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If you are still shopping once (or more) a week during quarantine, grab your market basket and reusable grocery totes and head out to the grocery store one last time, but this time with the intention of getting everything that you need so that you do not have to step out into the public arena again unless completely necessary. We all need to do our part to stay home. If you have enough and can wait, then please do so, but if you’re running low on meal supplies, this list is for you. I know that many people are using grocery trips as an excuse to get out the house, understandably, but it is risky and much more harmful than it appears. We don’t want to spread the virus to our loved ones at home.
Today I am sharing with you my ultimate “no-shop” shopping list. More like a “shop once” grocery list. These are the items that I usually buy (and several I already had in my mini pantry so I didn’t need to get more) and some extras that I’ve added for the purpose of being home for longer periods of time to keep from having to shop often. I call it the “no shop” list because my goal is to have to return to the store as little as possible to do my part to flatten the curve while also having enough variety to make numerous meals and snacks (and keeping a hungry husband happy too). This list is made to shop once and then not have to repeat until you run out. Several of these items are basics that many people have already, but others may help you when trying to figure out what to make next. These are versatile and healthy items that you might want to place on your next shopping list so you too can stay away from the grocery store while this virus continues to spread. Almost all of the items I bought were organic or natural. Several of the fresh items I bought were frozen or stored using special methods to make their shelf life last longer that I will share with you in another post soon.
From this list I am able to have several healthy snacks on hand for at least a couple weeks, make a variety of versatile meals such as tortellini with pesto, roasted chicken, chicken parmesan, salmon with rice, homemade meatballs, turkey chili, rice and bean burritos, and delicious breakfasts and smoothies, just to name a few options. At the end of this list I have a master list of meals and snacks that can be made out of only these ingredients. The only items missing from this list are your personal favorite meals and snacks. If you have dietary restrictions or follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you will want to adjust this list for you. I eat a more Mediterranean diet (lots of salads, vegetables, fish, pastas, and cheese centered meals and snacks), while my husband has a more American comfort food kind of pallet. This list was designed to make both eating habits satisfied.
We also added a few organic fruit snacks, protein bars, and Annie’s cheddar bunnies to our list because everyone will be tempted to go shopping again if they don’t have a few snacks to keep their cravings satisfied. Add the snacks that you love most and would certainly miss. Make sure that you personalize this list to fit you. If there is something that you already have or don’t like, then you can cross it off. Add things that you feel that you need, especially the ingredients for your favorite weekly meals.
This is a really big list, I understand. It is more than I would usually buy at once, especially because I tend to shop for fresh ingredients and meals only as needed, but remember the goal is to have all the essentials so you may avoid the grocery stores for weeks at a time. When tweaking the list to personalize it for yourself and your family, think of some of your favorite foods and meals that you will not want to be without, especially if you have kids that are used to certain items always being there. My most important advice is to only buy what you actually need and will use. Sure, you want to have enough, but you don’t need too much. Don’t hoard food or supplies. Worst case scenario, you can make another trip to the store when you really have to. It is ok to have a little bit extra if you know it will be used quickly at home, but keep yourself from overbuying certain items because of fear. Everyone deserves to have these items and they cannot if a few people hoard them all. Now onto the list:
Beans/grains/pastas:
- bag of black beans
- lentils
- brown rice
- millet
- chia seeds
- quinoa
- penne pasta
- spagetti
- a vegetable based pasta
- fresh tortellini (to freeze at home)
Canned/jarred/bottled items:
- A few jars of pasta sauce
- Alfredo sauce
- mild salsa
- maple syrup
- creamed honey
- cinnamon
- jarred olives
- basil pesto
- peanut butter
- a favorite fruit jam
- maple butter
- fig spread
- olives
- tuna
- mayo
- gravy
- extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- variety of soups
- diced tomatoes (canned)
- tomatoes sauce (small cans for recipes)
- canned kidney beans
Boxed items:
- pancake mix
- almond milk (boxed almond milk does not need to be refrigerated until opened)
- tea
- macaroni
- nutritional yeast
- coconut sugar
- crackers
- bone broth/chicken broth
- taco seasoning
- oat meal
- dried fruits
- nuts -I love almonds and Matthew likes peanuts.
