Master Grocery List

Sometimes people find managing the kitchen and meal planning to be a big challenge. Coming home after a long day of work and going in the kitchen to prepare the family dinner is not something people always have the time or energy to accomplish. Because of this many people have come to depend on fast food, restaurants, and convenience foods to deal with this challenge in order to feed their families. Foods like rotisserie chickens and inexpensive $5 pizzas help to make meal times easier, but oftentimes those convenience foods cost more money than food prepared at home. Families who rely on these foods too often can often find themselves with financial problems as a result of eating out too often.

Using resources wisely (time, money, food) is one area of my life that is important to me. Keeping a well-stocked pantry and meal planning are important tools towards this goal. Having meals planned out has always made my life so much easier during the times I’ve utilized this tool. Now, I do have days where I forget to take something out of the freezer or times when it seems like I am only able to plan meals on the spur of the moment. But the times when I have been organized in my meal planning have been the times when I felt the most at peace with myself, which in turn makes my household run smoother.

We already know that tools like the Pantry Principal and Meal Planning are useful tools in the kitchen. Another useful tool in the kitchen is the Master Grocery List, or as some people call it, pantry staples, specifically geared towards your family because having a well-stocked pantry is helpful for good kitchen management. It is difficult to create a list of pantry staples that would be beneficial for every family simply because we are all different. We live in different areas and have access to different resources, we have different dietary needs and honestly, we have different tastes. What things I like to eat may not be the same things that you like to eat. Therefore, it is important to create a Master Grocery List or Pantry Staples list that is unique to your family and the resources available to you in your area.

Having said all of that, I would like to share my Master Grocery List with you. Please keep in mind this list is specifically geared towards my family and therefore reflect choices that I make that I find beneficial to my family.

Master Grocery List

Beverages
Milk
Tea Bags
Kool-Aid

Breads
Whole Wheat Bread
Tortillas
Hot Dog Buns
Hamburger Buns
French Bread

Canned Beans
Chili Beans
Kidney Beans
Pork and Beans
Refried Beans

Canned Foods
Beef & Chicken Broth
Salmon
Corn
Enchilada Sauce
Green Beans
Green Peas
Hormel Ham
Pineapple
Petite Dice Tomatoes
Chili

Condiments
Tartar Sauce
Soy Sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Worcestershire Sauce
Ketchup
Dill Pickle
Bread & Butter Pickles
Salt
Pepper

Jarred Foods
Mayonnaise
Peanut Butter
Spaghetti Sauce
Strawberry Jelly
Salsa

Dairy
American Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Cottage Cheese
Sour Cream
Skim Milk
Buttermilk
Eggs

Dry Goods
Cornmeal
Flour
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Rice, Brown & White
Soup Beans
Pinto Beans
Elbow Macaroni
Lasagna Noodles
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Saltine Crackers

Frozen Foods
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower Blend
Veggie Burgers
Pie Crusts
Tator Tots

Meat
Chicken Breast
Ground Chuck
Hot Dogs
Italian Sausage
Pork Sausage
Round Streak
Sirloin Tip Roast
Rump Roast
Smoked Sausage

Oils
EVOO – Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Pam Spray

Produce
Onions
Celery
Carrots
Potatoes
Cabbage
Lettuce
Apples
Bananas

Snack Foods
Tortilla Chips (Used in Cooking)
Corn Chips
Popcorn
Pretzels

Spices
Beef Bouillon
Chili Powder
Cumin
Dill
Garlic Powder
Italian Season
Onion Powder
Onion Soup Mix
Seasoned salt

 

Belinda 

© Belinda Richardson and Frugal Workshop, 2012. 

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”