Healthy Grocery List: 50+ Foods to Always Keep in Your Kitchen

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If you are wanting to eat healthy, having a healthy grocery list for your trip to the store is an absolute must. I know that it’s obvious, but it’s usually the simple and mundane things in life that keep us organized and on track with our goals. When it comes to my healthy grocery list, I try to add as many nutrient dense foods as the foundation to eat healthy, but I also like to keep it balanced with things I enjoy (ice cream is always stocked in my freezer).

There is a quote by James Clear that says ‘you do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems’. This is so true when it comes to eating healthy consistently.

Sticking to a list each week and having staples already in your home makes eating healthy so much easier to stick to. If you view eating healthy like a system that you can build and operate by rather than something you need to figure out last minute, then building healthy meals can be easy and something you do more consistently. Start small and over time you will strengthen the muscle of building healthy meals for yourself if you’re new to this!

Produce

• Fresh Fruit: strawberries blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, watermelon, kiwi, nectarines, pineapple, plums, peaches, cherries, citrus, papaya
• Frozen Fruit: berries, pineapple, mango, banana, papaya
• Fresh Vegetables: leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, garlic, beets, potatoes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, celery, carrots, mushroom, zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli sprouts

Tip: Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen at peak ripeness so they can sometimes be a more practical and budget friendly option.

Meat and Seafood

• Poultry: ground chicken, chicken thighs or breasts, ground turkey, turkey bacon
• Red Meat: ground beef, steak, pork chops, ground lamb, ground bison, ground venison
• Seafood: salmon, cod, shrimp, scallops, anchovies, sardines, trout, canned tuna
• Plant-based options: tofu, tempeh, bean burgers, protein powders

Tip: Look for sales on meat and seafood. You can always stock up and freeze them for later. It’s always good to have protein on hand to build healthy meals. If you’re looking for more balanced meal ideas, check out my blog here with healthy balanced meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Dairy and Eggs

• Grass-fed milk
• Cottage cheese
• Yogurt / Skyr (plain)
• Grass-fed butter
• Ghee
• Pastured eggs
• Cheeses
• Sour cream
• Dairy free coconut yogurt
• Alternative milks like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk or cashew milk

Tip: Look for grass-fed dairy products when possible and choose unsweetened products like yogurts and dairy free milks. You can always add your own sweeteners at home like honey or maple syrup to control the amount of sugar in the foods that you are eating. For example, I buy unsweetened soy milk for my coffee, but I usually add a little bit of coconut sugar or maple syrup to it.

Whole Grains, Legumes, Nuts & Seeds

• Whole grain products: Sprouted grain bread, whole wheat bread, sourdough, sprouted English muffins, tortillas,
• Grains: rice, quinoa, wild rice, buckwheat, organic oats
• Legumes: black beans, chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, white beans
• Gluten free: chickpea pastas, gluten free bread, gluten free tortillas, lentil pastas
• Nuts & Seeds: almonds, pecans, walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds

Tip: Buy canned items for convenience and time, but if you have time and want to save extra money, buy from the bulk section.

Spices and Herbs

• Spices: Nutritional yeast, everything but the bagel seasoning, paleo sprouts bran seasoning, sea salt/pink salt, black pepper, cinnamon, pumpkin spice seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, cumin,
• Herbs: parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, sage, chives

Condiments, Oils, Vinegars

• Condiments: sugar free ketchup (Primal Kitchen brand), avocado mayonnaise, soy sauce, coconut aminos, hot sauce (yellow bird brand), pesto, salsa
• Oils: extra virgin olive oil (my favorite brand), avocado oil, sesame oil, coconut oil
• Vinegars: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, champagne vinegar
• Others: tahini, honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar, hummus, tomato paste, pasta sauce, bone broth, guacamole, sun dried tomatoes, olives, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled onions

Tip: Try making your own salad dressings. You can control what is in them, flavor them to your liking and have a lot more variety at home. They can be simple and taste great.

Frozen Foods

• Frozen Grain Products: whole grain waffles (I like the sprouts brand), gluten free biscuits (capello’s brand), gluten free tortillas (siete brand), gluten free waffles (birch benders brand)
• Frozen Fruits and Vegetables: edamame, broccoli, medleys, berries, bananas, pineapple, green peas, sweet corn, acai packets
• Frozen Fish: cod, salmon, shrimp, trout
• Frozen Meat: pre-made turkey burgers, pre-made chicken meatballs, bean burgers

Baking Supplies

• Flours: Almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flours, organic white flour, einkorn flour, oat flour
• Extras: chocolate chips (enjoy life brand), coconut flakes, vanilla extract, canned pumpkin, canned coconut milk, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, collagen powder

Drinks

• Cold brew coffee (chameleon brand), spindrift sparking water, organic orange juice, coconut water, herbal teas, alternative milks, matcha, unsweetened ice teas, green drinks

Healthy Snacks & Extras

• Snacks: Gluten free crackers, meat sticks, Justin PB cups, Unreal brand candy, lesser evil popcorn, dark chocolate (I love Hu brand), dried fruits, banana chips, granola bars
• Extras: granola, cereal, protein bars like macro bars, IQ protein bars or perfect bars, mid day square bars, trail mix, medjool dates, raisons

Other Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping

• Always write a grocery list: this always helps keep me on track both with my desire to eat healthy but also with my budget. The more I go off of my list, the more times I tend to buy things I don’t need or will eat.
• Check labels: I always read labels to make sure I am not buying items with a lot of added sugar and preservatives. There are so many options these days, so check labels and buy things with whole foods you can actually pronounce.
• Buy in bulk when you can: it’s cheaper and if you know the staples that you always use, it’s more efficient to keep them on hand and make grocery shopping more affordable in the long run.
• Look for deals: don’t be married to any brand. Yes, have your preferences, but always look for sales on staples and extras to save here and there. Check prices on the tags to see how much you are actually paying by weight.
• Don’t shop when you’re hungry: sounds silly, but it’s so true. I buy things I don’t need when I shop hungry and I also don’t enjoy my shopping experience either.
• Shop with protein, carbs and fat in mind: I do this mentally to build meals while I shop. It may be a learned habit, but it’s worth trying if you’re new to eating healthy and want to build healthy meals. Download my free guide here if you want more guidance on this.
• Start small and slow: if you consider yourself a beginner when it comes healthy eating, start with one or two meal ideas that you can build around. Maybe start with one healthy breakfast or dinner idea and build off of that. Be patient with yourself. Learning to eat healthy can take time and you’re less likely to burn yourself out if you start slow and build healthy habits over time.
• Shop at farmers markets: find local farmers markets near you. They tend to have locally and seasonally grown produce. I am all about supporting local farmers and businesses. You can find some in your area here.

Final Thoughts: How to Build a Healthy Grocery List

If you’re are looking for a beginner friendly healthy eating grocery list, I’ve got you covered with all of the basics. Eating healthy can feel overwhelming, but if you start with the basics of purchasing the raw ingredients for healthy meals, then building healthy meals can be easy, simple and most importantly: taste good too. Enjoy and happy shopping!