Making Your Grocery List Cost-Effective and Efficient

Creating a grocery list is an essential part of staying on top of your nutrition and making sure you're eating a healthy, balanced diet. But it's also important to make sure that all the items on your list fit into the cost-effectiveness of ingredients and resources used to produce them. Here are some tips to help you do just that. First, check the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.

Look at the expiration dates of the foods and ingredients you already have on hand. Which ones do you need to exhaust? Look for recipes that use those foods and ingredients. Coupons are a great way to save on your grocery bill, especially if you have your shopping list planned out. You may be living alone and creating a shopping list just for yourself, but you'll often be shopping for other people as well.

Having a shopping list is a great way to stay organized and make sure everyone gets what they need. Decide what foods you'll prepare for lunch and dinner and make a list of the items you'll need at the grocery store. Stick to your list and don't get too distracted, otherwise you'll defeat the purpose of the lists. For example, if you've gotten sick with the flu and your favorite neighbor offers to buy food for your family that doesn't contain gluten, a complete list will make it easier for them to buy the right thing.

You'll save time if you make preparing the shopping list a priority, since you won't have to wander around the store, take a second trip to pick up forgotten items, or stay in the dairy aisle trying to remember if yogurt or cheese was what you needed. Making shopping lists also eliminates unnecessary trips to the supermarket, which also reduces air pollution during trips to work. Once you have made the lists and bought the foods for the week, take stock of the week and change the items from green to yellow and then to red. This will help you keep track of what needs to be used up first.

Having a well-planned shopping list allows you to get in and out of the store quickly and helps you stick to your healthy eating plan.