What are you buying at the grocery store?

Do you plan out what you need for the week?
Do you have staples you just buy and make what you can from what you have?
Are you buying some shortcut foods - like bags of precut & washed veggies?
Do you buy whole chickens, boneless chicken breasts, or pre-cooked chicken?

Just wondering what other people do because I feel like I waste too much food, especially when it needs more prep work. And we end up eating out a lot...need some tips!

Re: What are you buying at the grocery store?

fresh ( never the frozen bagged kind) shrimp, chicken breast and whole chicken, or whatever meat/seafood is on sale. yogurts for DH and I for breakfast during the week, eggs, cold cuts


for shortcuts i usually buy chopped peppers. with the peppers I can make quick omelettes or i throw the peppers in the cauliflower stir fry and complete the meal with grilled chicken or shrimp. entire meal takes 15 min to cook with 30 second prep time --salt pepper oregano and garlic seasoning for the protein. while its cooking i quickly wash any utensils and dishes i used for prep.

i live across the street from fairway so Im there VERY often ( 5x a week ) I still manage to toss things because we dont have a structured schedule. We dont make appointments or plans with friends ahead of time EVER. That contributes to a bunch of wasted food. We meet with friends spontaneously and sometimes food ends up sitting in the fridge past exp. date.

What are you buying at the grocery store?

I keep s running last of staples we need throughout the week (spices,oatmeal, etc). Then before I shop I use the circular to add to my list. Based on whatever protein and produce is on sale I make a meal plan. I make sure busy days will be easy meals, helps me portion out servings if I'm relying on leftovers for another night. This system really cuts down on waste for me and we very rarely do take out. For lunches most weeks i make mason jar salads for lunches for a few days which is helpful too.

I but organic spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, and broccoli every week for the salads. I stock up on dressing when it's on sale. I get chicken breast to grill for them.

For dinners I get ground beef, Italian sausage, pork chops, chicken (breast, whole, bone in depending on sales), steak on occasion and fish I'm lucky to get fresh from family that catch it themselves. Sides depend on what's on sale but we do a lot of green beans, peas, and broccoli. I stock up on frozen brown rice during sales and get gluten free pasta by the case from amazon along with k cups and granola bars.

Other weekly staples are usually eggs, cheese, yogurt.

Re: What are you buying at the grocery store?

Posted by luvbuffet

fresh ( never the frozen bagged kind) shrimp, chicken breast and whole chicken, or whatever meat/seafood is on sale. yogurts for DH and I for breakfast during the week, eggs, cold cuts


for shortcuts i usually buy chopped peppers. with the peppers I can make quick omelettes or i throw the peppers in the cauliflower stir fry and complete the meal with grilled chicken or shrimp. entire meal takes 15 min to cook with 30 second prep time --salt pepper oregano and garlic seasoning for the protein. while its cooking i quickly wash any utensils and dishes i used for prep.

i live across the street from fairway so Im there VERY often ( 5x a week ) I still manage to toss things because we dont have a structured schedule. We dont make appointments or plans with friends ahead of time EVER. That contributes to a bunch of wasted food. We meet with friends spontaneously and sometimes food ends up sitting in the fridge past exp. date.

Re: What are you buying at the grocery store?

I figure out how many dinners, lunches, and snacks I need; I want to start doing that with breakfasts too.

I meal plan in my head at the store. As far as what we buy, it varies. I wish I had the motivation to make fresh lunches, but I just don't...and I don't really like cold cuts. I get pre-made salads and Weight Watches/Lean Cuisine/Healthy Choice. Once in awhile, I will eat a turkey sandwich.

For dinner, it varies immensely. We like all different types of meat and seafood. For sides, I buy fresh vegetables, rice, or pasta for the most part.

As far as pre-made food, I don't buy much of it for dinner. I make my own tomato sauce, but I do buy salad dressings, barbecue sauce, etc., that are pre-made. Once in awhile, we will get a frozen pizza or something if DH is heating up dinner. I have bought the chicken that is already seasoned a couple of times.

Every time I go to the grocery store, I make sure to get one ingredient that I've never tried before--whether it is a spice, sauce, some sort of vegetable, etc.--just to keep my recipes fresh.

I don't think we've ever had to throw meat/seafood out because it went bad. Maybe once a month or once every other month, we will have a vegetable go bad before we can use it.

My friends and I are also big planners, so I generally know at least a week or two in advance when I am going out and when I will be home. DH's friends are more last minute; however, if he goes out, I will make the dinner that I was going to make and save the rest for lunch. We rarely have last minute plans together; those plans are usually planned.

Re: What are you buying at the grocery store?

Do you plan out what you need for the week?

During the school year, I do. I pick 3 recipes and prep them on Sunday. I then do 1-2 quick dinners the other days or leftovers.

Do you have staples you just buy and make what you can from what you have?

I always have stuff to make our favorites: pizza, quesadillas, chili, meatballs, etc.

Are you buying some shortcut foods - like bags of precut & washed veggies?

No, we peel and cut everything. It's a pita, but a money saver. DH and I chop veggies/fruit together. I grill chicken breasts on the grill on Sunday night and that's what we have for lunch.