- all purpose flour
Frozen/ refrigerated items:
- chicken
- turkey bacon
- chicken sausage
- frozen haddock
- frozen salmon
- frozen fruit such as strawberries
- frozen brussel sprouts
- frozen asparagus
- crescent rolls
- organic Chloes fruit popsicles
- cheese -mozzarella (shredded and whole), cheddar, American cheese slices, and feta
- hummus
- butter
- eggs
- yogurt
- sour cream
- ground turkey
- orange juice
- pomegranate juice
Fresh food:
- bag of potatoes
- oranges
- apples
- avocado
- red pepper
- brussel sprouts
- wheat bread
- wheat wraps
- bananas
- tomatoes
- spinach
- lemon
- green beans
- organic chocolate bars
- broccoli
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Now onto the meals and snacks:
This is a list of meals and snacks that can be made using only the items on the shopping list above. You’ll realize that you can make an abundance and a variety of meals out of the basics by mixing and matching ingredients. Once you start being creative with what you have, you’ll realize just how many combinations you can make. This is a list for inspiration, not a list of recipes, although I do promise to share some of the recipes very soon. If you have any special requests, comment below. You might also be able to create numerous other meals or snacks than I have listed. These are just a sampling of the many meals and snacks you can make with my no-shop list using many of the same ingredients.
Breakfast:
- Eggs with turkey bacon/ sausage and toast
- Pancakes and maple syrup
- Homemade waffles (if you own a waffle maker)
- Crepes
- Toast with maple butter
- Toast with jam
- Oatmeal
- Oatmeal with sliced bananas or fruit
- Egg sandwich
- Omelettes
- Yogurt with fresh fruit
Snacks/ deserts:
- Hard boiled eggs
- Apples with peanut butter
- Yogurt with chia seeds
- Fresh fruit/ veggies
- Smoothies made with yogurt, almond milk, and frozen fruit
- Chocolate covered bananas -freeze after coating in melted chocolate
- Cheese with crackers and fig spread
- Baked orange with cinnamon (cut in half, sprinkle with cinnamon and some coconut sugar, and bake until slightly golden)
- Baked apple slices with cinnamon
- Avocado toast
- Fresh guacamole
Lunches/ Simple Dinners:
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Grilled cheese and soup
- Egg sandwich
- Grain bowl -made with rice/ quinoa with black beans, lentils, tomatoes, fresh feta, olives, and spinach
- Bruschetta
- Salad
- Bean and rice/ chicken burritos
- Fish tacos
- Baked acorn squash
- Baked egg in an avocado (cut avocado in half, crack egg into center like a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake)
- Homemade meatball sandwich
Dinners:
- Chicken parmesan
- Fresh homemade pasta (instead of going for boxed, make it from scratch!)
- Baked chicken
- Lemon/orange chicken
- Fish with rice
- Turkey tacos
- Turkey chili
- Chicken wraps
- Pasta with crescents
- Homemade vegetable stew/ soup
- Chicken Alfredo with broccoli
- Tortellini with pesto/Alfredo sauce
- Homemade parpadelle pasta with roasted Brussel sprouts and olive oil
- Homemade pizza
- Homemade meatballs with spagetti
Sides/other:
- Baked potato with sour cream
- Homemade mashed potatoes
- Rice
- Beans
- Millet
- Steamed vegetables
- Baked acorn squash and potatoes
- Boiled potatoes
- Scalloped potatoes
- Homemade French fries
- Roasted vegetables
- Homemade strawberry and chia seed jam
Over the next week or so I will be sharing my personal tips to make groceries last longer as well as some of my favorite cozy recipes. If you have any requests for recipes from the list right above, please comment in the comment section below and I will do my best to share that recipe soon.
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