This Week’s Grocery Haul

I have been getting a bunch of questions about how I grocery shop: Do I go to one store? Multiple? Do I always go prepared with a list or do I just wing it? So, I decided to answer a lot of those questions in this post by showing you this week’s grocery haul.

I typically grocery shop once a week. I, most often, go to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or both. There are certain items that I only get at one or the other, so usually I end up making trips to both. I like to buy pantry staple items such as spices, oils, vinegars, grains, flours, etc at Trader Joe’s because the prices are great, so it is a good place to stock up on those types of items. I then buy all of my beef, poultry, and produce at Whole Foods because the quality is very high and they have the wide selection I often need.

(I always try to bring my own bags. They charge you 10 cents per bag now in LA…which is good for the environment, but bad for me if I forget to bring my own!)

I always go to the store with a list. I generally like to plan at least three dinners for that week and the rest of my list is comprised of staples I need to stock up on. I write my list in the Evernote App on my iPhone. I love making my list this way because I usually think about things I need to buy at random moments (like while I am daydreaming about food at work…shh!) and it’s a convenient place to keep track of everything since I typically always have my phone with me.

 

This week I only went to Trader Joe’s because I just had to restock on some staple items. This is what I bought:

Sweet Onions

Bananas: For Protein Pancakes and to snack on with yummy nut butter

Navel Oranges: I LOVE juicy California oranges. I usually eat them for a snack at work or for dessert after dinner.

Tarrazu Coffee: TJ’s has really good coffee! I love that you can grind your beans right there in the store. I started buying this Tarrazu coffee back in college and still love it! It is a medium- dark roast and very smooth!

Stevia: All-natural sweetener for my morning coffee

Haricot Verts and Shallots: To make a yummy side dish this week

Grapefruit and Avocado: This may sound like a weird combo, but these two ingredients actually make a DELICIOUS side salad

Tomato and Basil Hummus: I am not married to one particular kind of hummus – I am always trying new flavors.

Dried Mango Slices: These are for Travis. He loves the dried mango slices from Whole Foods, but ran out so I decided to buy these for him instead.

Cilantro

Empire Kosher White Ground Turkey: To make my Turkey Meatballs, of course. We made a big batch last night. I know I said I usually buy my poultry at Whole Foods, but this Empire Kosher Ground Turkey is fantastic. In fact, I really like all Empire products and I am very happy that Trader Joe’s carries it.

Chicken Broth Packets: These are a staple in my kitchen. It comes with 12 individual packets to make 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth, which is great when you’re in a pinch or only need a small amount.

Fage 0% Greek Yogurt, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and Frozen Blueberries: These are my breakfast staples and I use all of them to make my overnight oats for workday breakfasts.

Spinach: I love to keep a bag of spinach on hand to make salads with leftover chicken throughout the week.

Eggs, eggs, eggs: I buy three cartons a week. Travis and I plough through eggs. They go into protein pancakes, scrambled eggs, cookies, everything. I feel like we never have enough.

Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: This is an item I always go to TJ’s for. I am in love with these oats and I love that they come in such a big bag because Travis and I eat so many of them! I also have been on a major oatmeal kick this winter – I just love having something warm to start my day – so the more oats in the house the better!

Pink Lady Apples

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Of course, this is not the ONLY food I will eat this week – I want to stress that. There is lots more in our fridge that we already had and I didn’t show here.

Now, what about you?

Where do you love to grocery shop? What are staples in your kitchen?