Your First Grocery List; College Student Addition
Okay, is it just me or is it overwhelming grocery shopping for yourself for the first time. There are so many options and yummy things to try. However, let’s face it, we are on a college student budget and $200.00+ a week just isn’t going to work. BUT what if I told you I have a list with all the easy and healthy options for you to buy and bonus; it won’t break the bank.
College living doesn’t mean you have to eat instant noodles and hot pockets (no hate sometimes that sounds yummy!). You can easily with the right list and ideas make healthy and affordable meals for yourself even with that crazy class schedule. Follow the list below on your first trip to the grocery store this upcoming semester and I promise it will make college living off campus so much easier!
THE LIST
- Kale/spinach/other greenery for salads
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Bell peppers
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Onions
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Sweet potatoes (PRO TIP: do not by individually wrapped potatoes, those are more expensive)
- Chicken (purchase a family sized pack of pre-marinated chicken for budget friendly and easy meals! I love to pop these in the freezer in individual bags and simply defrost one at a time for easy meal planning for one.)
- Ground turkey or chicken (ground chicken is cheaper and almost identical in taste)
- String cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Eggs
- Brown rice (great because you can eat it plain or pair it with about a gazillion other things)
- Whole wheat pasta
- Oats (you can do so many things with old-fashioned oats, and they’re cheap considering how much you get in one container)
- Whole grain bread or pitas
- Cereal
- Salsa
- Canned tomatoes
- Canned beans
- Vegetable broth
- Frozen fruit
- Frozen mixed vegetables are a MUST! I can’t be the only one who wastes so much produce because I don’t eat it in time.
- Olive oil & balsamic vinegar (great for using standalone in recipes, or making your own cheap salad dressing
- Popcorn (because let’s face it, we all need a midnight study snack)
- Hummus (there’s a ton of different ways to incorporate hummus into your diet)
- Coffee, tea, sparkling water
