Living on my own, Blank Slate Grocery Trip - What would you get?

bangbangchoochootrain

So this summer is the first time I am ever living away from home without a dining hall or a meal plan of any kind. I can cook, which is more than I can say for my peers, but since I want to eat healthy I'm kind of at a loss for what I should get.

I'm literally starting from scratch, and will have to get the basic basics like flour, spices, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions? What would your first basic grocery trip include?

gaelowyn_pt_duex

proteins- chicken(thighs are usually cheaper than breast, just as healthy and i think tastier)
beef cuts, pork, fish. even if single, it's good to buy in bulk(family sizes) and take home, separate out into heavy duty freezer bags portions that you can use. freeze.

grains- brown rice, pasta(whole wheat if you like), breads. I find bread freezes and thaws well as long as packaged well. so get a few loaves when on sale and freeze the others. thaws in an hour or so.

fresh fruits and veggies.
frozen veggies are good too.

canned goods- no salt added tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste. I also get lots of cans of diced green chiles, rotel(brand of diced tomatoes with chiles added, great for recipes). either cans or pourable boxes of low sodium chicken and beef broths. I also keep canned corn and green beans- use em in recipes. no salt added of course. I also keep low sodium condensed tomato soup on hand. Have a couple recipes that call for it that are the bomb!(but not super 'diety')

salt,pepper, garlic powder, cumin, italian seasoning blend, chili powder. You can always add more spices and herbs here and there so you don't go bankrupt buying them all at once.

I also buy ground ginger in a squeeze tube for stir fry, and preminced garlic in little jars(both in the produce section)

you also want the condiment basics- salsa, ketchup, a good mustard, olive oil mayo(half the cals and lot less fat then reg mayo and no nasty bitter taste like "lite" mayo), and salad dressings you like.

that's pretty basic pantry there.

gaelowyn_pt_duex

oh durable goods like freezer bags, sandwhich bags, aluminum foil, glad press and seal or a cling wrap, and different sizes of those glad/ziplock(store brands are cheaper and just as good) "toss away" containers. great for leftovers that you can take for lunch. if you clean them well, they last a while, and can recycle as well.

I forgot to add you'll probably want some vinegar, a good oil like olive oil(I use "mild olive oil"- higher smoke point than extra virgin, meaning it can get hotter before it burns).

as you start cooking and looking at recipes, you'll find ingredients and spices/etc that you'll need and after a while you'll have a spice rack! which you can purchase at any larger grocery store or places like bed bath and beyond. however the age of the spices and herbs in those boxes are gosh knows how old- probably best to not start with them!

JoRocka

can opener and a spatula or flipper thing to flip pancakes or sauteed veggies/tongs too for bacon

My basics are
meat
veggies
meat
veggies
eggs
bacon
yogurt

I keep some dry goods- like beans and rice regularly for emergency's.

JenSD6

I would recommend planning out a few simple meals before you go and add those to your grocery list to give you a place to start. It will help you find what basics you are missing, too, such as cooking oil, spices, condiments, etc.

What will you want to have on hand for breakfast? Same with lunches and snacks.

chicafelix

I would start with the absolute basics: Olive oil , Salt, Pepper, Lemons -- this alone dresses absolutely any steamed veggie. Rice, chickpeas (canned is ok), garlic, onion, your favourite greens (broccoli, kale, bok choy), crakers/pita/flatbread (less yeast which bloats), eggs, milk. This is for a meal, snack and breakfast. First you steam the veggies, drain them (do not throw away the water, all your vitamins are in it), dress with salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil. Then warm up some olive oil in a pan, add chopped onions, throw in the rice, stir for two minutes, add the water from the steamed veggies in it. When the rice is almost done, throw in some of your already steamed veggies and risotto is ready! With chickpeas (full in protein), garlic, lemon, olive oil you can make hummus, and eat it as a snack. For breakfast, warm up some olive oil, add minced garlic and onion, when sizzling add in some more of your steamed veggies, while they warm up crack one or two eggs in a bowl, scramble it with a fork and an ounce of milk, then pour in the pan and proceed making an egg+veggie omelet

RodaRose

Cutting board, good knife, measuring spoons, measuring cups, strainer or colander, soy sauce, mustards, honey, hot sauce, vinegar, favorite teas, canned beans, jarred/canned tomato sauce, grits, raisins/dried fruit. Frozen fruit and veggies for the freezer.

