think we are spending around the same amount we used to but cutting out red meats most of the time and avoiding all those pantry snack items seems to have balanced it out. We do buy some snacks but my boys are pretty content to eat fruit nowadays.
Sounds like your family eats incredibly healthy! That is so awesome. Good for you guys!! 🙂
Thanks for this list, Kaila! Makes clean eating and cooking from scratch so much easier. Thanks for sharing at the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home. –Jennifer
Thanks Jennifer! Hope this makes your next grocery shopping trip a BREEZE!!!
Price Rite is the same thing as ShopRite???
I love ShopRite, just moved from CT to MA and there are none of the latter up here. I’m gonna have to check out the former, good to know.
When I can , I rely heavily on farmers’ markets, and I source the majority of meat from meat shares where we split a cow, pig, lamb. I’ve started raising my own chicken for eggs and meat, but I still end up buying supermarket chicken (I at least try to make it “organic” in the stores though I am not raising my chickens organically. They have good lives, free range when weather permits, but they do eat my kitchen scraps from whatever source, and I’m not interested in doing PaperWork for certification anyway.
I do eat from most food groups other than the “junk” food group. I limit simple carbs and want to limit dairy.
Yes! ShopRite and PriceRite are owned by the same company! So definitely check out their great deals if you can find one near you. 🙂 I love shopping at Farmers Markets too! Our local ones are finally starting to open up again. HOOOORAY!
This is a very good shopping list and will be a big help for people! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and you have a great week!
Miz Helen
I sure hope so!! That was my intention in making it. 🙂
What a great list! I try to eat whole foods too! Found you at the Our Mini Linky Party
Thanks for stopping by Sylvia!
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for dinner party!
Thanks for stopping by Helen!!