Grocery Planning for One
Grocery planning for one when eating at home you need a strategic plan. Let’s walk through making the list and putting it all away!
Grocery planning for one is super simple if you let it be! Most articles you read about planning a shopping trip for one are all based on being on a budget — and I’m all for budgeting!
But, this post isn’t about that. It’s about creating your grocery list from the meal plan you made.
When you’re making a meal plan and needing it to be super flexible, your grocery list should be too!
Let’s go over what you should be buying each week and how to store it.
(I promise this isn’t an organizational post! You’ll learn I have a very loose term of storing food!)
When grocery planning for one you need an Always List.
The list of items you must have in your kitchen, ready to go at all times.
Here’s the typical lineup:
- Chicken
- Salmon
- Frozen Raw Shrimp
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Onions
- Lemons
- Gotham Greens
- Baguette
- Assorted Cheeses
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Granola
- Wine
On the flip side of the Always List is your inventory.
I keep running lists on my phone of what I have in the fridge and the freezer.
Now, shopping through the store, that’s on you! Get your buggy, fill it up with what you need, and bring it on home.
Alright now, I’m going to take you through how I put away all my groceries.
Since we’re grocery planning for one, it’s not a lot of groceries to put away. But, I like to start with a clean kitchen, with cleaned-off countertops.
Take your groceries out, and put them away. Simple, right?!
Gift your future self some pre-chop vegetables, washed fruit, and ready-to-go proteins.
Take a few extra minutes and assemble items into meal kits.
In my fridge, I keep veggies in one drawer, cheese in another.
In one bin, I keep items that are used for easier meal prep later in the week…
This holds sour cream, ranch dressing, things I grab often: green onions, cucumbers, pulled chicken. The things I reach for most often for lunch or when I’m in a hurry.
I have a very small kitchen, so I have a pantry shelf that holds canned goods, and other non-perishables. I have different bins that hold Italian items or Asian items. That way, when I’m cooking a certain item I just reach in the right bin and grab what I need.
Whatever system works best in your home is what will help keep you cooking at home!
