This week’s post is all about food that I always have on and continue to repurchase.
Whenever I’m creating my grocery list I always start by checking my cabinets for what needs to be refilled/replaced. Then i create a list of the things i want to eat that week to see how they match up or anything else I need to buy. The majority of the meals I make have very similar ingredients that are versatile in almost any dish.
Potatoes
Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, French fries, wedges, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, yellow potatoes, potato soup, potato stew…. if it wasn’t obvious I L I V E for potatoes! Lol. I always have sweet potatoes & russet or yellow on hand. You can add a potato to literally any meal.
Fruit
I always keep bananas, plantains, avocados, at least one carton of fresh berries (whichever is on sale that week) and some times apples.
Greens
Spinach/Arugula mix for the base of my salads. Spinach alone, for curries, pastas or smoothies. Iceberg or romaine for burgers and wraps. Kale to keep me sane because nothing makes me happier than olive oily, crispy, salty kale in the morning!!
Frozen Section
Frozen broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mixed veggies & fruit for smoothies. Frozen veggies will save you an insane amount time and money. The best deals are here. *Pro tip: if you ever buy too much fresh produce & don’t finish it before it spoils, DO NOT throw it away, freeze it!*
Animal Protein
Chicken, Beef, Turkey & Pork chops. Chicken is usually chicken thighs and/or drumsticks or basically anything that’s on sale. This week I skipped on making anything and got a rotisserie chicken lol. Ground beef and/or turkey, always on deck. Can’t forget my pork chops. For fish I usually get salmon or shrimp from the frozen section. It’s probably not ideal to get frozen salmon but we ballin on a budget sis & Aldi sells a 2lb Wild-caught pack for 7.99!!
Cans
The best bang for your buck is here!! Beans/legumes (kidney, black or pinto, and chickpeas are my go-to), diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tuna and coconut milk!
Other Stuff…
I always get a variety pack of bell peppers & one or two green peppers. Mushrooms go with anything so i love to have these on hand. Carrots and celery last so long and are extremely cheap to bulk up any dish, you’d be a fool to leave these off your list.
So. Much. Garlic. & Onionz always! There’s really not much to say here, garlic and onions are the base of literally everything. Can’t forget it!!
~ This may seem like a lot to you, but I swear my grocery bills are usually $40-60 and last between 1.5 to 2 weeks. I rarely eat out so honestly I feel like this is a good deal. Keep in mind a lot of these items can stretch past two weeks, so you are not always repurchasing them. I usually don’t have to purchase all of these things at once for this reason. I keep my list flexible & I always chase a sale!! Some weeks your budget may be tighter than others and there’s always a way to make it work. These are just the things that I like to keep in my fridge/pantry so hopefully this inspired you!
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