The Ultimate Grocery List

Stock your kitchen with everything you need to eat like a champ

Since I’m heading out of town this weekend with the family, we’ve haven’t restocked the cupboards and refrigerator with a grocery run this week. And last night, as I was forced to jazz up a salad and some leftover pasta with three-month old Kalamata olives, I got to thinking how cool it would be to come back from the weekend and fill up our pantry with nothing but dietary superfoods.  No chips, no ice cream, no frozen dinners, or pizzas, or canned fruits. Unfortunately, those foods serve as the nutritional foundation of my kids’ diets (Trust me, we’re not proud of it, and we’re patiently trying to rework this situation.). I can dream though, and in my dreams, my shopping list would look like the list below.

Full disclosure: This list came from my days working at Carmichael Training Systems and was developed by their staff Sports Dietitian, Alicia Kendig, RD, who, by the way, was recently recognized as one of the top sports nutritionist in the country by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Just follow Kendig’s daily serving suggestions for each food group, and you should get all the fiber, antioxidants, carbs, proteins, and fats you need for a 2,000 to 3,000 calorie/day diet. You don’t have to buy everything, just the foods you like and know you’ll eat.

GRAINS (6-10 Servings per day)
Bagels, whole grain
Cereal, whole grain
Couscous, whole grain
Crackers, whole grain (ie Triscuits)
Dinner rolls, whole wheat
English muffins, whole wheat
Graham crackers
Oatmeal, old fashioned
Pasta, whole wheat
Popcorn, individual size bag 94% fat free
Quinoa
Rice, brown
Rice, wild
Tortillas, whole wheat

DAIRY / EGGS (2 Servings per day)
Cheese, low fat (part skim)
Cheese, mozzerella, part skim shredded
Cottage cheese, low fat
Cream cheese, light
Eggs
Milk, skim
Sour cream, light
Yogurt, fat free 

VEGETABLES (4-5 Servings per day)
Asparagus
Baby carrots
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Garlic clove
Green beans, fresh
Mushroom
Onion
Potatoes, Yukon Gold
Red potatoes
Romaine lettuce
Spinach
Squash
Stewed tomatoes
Sweet potato
Tomatoes, cherry
Tomatoes, variety
Zucchini

FRUIT  (3-4 Servings per day)
Apple
Applesauce, unsweetened
Avocado
Banana
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Dried cranberries
Frozen peaches (or other frozen fruit)
Grapefruit
Grapes
Melon
Oranges
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Strawberries 

MEAT/FISH (2 Servings per day)
95%+ lean ground beef
Chicken breast
Deli turkey
Fish (Halibut, Salmon, Tuna, Tilapia)
Pork tenderloin
Turkey Bacon
Turkey, ground 

BEANS / NUTS / SEEDS (1 Serving per day)
Nuts(almonds,walnuts,pistachios,pecans)
Black beans
Flax seed, ground
Hummus
Trail mix 

READY TO EAT / OTHER (1-2 Servings per day)
Fig cookies, whole wheat
Guacamole
Light Cool Whip
Energy bar
Pretzels, no salt
Soup of choice, broth based

CONDIMENTS…KEEP ON HAND
100% fruit spread
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Ketchup
Light Italian dressing
Light Ranch dressing
Light salad dressing of choice
Marinade
Marinara sauce
Mustard
Natural peanut butter
Salsa
Smart Balance spread
Maple syrup