The Must-Haves Food Shopping List

This shopping list is based on the USDA MyPyramid to ensure adequate amounts of a variety of nutrients are eaten every day.

Produce: Make room in your food budget to include these disease-fighting powerhouses. Buy produce on sale only if it looks fresh (supermarkets occasionally reduce prices on excess inventory of produce that is just past the ripe stage) unless you plan to eat it immediately. Choose a fruit or vegetable from several color groups—red, orange, green, purple—to ensure you are getting the widest range of nutrients possible. Note that some produce lasts longer than others: sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and apples keep longer than spinach, berries and bananas. Remember to quickly use produce with a shorter shelf life to reduce waste. Consider frozen fruits and vegetables if fresh produce is too expensive or if you tend to not use produce immediately; choose frozen fruits without added sugar and plain frozen vegetables without sauces high in salt and fat.

Whole Grains: Whole grains retain the outer layers of bran, germ and endosperm, which have naturally-occurring nutrients, disease-fighting phytonutrients and fiber. Examples are barley, bulgur, buckwheat, popcorn, millet, oats and oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, and rye. If you are new to whole grains, gradually introduce them. Serve air-popped popcorn with spray-on butter as a snack instead of potato chips, or enjoy a warm bowl of oatmeal instead of toast or cold cereal. Fill your flour jar with half whole wheat and half all-purpose white flour; whenever a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, use this blend instead. You won’t taste the difference! When preparing soups, casseroles or crock pot meals that simmer for at least an hour, add some uncooked brown rice, bulgur or barley. It will be tender and ready to eat when the meal finishes cooking.

High-Fiber Whole-Grain Breads, Cereals and Pasta: On the food labels, per serving, look for: 5 grams or more of dietary fiber, fewer than 200 mg sodium, and fewer than 10 grams sugar.

Low-Fat Dairy: Choose low-fat versions of milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt and cheese that are great sources of protein, calcium, vitamin D, potassium and B vitamins.

Lean Meats and Fish: Choose lean cuts of meat such as tenderloin, top sirloin and round. Buy skinless poultry breasts or thighs. When using ground meat such as turkey, check that it is least 94% lean. All cuts of fish are healthful, even the fattier varieties like salmon and mackerel that contain good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids. Canned salmon is an economical choice with a long shelf life: mix with low fat mayonnaise or plain yogurt, dill and cucumber for a delicious salmon salad.

Beans: Dried beans are less expensive and have less sodium than canned but require more preparation and cook time. Both offer similar amounts of protein, fiber, iron and potassium. If using canned beans, drain and rinse the beans in water to reduce sodium.

Peanut Butter: This is a classic low-cost nutritious spread that is shelf stable. It makes a filling sandwich or snack spread on whole grain bread, crackers or apple wedges.

Vegetable Oil: Olive and canola oils are unsaturated, heart-healthy fats. Olive oil tastes great drizzled on salads or pasta or blended into a pesto sauce. Use canola oil to sauté, stir-fry and bake.