Making a shopping list will help you in two ways. It will remind you to look for the nutritious foods you should be eating, and it will make it easier to stick to your food budget. Be sure to include the items you need for your menus and any low-calorie basics you need to restock in your kitchen. This sample shopping list from www.health.gov [1] includes a variety of healthy foods for you to look for. You can make a blank copy of these pages to use when you shop, or use this list as a basis for making your own shopping list. Of course, you won’t need everything listed here every time you shop, but this will help you remember what you need to buy.

Dairy Case

• Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk
• Low-fat or reduced fat cottage cheese
• Fat-free cottage cheese
• Low-fat or reduced fat cheeses
• Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
• Light or diet margarine (tub, squeeze, or spray)
• Fat-free or reduced fat sour cream
• Fat-free cream cheese
• Eggs/egg substitute

Breads, Muffins, and Rolls

• Bread, bagels, or pita bread
• English muffins
• Yeast breads (whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel, multi-grain, or raisin)
• Corn tortillas (not fried)
• Low-fat flour tortillas
• Rice crackers

Cereals, Crackers, Rice, Noodles, and Pasta

• Plain cereal, dry or cooked
• Saltines, soda crackers (low-sodium or unsalted tops)
• Graham crackers
• Other low-fat crackers
• Rice (brown, white, etc.)
• Pasta (noodles, spaghetti)
• Bulgur, couscous, or kasha
• Wheat mixes
• Tabouli grain salad
• Hominy
• Polenta
• Polvillo
• Hominy grits
• Quinoa
• Millet
• Aramanth
• Oatmeal

Vegetables (fresh, canned, and frozen)

Fresh Vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Peas
• Corn
• Cauliflower
• Squash
• Green beans
• Green leafy vegetables
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Artichokes
• Cucumber
• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Carrots or celery
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Green peppers
• Chiles

Canned Vegetables
(low-sodium or no-salt-added):

• Canned tomatoes
• Tomato sauce or pasta
• Other canned vegetables
• Canned vegetable soup, reduced sodium

Frozen Vegetables
(without added fats):

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Mixed medley, etc.

Other Fresh Vegetables:

• Okra
• Eggplant
• Grape leaves
• Mustard greens
• Kale
• Leeks
• Bamboo shoots
• Chinese celery
• Bok choy
• Napa cabbage
• Seaweed
• Rhubarb

Meat Case

• White meat chicken and turkey (skin off)
• Fish (not battered)
• Beef, round or sirloin
• Extra lean ground beef such as ground round
• Pork tenderloin

Meat Equivalents:

• Tofu (or bean curd)
• Beans (see bean list)
• Eggs/egg substitutes (see dairy list)

Fruit (fresh, canned, and frozen)

Fresh Fruit:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Oranges
• Pears
• Grapes
• Grapefruit
• Apricots
• Dried Fruits
• Cherries
• Plums
• Melons
• Lemons
• Limes
• Plantains
• Mangoes

Other Fresh Fruit:

• Kiwi
• Olives
• Figs
• Quinces
• Currants
• Persimmons
• Pomegranates
• Papaya
• Zapote
• Guava
• Starfruit
• Litchi (lychee) nuts
• Winter melons

Canned Fruit (in juice or water):

• Canned pineapple
• Applesauce
• Other canned fruits (mixed or plain)

Frozen Fruits (without added sugar):

• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• 100% fruit juice

Dried Fruit:

• Raisins/dried fruit (these tend to be higher in calories than fresh fruit)

Beans and Legumes (if canned, no salt added)

• Lentils
• Black beans
• Red beans (kidney beans)
• Navy beans
• Pinto beans
• Black-eyed peas
• Fava beans
• Italian white beans
• Great white northern beans
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Dried beans, peas, and lentils (without flavoring packets)

Baking Items

• Flour
• Sugar
• Imitation butter (flakes or buds)
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Canned evaporated milk— fat-free (skim) or reduced fat (2%)
• Non-fat dry milk powder
• Cocoa powder, unsweetened
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cornstarch
• Unflavored gelatin
• Gelatin, any flavor (reduced calorie)
• Pudding mixes (reduced calorie)
• Angel food cake mix

Frozen Foods

• Fish fillets—unbreaded
• Egg substitute
• 100% fruit juices (no sugar added)
• Fruits (no sugar added)
• Vegetables (plain)

Condiments, Sauces, Seasonings, and Spreads

• Fat-free or low-fat salad dressings
• Mustard (Dijon, etc.)
• Ketchup
• Barbecue sauce
• Jam, jelly, or honey
• Spices
• Flavored vinegars
• Hoisin sauce and plum sauce
• Salsa or picante sauce
• Canned green chiles
• Soy sauce (low-sodium)
• Bouillon cubes/granules (low-sodium)

Beverages

• No-calorie drink mixes
• Reduced calorie juices
• Unsweetened iced tea
• Carbonated water
• Water

Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds, unsalted
• Mixed nuts, unsalted
• Peanuts, unsalted
• Walnuts
• Sesame seeds
• Pumpkin seeds, unsalted
• Sunflower seeds, unsalted
• Cashews, unsalted
• Pecans, unsalted

Fats and Oils

• Soft (tub) margarine
• Mayonnaise, low-fat
• Canola oil
• Corn oil
• Olive oil
• Safflower oil