Author: Brooke Schoonenberg, Registered Dietician Nutritionist

Creating a weekly meal plan and using it to devise a grocery list can limit your time in the grocery store and keep your basket filled with nutritious foods. During the stay-at-home order, designate one person from your family to go to the store once a week. This limits your family’s exposure as well as the number of people in the grocery store!

Grocery List Staples

Make sure you have your pantry and fridge/freezer staples ready to go. Here are some items every cook should have on hand:

• Olive Oil
• Unsalted butter
• Grains
  • Brown Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Whole Wheat Noodles
  • Oats
  • Flour
• Condiments
  • Low Sugar BBQ Sauce
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Hot Sauce
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • Salsa
  • Pesto
• Low Sugar Marinara Sauce
• Sweeteners
  • Honey
  • Maple Syrup
• Dried herbs and spices
  • Paprika
  • Onion Powder
  • Garlic Powder
  • Chili Powder
  • Cumin
  • Cinnamon
  • Thyme
  • Chives
• Nut Butter
• Olives and Capers
• Lemons and/or Limes
• Low Sodium Stock/Broth
• Canned Goods
  • Low Sodium or No Salt Added Canned Beans, Tomatoes, Tuna
• Eggs
• Frozen Fruits and Vegetables – whatever your family enjoys and eats regularly!
• Frozen Chicken Breasts or Fish Fillets

Mix and Match Plan

Many things can be made with basic staples like these. For example, you could have oatmeal with peanut butter and thawed frozen blueberries for breakfast and whole wheat noodles mixed with pesto and topped with steamed frozen broccoli for lunch.

Once you have your foundation ready, set a day to create your meal plan and build your grocery list. There are many ways to meal plan. I like to pick a handful of recipes from one cookbook or website that uses similar ingredients so I can mix and match with less waste. For example, I’ll pick two recipes that use chicken, two that use sweet potatoes, and two that use broccoli. Try to pick recipes that use lots of plant-based foods to increase the amount of antioxidants you are consuming.