Do you buy whole chickens, boneless chicken breasts, or pre-cooked chicken?

Boneless chicken breasts that I butterfly and then cook.

Just wondering what other people do because I feel like I waste too much food, especially when it needs more prep work. And we end up eating out a lot...need some tips!

We rarely eat out and rarely throw away food - maybe once a month, I overbuy a veggie and we need to throw it out.

Re: What are you buying at the grocery store?

I buy the same stuff most of the time.
Meat in Bulk at BJs
A lot of chicken breast, boneless, skinless thighs, ground beef, ground turkey & pork chops (this stuff usually lasts me 2 months or so)

Stop & shop I buy a ton of frozen veggies

Shoprite, I grab tons of canned stuff, tuna pouches, couscous, condiments, etc.


Then, every Monday, I make a list for that weeks shopping
It's always Bread, Milk, Eggs, Light Cream (For DH coffee), fresh veggies and fruit. I also grab a roast chicken each week.

I then decide on what I'm cooking that week. Take out appropriate meats from freezer and thaw in the fridge each day.

As sales pop up, paired with my manufacturers coupons, I'll buy stock up items.
Cereal, canned soup, etc.

We hardly have leftovers because DH and I are big eaters. Since I've been learning how to portion myself better, I just make less. Instead of 6 pork chops for dinner, I make 4. He eats 2, I eat 1 and we have one leftover for lunch or to top a salad with during the week.

if I buy too many veggies and they re starting to wilt, I just cook them and freeze them for future use. Stir fry, in an omelette, etc.

What are you buying at the grocery store?

I meal plan all 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. I buy and portion out foods and I rarely buy a shortcut because the price is crazy! The only time I always do this is pineapple. I HATE cutting them up and I have tools for it too lol.
When I make dinner I make enough for dh to have lunches or me for work. School lunches are planned out so I know who is buying and who is taking from home. Often I'll make a big batch of something and use that during the week. I buy on sale when I can and we freeze a lot of meats. We do have waste, but not as much as before. I used to be very strict but since our budget is a bit better I add in take out every 2wks and that helps a lot. I also get my kids involved.

Re: What are you buying at the grocery store?

I try to meal plan for at least 3-4 dinners a week, give or take. We are only a family of 3, so we can make use of leftovers, and we will typically have a night or two in any given week where we are eating out (because of a party, social plans, family gathering).

I don't meal plan breakfasts or lunches.

My DH mostly buys lunch at work and my DS buys lunch at school. I eat leftovers for lunches or utilize basics on hand for my lunches (salad ingredients, sandwiches, etc.).

For breakfasts, I just keep basics on hand -- eggs, bread, oatmeal, homemade frozen pancakes for DS, yogurt, fruit. And then there's always something to have.

I try to keep a well-stocked pantry with baking supplies, oils/vinegars, condiments, spices, pastas/grains, canned goods. I always have some basics in the freezer, too (frozen veggies/fruit, chicken nuggets for DS, frozen burgers in the summer that we can throw on the grill). I try to always have basics like eggs, milk, and bread in the house.

So when I grocery shop, it's mostly to get fresh produce, meats/seafood, and fill in pantry items I need to replenish or items that we use a lot (eggs, milk, bread) and therefore need to restock weekly.

I don't buy much processed food but will sometimes take shortcuts with buying pre-cut items (like butternut squash or spiralized fresh zucchini) and I often by things like already cleaned shrimp or boneless, skinless chicken (versus doing that work myself). I also sometimes buy individually packaged items (like 100 cal pack of wholly guacamole or snack sized bags of goldfish or pretzels for my son's lunch). I think it's better and less wasteful to buy the shortcut than be a purist and then throw stuff out because you don't have the energy to prepare it or (with the guacamole) won't use an entire container before it goes bad.

I try to only buy what I need for recipes I'm making or stuff I know we'll use, but sometimes I do still overbuy stuff like fruit, lettuce, etc. and wind up throwing it out.

Once in awhile - often before a vacation or big holiday - I try to make space in the fridge/freezer and use up a lot of what we have there and in the pantry. It's a challenge, but sometimes I'm surprised at how much I can make with what we have on hand.

I think it helps to have some "kitchen sink" ideas - salads, egg dishes, pasta dishes, etc. -- that are a good vehicle to use up bits and pieces of what you have. For example, I will sometimes make a baked frittata to use up a handful of cherry tomatoes and some bits of cheese I have left and you can add in fresh herbs that aren't going to last. Then, I can eat that for breakfast or even lunch or dinner.

Re: What are you buying at the grocery store?

Do you plan out what you need for the week?

Yes, i look ay recipes see what ingredients i have and try to do one chicken, one fish, one pasta, one ground meat and use leftovers

Do you have staples you just buy and make what you can from what you have?

Yes i have staples but those are things like milk, yogurt, canned beans, pasta, quinoa

Are you buying some shortcut foods - like bags of precut & washed veggies?

A shortcut for me is canned soup or frozen veggie burgers. A shortcut meal is tacos or grilled chicken, baked potato in microwave and bagged salad. I dont do shortcuts for veggies or fruits except frozen.

Do you buy whole chickens, boneless chicken breasts, or pre-cooked chicken?

Never precooked chicken.