9+ Sample Healthy Grocery List Templates

What Is a Healthy Grocery List?

Any wise buyer would be familiar with a grocery list. It is a comprehensive tool that documents what you have to purchase while grocery shopping. Meanwhile, a healthy grocery list refers to that same tool, except it focuses primarily on buying healthy food and other beneficial products. So instead of forgetting to buy certain items at the grocery store, you can prepare a healthy grocery list ahead. The process is simple—bring that shopping list and use it as your reference while buying at the store.

According to research, people who consider grocery shopping with a list and a healthy diet would more likely stay in a healthier weight.

Meanwhile, the National Public Radio (NPR) reported that 75% of Americans think they eat healthily but evidence shows the opposite.

Also, Shape tells us that the top 10 healthy foods to always shop for are lemons, broccoli, potatoes, dark chocolate, walnuts, salmon, avocados, garlic, beans, and spinach.

Why Are Healthy Grocery Lists Important?

A healthy grocery list is essential specifically for buying wisely. Expect this list to guide you in focusing only to get healthy foods at the grocery store. The thing is a lot of temptations are at different shops. An example is when some junk products are on sale. Or perhaps, there is a lot of options that can be overwhelming at the store that you forget what you are supposed to buy. So to combat your forgetfulness, prevent temptations, and ensure that you can save money by sticking to a plan, use healthy grocery lists.

It is also important to note that around 75% of Americans think they eat healthily. But based on evidence, the results are quite the opposite. Not everyone is actually on a healthy diet. Hence, these grocery lists are around to help you in sticking to a healthy diet, whether it involves gluten-free, low-carb, or a vegetarian lifestyle. You can also tailor the list according to your health goal in case you are planning for weight loss, muscle strength, and other goals. Nonetheless, everything will pay off if you do stick to the list.

The Basic Ingredients of a Healthy Grocery List

Yes, a healthy grocery list is important and beneficial. But what exactly can be found in such lists? Although people differ in terms of how they create their lists, there are some common elements to notice as well. And this leads us to determine the basic ingredients of a standard healthy grocery list.

Title: A list without a title may be mistaken as any other type of document. The best approach is to put the name “Healthy Grocery List” in the document as the title. And any title should have a striking presentation like using capital and bold letters. That way, people can easily tell what the list is for, which is for grocery shopping purposes.List of Items: Now what is a grocery list without the actual list itself? Ensure to give some room in stating the list of items. Whether you want to buy eggs, potatoes, spinach, lemons—the list goes on. And your goal is to ensure you cannot forget anything important. Otherwise, you would regret it when you are finally at home yet you actually forgot to purchase certain items not mentioned in the grocery list.Food Categories: At the grocery store, you can see that the foods and products are divided into categories. There are those that belong to the bakery and bread, another for meat and seafood, and so much more. The same division applies to a healthy grocery list. Do not just list everything in one whole list because dividing the items into specific categories makes it easier to shop. Suppose you have tomato sauce, mustard, and salsa on your list. It would be practical if you just go to the oils, sauces, and condiments section at the store rather than coming back and forth from different sections. Hence, categorizing saves time.Checkboxes: A list is not complete without checkboxes, especially for checklists. But in a standard healthy grocery list, you can already get away with blanks, circles, and other examples besides checkboxes. And what follows every checkbox is the name of the item to buy. So once you have added a specific item into your cart, you will put a checkmark in the box to indicate that you already have that product. All the checkboxes would be marked when you have completed your list.Prices: A price list is optional in a grocery list. But adding the estimated prices for every item is a smart way on how to prepare money before going to the store. If ever you are still a beginner and are unsure of the prices of each product to purchase, just skip this part. But if you are familiar with the common rates of the items you are planning to buy, then be sure to note the estimated prices in your list for reference purposes. And when you get the total of the prices, you would know the best estimate on how much to prepare while you go grocery shopping weekly, biweekly, monthly, or any other period.Notes: Finally, give room for extra notes. You might need to add more content, change some items, or erase some examples. And the extra notes section is where you can input anything. While you are already at the store and you have more things to write, this section comes in handy for sure. And whatever you have written there can be used for future transactions, references, and more.

What Are the Main Categories for Healthy Grocery Lists?

You already know that categorizing a healthy grocery list is part of the major elements that make up such a list. But what exactly are the necessary categories to add to your list? In this section, we outlined the main categories worth adding to your grocery list.

