Although at first thought, it might seem like grocery shopping should be one of the easier things in life, but for most, it is not. Especially while on a budget or shopping for 1, grocery planning is always a simple task. Being on a budget does not mean that you have to shop at budget stores necessarily (unless you want to), but it will mean that you will need to view minimizing variety as a primary objective. If you are an individual shopping for one, there are a few guidelines you can follow.
Grocery Shop Weekly, and not bi-weekly or monthly. By grocery shopping weekly, you will be able to ensure that you minimize food waste. You will also be able to save by getting a more limited selection of grocery items.
Buy food that you can make in one skillet. Having a small skillet is one of the most essential kitchen tools you can own as individual cooking for one.
Don't over plan - you can always go to the store to pick up more items or order online if you run out of food, but the mistake most make is over-planning. Over-planning can lead to veggies going to waste, yogurt expiring before you can eat it, and your tastes/preferences changing before you use up all of your food for the week.
(Please note: this grocery haul is being shown as an example. You can of course use this as inspiration, and then swap items for items you might prefer more. For example, you might want to grab yogurt over cottage cheese, or chicken thighs over ground beef with organs. Although I bought my items at Whole Foods, you can find these items at most other grocery stores, they just might be under different brand names and might slightly differ in various ways. )
Total grocery cost: $63.42 (prices for these items in total might differ for you based on location and exchange rate, and some items might be on sale but this was the total for my grocery items - some items were on sale.)
Items pictured: 2 packets of grass fed ancestral beef blend, one Applegate turkey sausage, super greens, organic cooked beets, butternut squash, oil-free organic hash-browns, 3 small Japanese sweet potatoes, 4 honey crisp apples, 4 strawberry cottage cheese cups, organic half and half, and tangerine juice.
For this beef, I will be cooking both packets in a skillet with a little bit of coconut oil (already on hand) and adding salt + spices. For the greens, I will be adding a small amount into my skillet lunches and dinners. I purchases already cooked beets because they are much more convenient, and they can be chopped up and added into skillet meals with butternut squash and potatoes if needed.
Instead of eggs this week, I decided to grab turkey sausage. I will be fixing this in a skillet and adding hash browns, and then having a collagen latte afterwards for extra protein (I order collagen monthly and always have it on hand for meal additions).
Cottage cheese makes for a great snack, and while I could save a little bit by buying a large container and scooping each serving individually, the cups are worth the cost to me for a few reasons. It's easier to see how much protein I am getting with each cup, and they are easy on the go as well. Sometimes, I will add a small piece of dark chocolate with the strawberry flavor.
These hash browns are easy, delicious, and a great addition to breakfast, and if needed, a quick addition that can be mixed in with beef as well for lunch or dinner.
You might be noticing a pattern with pre-chopped items, but that is because when you are cooking for one, simplicity is key. Both beets and butternut squash are not easy to cook quickly, and buying these pre-packaged options are worth it in my opinion.
For a mid-day snack, this tangerine juice, mixed with half and half and collagen is such a delicious treat. I typically have this energizing drink about an hour after lunch, or around 3 in the afternoon.
We are about to enter fall, which means that honey crisp apples are back and more affordable than ever! Once you try this type of apple, you might not ever grab a gala or fuji apple again. These are great eaten fresh (with beef as a snack, for example), or even sautéed with butter and cream, and topped with cinnamon for a post dinner dessert.
Instead of getting several different kinds of veggies, I stuck to what you saw above (butternut squash, beets, greens, golden potato hash browns), and I also decided to grab three small Japanese sweet potatoes. Because of their size and length, these are very easy to cut lengthwise and air fry to create "fries" that can go with ground beef (or your meat of choice) for dinner. You also can chop these up and cook them directly in a skillet. If you have not yet tried this variety of sweet potato, you're in for a fun surprise! These are delicious with some grass feb butter on the side (butter is a staple I keep on hand monthly, just like collagen), and they pair well with all proteins.