ForeverSunshine09

Well pretty much every grocery trip we have we get:
Sour cream
Milk
Taco shells of some variety
Dry pasta
Cans of diced tomatoes
Dried beans
Eggs
Chicken and ground sirlion or ground turkey
Potatoes
Veggies you like
Fruits you like
Bread if you are using it for sandwiches. Or toast
Cream of mushroom or cream of chicken
Rice
Yogurt
Raisins
We also both get one sweet treat. I usually get ice cream sandwiches and he gets klondike bars.

shadowfax_c11

gaelowyn_pt_duex wrote: »

proteins- chicken(thighs are usually cheaper than breast, just as healthy and i think tastier)
beef cuts, pork, fish. even if single, it's good to buy in bulk(family sizes) and take home, separate out into heavy duty freezer bags portions that you can use. freeze.

grains- brown rice, pasta(whole wheat if you like), breads. I find bread freezes and thaws well as long as packaged well. so get a few loaves when on sale and freeze the others. thaws in an hour or so.

fresh fruits and veggies.
frozen veggies are good too.

canned goods- no salt added tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste. I also get lots of cans of diced green chiles, rotel(brand of diced tomatoes with chiles added, great for recipes). either cans or pourable boxes of low sodium chicken and beef broths. I also keep canned corn and green beans- use em in recipes. no salt added of course. I also keep low sodium condensed tomato soup on hand. Have a couple recipes that call for it that are the bomb!(but not super 'diety')

salt,pepper, garlic powder, cumin, italian seasoning blend, chili powder. You can always add more spices and herbs here and there so you don't go bankrupt buying them all at once.

I also buy ground ginger in a squeeze tube for stir fry, and preminced garlic in little jars(both in the produce section)

you also want the condiment basics- salsa, ketchup, a good mustard, olive oil mayo(half the cals and lot less fat then reg mayo and no nasty bitter taste like "lite" mayo), and salad dressings you like.

that's pretty basic pantry there.

This is a really good list. Keep in mind that you don't have to get all of your spices at once. I recently restocked my supply buy buying 1-2 jars of spices a week. If you have some idea in mind of what you want to eat for the week buy the spices you will need to go along with it. Also consider growing some fresh herbs. You can do this easily in a pot on a sunny window sill or in the yard. This is the time to buy them. I just got Purple Basil, Dill and some tomato and pepper plants. All in pots outside. I love walking outside to pick some fresh herbs to use with my dinner and you can freeze or dry them for use over the winter.

Lounmoun

I would plan out some meals and see what you would use for the kind of cooking you do.

I always have things like dry beans, lentils, oatmeal, cereal, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, cheese, soy sauce, chicken, yogurt, milk, eggs, spices, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, oil, vinegar, peanut butter, bread, frozen vegetables, fruit, spaghetti sauce, spicy brown mustard.

Sarasmaintaining

I'm a total grocery shopping nerd and this sounds like a lot of fun I actually just did my big, once a month shopping trip and here's the highlights of what I got:

Dairy:
-lots of single serve Greek yogurt cups (sale .89 woot!), various flavors
-string cheese
-shredded cheese
-sliced cheese
-dairy and almond milks but these are for my family-I hate the taste of milk blech!
-cottage cheese
-chip dip

Meat:
-fresh boneless chicken breasts (had a coupon, otherwise I get frozen)
-thick cut pepper bacon
-boneless pork (cut like stew meat, makes it easy for stir-frys)
-petite steak
-frozen perch (already have frozen salmon in the freezer)

Veggies and fruit:
-sliced carrots (frozen)
-peas (frozen)
-stirfry mix (peppers, onions, broccoli and mushrooms) (frozen) *I also have a huge bag of frozen broccoli from Costco in my freezer
-spinach (fresh)
-tomatoes (fresh)
-asparagus (fresh)
-cherries (fresh)
-red and yellow bell peppers (fresh)
-peaches (fresh)
-bananas
-mushrooms
-sweet potatoes
-onions

Miscellaneous:
-stuff for tacos (already have the beef)
-brown rice
-refried beans (use with wraps, already have the flat bread that I use)
-several boxes of granola bars that have 10g protein
-cream cheese, pretzel thins and Triscuits (my new favorite afternoon snack)
-tea, diet soda, light beer
-oats
-ground flax seed
-walnuts
-chips


And then a few other things for my family, like bread and cereal, that I don't eat.
I also get farm fresh eggs from a family member and will be picking up 4 dozen this weekend

As for baking supplies-I'm a big baker and I have four cupboards designated for my baking ingredients lol.

bangbangchoochootrain

Thank you guys so much! I've copied and pasted your answers into a list just in case haha.