Whole Grains: Cereal, bread, and grains are certainly some of the healthiest options to buy out there. Such substances can improve your digestive system and even eliminate the risks of heart failure, diabetes, and cancer. And the best examples to own are barley, couscous, brown rice, quinoa, cereal, and oatmeal. You can also add whole grain flour if you do some cooking or baking afterward.Pantry Staples: As much as possible, we want to get rid of processed or packaged foods. However, some examples in the pantry staples category are quite nutritious. Canned vegetables, dried beans, olive oil, dried lentils, and low-sodium broth are your best bet. Do not forget to include healthy spices and condiments like mustard, salsa, vinegar, or soy sauce for better flavor.Fruits and Vegetables: It is no surprise that fruits and veggies should be part of your list since they are the perfect representation of healthy foods. Be sure to incorporate around 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits daily in your food log. That is, according to the US Department of Agriculture. And the common must-haves are carrots, celery, radishes, bananas, apples, oranges, blueberries, kiwi, melon, pineapple, cucumbers, and tomatoes.Dairy and Eggs: How healthy are your bones? You might need more dairy products to your list for better bone health. Cheese, eggs, yogurt, and milk are already rich in calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and many more minerals or vitamins that benefit your bones. Not to worry because there are also other milk alternatives like soy milk and almond milk for those who are lactose intolerant.Meat and Alternatives: As much as we want to add greens to our diet, adding some meat is also beneficial. Although people are scared of meat for gaining weight, meat is still the best source of protein in the first place. They protect you from heart diseases, inflammation, and cancer. But, be careful with the red meat, poultry, and seafood you buy. They should be at least clean and fresh.Healthy Snacks: Besides breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you cannot forget about snacks. And, of course, always go for healthy snacks. These substances are also capable of giving you a well-balanced diet. Most importantly, you won’t have to feel very hungry while still receiving beneficial vitamins and minerals. And your ultimate must-haves in this category are dark chocolates, dried fruits, olives, nuts, beef jerky, seeds, and pickles.

How to Make a Healthy Grocery List

Now for the main dish of this article, how do you exactly create a healthy grocery list? For starters, you do not have to start from the very beginning. See those sample templates above? That is all you need to craft a list. All templates are ready to edit, download, and print. And for a proper introduction on how to make that list excellently, just follow these steps:

Step 1: Set Your Health Goals

First things first, what are your health goals? Do not just storm off to the grocery store without even knowing what you are planning to achieve. Bear in mind that your plans will help you recognize what foods and substances you should consume for your body. Suppose you are aiming for weight loss. Expect to implement a low-carb diet and you would not simply add sugary foods to your grocery list. Also, a tip is to work with a nutritionist to receive the best recommendations on what to eat.

Step 2: List What You Need to Buy in a Draft

Once you are clear with your health goals, list down what you need to eat in a draft. Be sure every food or product you write is going to lead you to your goal, not hinder it. And the reason why you still need a draft is that mistakes are still welcome here. You will eventually edit and change some elements to what you listed afterward.

Step 3: Transfer the Details into a Template

After creating your draft, transfer what you wrote to a sample healthy grocery list template of your choice. This part is where you finalize what to buy at the grocery store. Allow our sample templates to guide you on how the format works and how to correct the list. But you can also customize every template according to your needs. Go for the best version that you want for this document.

Step 4: Insert and Arrange the Necessary Elements

We already discussed the ingredients that make up a standard healthy grocery list. As you recall, there are elements needed. Be sure to insert them one by one, from the title down to the notes section. Otherwise, your list might be incomplete. The most important element categories for your list. You can follow the categories discussed earlier, from the whole grains to the healthy snacks. But you can also do it differently like arranging the items from the most affordable item down to the most expensive. That way, you can prepare your budget and go for cheap options as well.

Step 5: Observe an Easy-to-Follow Structure

The last thing you want is a grocery list that is hard to understand and follow. Make it easy to follow instead. That means the list is user-friendly enough that you would know what to buy first until last and that you can really use it as an easy reference while shopping. You can add instructions anyway in case you would forget some considerations or if you are giving that list to someone else as a task list, like a college friend, family member, or partner. And once you are confident with the results, launch that list.

FAQs

What are the best healthy foods to eat?

According to Shape, the top 10 healthy foods to eat are lemons, broccoli, potatoes, walnuts, salmon, avocados, garlic, beans, spinach, and dark chocolates.

What are examples of foods to never eat?

Some of the foods that are harmful to health are sugary drinks, pizzas, fruit juices, cakes, french fries, sweetened cereals, and grilled food.

What are the essential factors for a well-balanced diet?

Generally, there are seven basic factors that are perfect for a balanced diet. They are protein, carbs, fat, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and water.

Nobody really takes pride in grocery shopping, but it is still very important to gather all your important items and supplies. And the same can be said with a grocery list where you should work on getting all the healthy foods and ingredients to promote better health or lifestyle. Thanks to our sample healthy grocery list templates, grocery shopping has never been made easier. You won’t have to lose focus on buying all the products needed at the store, especially those items that are crucial to benefiting your health. Download now!