Tips For Grocery Shopping

If you've started meal prepping or are trying to start some new healthy eating habits, you might be wondering how you can make it even easier by learning how to build the best grocery list for yourself.

Having a great shopping list can help you to save time and money when you make a trip to the supermarket - the key is just a bit of planning before you go! Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Plan your meals for the week

Before you go to the shops, take some time to plan your meals and create a list of the ingredients you need. This will make it much easier once you get inside the supermarket and will reduce your number of shopping trips each week. 

If you're new to planning your meals, it can help to start by planning a few days at a time and doing 2-3 smaller shops each week until you feel confident planning and shopping for a week of meals.

2. Section your list

Once you've got your list of things you need, make it even easier for yourself by breaking up your list according to the different sections in your supermarket. For example grains, dairy, meat, fruit and veggies and dry foods.

When you get into the supermarket, you'll be able to quickly check off your items from each section instead of going back and forth. It also can save you a lot of time from knowing which aisles you don't even need to look at. 

3. Avoid going to the supermarket hungry

Going to the supermarket when you're feeling hungry can make everything look delicious, even foods you wouldn't normally be interested in. This can make it easier to overspend or buy things you don't need. 

If you're someone who tends to overbuy at the supermarket, try going after you've had a meal or snack to make it easier to stick to your list. 

4. Make sure your list includes FLAVOUR!

For me, food has to be tasty. Healthy eating doesn't have to be bland or boring! Make sure you pick meals you will enjoy eating, and use seasonings like herbs, spices and lemon to add flavour if you're not sure where to start.

5. Find a balance that works for you

While you're probably not going to feel your best if you fill your trolley with snack foods and soft drinks, never having any treats isn't sustainable (or fun) for most people either - myself included! With eating well, what you do most of the time is more important than what you do sometimes. Experiment and find a balance that works for you.

Sample grocery shopping list

Below is an example of how you could write your grocery list with different categories. Feel free to print this one out or make a similar version on your phone and add your own ingredients to it!

I hope you girls have got some inspiration from this post, I would love to see a photo of your grocery baskets! Upload them and tag me on Instagram!