What A Food Blogger Buys At The Grocery Store


What A Food Blogger Buys At The Grocery Store

I know what you’re thinking, I’m a food blogger who predominately makes desserts yet this is a relatively healthy grocery shopping list…? Truth is, majority of the dessert ingredients aren’t purchased on my weekly grocery store visit. They usually have longer shelf-lives & can be bought in bulk (for much cheaper) which is how I purchase them. So while this all seems super healthy & fresh, keep in mind my pantry is packed with flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, chocolate chips, & more sprinkles than an ice cream shop. We’ll save pantry details for another post but in the meantime, below is what I buy at the grocery store on a weekly basis. Being currently based in Chicago I typically visit: Jewel-Osco which is great for more affordable packaged items, Mariano’s which has the BEST hot bar, Whole Foods for produce/drinks, & Trader Joe’s for lots of miscellaneous stuff.

Meat to buy at the grocery store

Dairy/Meat:

-Eggs: I use these a TON for baking & a little when I’m trying to be healthy/have a boring breakfast…

-Ground Turkey Breast: I’ll either make turkey burgers or sautée this with some veggies for again, a healthier meal option.

-Raclette Cheese: This might be the most important item on the list. My sister got me a mini raclette maker (you know that melty cheese that’s all over Instagram?) & it was honestly the most fun I’ve had in the kitchen in a loooong time. It tastes so good over any type of meat (especially prosciutto) & potatoes. FYI, Whole Foods typically sells Raclette.

-Chicken Sausage: I usually toss these into eggs for some added flavor or will eat one as a snack if I’m super hungry in between meals.

Fruit to buy at the grocery store

Fruit:

-Cherries: This one is super interchangeable as I typically go for whatever is in season/seems the freshest at the store. These cherries are much lighter than the ones I typically get but they were super tasty. Other favorite fruits are pineapple, all berries, & purple grapes.

-Bananas: I buy a TON of bananas each week & let them get brown as they’re better that way for smoothies, healthy ice cream, & banana bread.

-Apples: Pink lady apples are my faaavorite for both a snack & adding into tuna fish salad. I know it sounds weird but I love chopping up 1/2 an apple into tuna!

-Lemons: I try to drink lemon water each day to help detox & personally I love the taste of it. It’s also great drizzled over tuna fish salad, veggies, & more.

Vegetables to buy at the grocery store

Veggies:

-Sweet Potatoes: Honestly sweet potatoes might be my favorite food EVER. I usually buy at least 4 a week & eat them with eggs, tuna salad, on their own, etc. I just slice them & season with garlic or onion powder & bake ’em at 375F until they start to get crispy.

-Dill: Another favorite on the list, dill is my favorite to season foods with. If you’re in the Chicago suburbs or Cleveland you must check out the sour cream & dill sauce from Heinens. It’s SO good especially with Baked Lays (I know, so random but trust me on this one…).

Avocado: Just your basic girl over here buying all the avocados in site… But seriously I love a good avocado toast as much as the other Instagrammers. It’s also super good in salads, with eggs (see how I try to put anything & everything into my eggs?!), in quinoa bowls, etc.

-Veggie Noodles: These are such a great, healthy alternative to pasta & are also great chopped up in veggie or turkey burgers. I make a ton of these recipes as you can see: here.

Drinks to buy at the grocery store

Drinks:

-Real Good Juice: Most Whole Foods in Chicago have RGJ drinks within their stores but RGJ also has quite a few free standing shops. I loooove their drinks & make sure to grab a few each week. They’re worth every penny.

-Kombucha: I recently tried Kombucha & am now obsessed. The ginger flavor is honestly the only one I drink but it’s loaded with probiotics & tastes amazing.

-Almond Milk: I don’t drink almond milk or any milk for that matter typically but I use a ton of almond milk when baking. It’s a healthier alternative to regular milk, does the same thing when you bake with it, & Califia Farms is one of my favorite brands to purchase.

random things to buy at the grocery store

Miscellaneous:

-Skinny Souping: This is one of my favorite brands EVER. They make delicious soups with just a few, all natural, real ingredients & they taste so great. Plus you just pop ’em in the microwave for a minute or two & you’re meal is done! The sweet corn macadamia is my go-to.

-Tuna Fish: If you didn’t catch on earlier in this post, I eat a lot of tuna fish salad. I always get the low salt or no salt added & mix it with craisins, celery, a pink lady apple, fresh dill, & vegan mayo (NuCo makes a great option).

-Carob Chips: I add these to smoothies, ice cream, etc. as they’re a healthier alternative to chocolate chips & taste so good!