Heading to the grocery store for many adults is like going to Disney Land for children; a haven full of colors, appetizing products, and so many tempting choices waiting to be stacked in our shopping carts and welcomed into our kitchens. But more often than not, a trip to the grocery store is just aimless stares at supermarket aisles, wondering what we need to buy. Next thing you know, you are stacking up on useless pancake mix, bags of sour cream and chives chips that kept calling your name, gummy worms to avoid your kids’ sudden melodramatic tantrums, and you miss out on all the essentials you actually needed.
Grocery shopping is a constant battle between getting too much groceries or not enough to last for the rest of the week. But you no longer have to suffer buying groceries for your house. Whether you like to stick to a certain budget or enjoy indulging in occasional shopping splurge from time to time, we gathered up a groceries checklist every household should have.
1. Bread:
Bread is the most essential item in every household. Bread is perfect for sandwiches, alongside meals or your favorite dips. Be it soft bread or baguette, baladi, or buns, ciabatta or sourdough, wholegrain or gluten-free, bread is wholesome, tasty, and never disappoints. Choose wholewheat or gluten-free bread to get more healthy fiber in your diet.
2. Dairy & Eggs:
Dairy and eggs is a fundamental category on every grocery shopping list. Eggs are loaded with high quality protein, vitamins, and minerals which makes them perfect for a hearty breakfast or a lunch. A universal companion to your cereals and hot drinks, milk provides essential nutrients including calcium, potassium and vitamin D. For lactose intolerant people, almond, soy, and coconut milks are great alternatives that include vitamins E, D and omega 3 fatty acids.
Cheese is a delicious produce that pairs well with dips, and works perfectly over pasta, as a sandwich filler, or as a topping that compliments your favorite dishes. Yoghurt is a super light source of protein that can be mixed with fruits, honey, chia seeds, perfect to create a light and tasty dessert, or an overnight colorful breakfast parfait. Breadfast recommends eating dairy products in moderation to avoid bloating and indigestion from occurring.
3. Meats:
No grocery shopping spree is complete without adding the meats your family loves to consume on a regular basis. When shopping for meats for your family, opt for skinless white meats like turkey and chicken breasts as they are easier to cook and contain low amounts of saturated fat compared to red meat.
If red meat is a family favorite, always choose the leanest red meat cuts that are tender to the taste and have more flavor. Although not the healthiest option, ground beef is a quick and affordable solution to incorporate in your daily dishes.
4. Pasta and Rice:
Pasta and rice are two pantry essentials no household can live without. Other than being quick and easy to cook, they work as a great side or main dish and can fill you up during lunch and dinner.
5. Produce:
Onions and garlic are staple vegetables that complement our everyday homemade dishes and make them tastier. Aside from adding flavors, these vegetables are available all year long and can last for a long time if kept in cool temperature. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, rule of thumb is to always go for seasonal produce and look for the benefits in the colors. Red, blue and purple fruits, for example, are rich in antioxidants and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, and memory problems.
Yellow-to-orange fruits and vegetables are packed with potassium, vitamin C, and help improve your immunity system, strengthen your vision, lower your risk of heart disease and include beta-carotene which your body uses to create vitamin A. Green fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, folic acid, vitamins A, C, E, and K, and potassium, which help protect your bones, regulate your digestion and support lung and vision health. Leafy vegetables like cabbage, arugula, lettuce and spinach contain fiber, chlorophyll and isothiocyanates which reduce toxins in the liver.
6. Condiments:
Condiments provide taste, aroma, and flavor to all our dishes. Stock up on sea salt, pepper, Mediterranean herbs and spices like oregano and basil, and Eastern spices like coriander and cumin to use in our Middle Eastern dishes. Stock cubes are also necessary to add flavor to classic dishes or to make tasty soups. When choosing condiments with your groceries, always go for the simple choices and avoid dressings or spices with high sodium intake.
7. Pantry products:
When shopping for your pantry, always look for the prime ingredients and the products that you use on a regular basis. On your next grocery store visit, stack up on pantry essentials like honey, cooking oil, tomato paste, vinegar, baking goods like flour, sugar, and baking soda, canned goods like kidney beans, and corn, wholesome seeds like almonds, walnuts, cashews, and chia seeds, and healthy grains like oats, granola bars, and breakfast cereals.
Having a well-planned grocery shopping checklist helps you stick to your essentials, avoid overspend, and saves you time and energy every time you hit the supermarket. If you dread those time-consuming supermarket visits with never-ending queues, or looking for a fast, smooth, and convenient way to shop for your groceries, there’s Breadfast. From bread, meats, dairy, all the way to pantry products and fresh produce, shop everything you need now from the ‘Grocery Shopping Collection’ on the Breadfast app and get all your grocery essentials right to your doorstep.
