THE GROCERY LIST

I shop for my boyfriend and me. We live in NYC where prices tend to be inflated compared to the rest of the country but I am able to keep our grocery bill to around 200 dollars a month. This is a list of the items I typically purchase each month and always have on hand. Of course, many of these things last for months so if you bought all of these in one shopping trip it would probably be more than 200 dollars but your bill would even out over time once you have a base established. I usually pick about 1 meal a week that I may buy specific items for that I don't usually have on hand but other than that, this is it!
I shop at a normal local super market, except in the summer when we try to get our produce from a local farmer's market because it is of a much better quality

FRESH PRODUCE
- apples (sometimes pears instead)
- grapes
- bananas
- melon of some kind
- lemon
- romaine lettuce
- spinach
- tomato
- onion
- mushrooms
- bell pepper
- cucumber
- avocado
- celery
- baby carrots


FROZEN
- Steam-in-the-bag veggies (there is usually a store brand and the minimal extra cost is worth the convenience to me because I can just throw the bag in the microwave while I'm making the main course. I usually get broccoli, green beans, and a mix like California blend or stir fry...no mixes with corn because it isn't very nutritious)

- Mixed Whole Berries (usually a bag includes strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)

- Bag of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

- Bag of Salmon Fillets

- Birds Eye Voila! skillet bags (these are kind of high in sodium but my boyfriend and I can split a bag for dinner for less than 500 calories each and they are tasty, relatively cheap, easy dinner options. I usually get Garlic Chicken, Alfredo Chicken, or Orange Chicken since they are lowest in calories)

- Weight Watchers Ice Cream Sandwiches (one of my dessert options, not bad at 120 calories each)

- Weight Watchers Snack Size Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars (curb chocolate cravings for only 45 cal)


DAIRY/EGGS
- Silk Lite Original Soy Milk (My boyfriend is lactose intolerant and I used to get skim milk too but I actually really like this in my cereal so I only get this now. Can't be beat with all the good stuff and only 60 cal per cup.)

- Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt (brand doesn't matter to me here as long as its Greek. I get the cheapest)

- Low or non-fat Cottage Cheese (again, I get whatever is cheapest)

 - Presidente Fat Free Feta Cheese

- Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese block

- Cage Free Eggs (white or brown doesn't matter...same nutritional value)

- All Whites Brand Egg Whites

- Unsalted Butter


BREADS/CEREALS
- Arnold Bakery Lite Whole Wheat Bread (40 cals per slice!)

- Fiber One Whole Wheat English Muffins (100 cal each)

- Arnold Sandwich Thins -Multi-Grain (100 cal each)

- Melba Toast- Whole Grain

- Rice Cakes (sometimes)

- Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers(sometimes...the child in me craves them lol)

- Post Brand Grapenuts

- Kashi Go Lean

-Kashi Go Lean Crunch


GRAINS/STARCHES
- Old Fashioned Oats (store brand, plain)

- Goya brown rice

- Wild Rice (not wild rice mixed with long grain which is what you will often see...just the wild rice)

- Quinoa

-Pancake mix

-Whole wheat pasta


NUTS/DRIED GOODS
- Whole Walnuts (unsalted)

- Almond Slices (unsalted)

- Pecan pieces (unsalted)

- Raisins


DELI
- Low Sodium deli turkey
- deli sliced Roast beef
- Reduced Fat Swiss cheese

CANNED GOODS
- GOYA Low Sodium Red Beans
- GOYA Low Sodium Black Beans

OTHER
- Mustard
- Smart Beat Mayo
- BBQ sauce
- Ketchup
- Olive Oil
- Canola Oil cooking spray
- salsa
- Mrs. Dash (GET THIS! It doesn't have sodium but its a great, quick chicken seasoning)
- lemon juice
- minced garlic
- honey
- Stevia In The Raw
- Shop Rite Super Chunky Natural Peanut Butter
- Welch's Natural Raspberry Spread
- All Natural Maple Syrup
- GNC Whey Protein

HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL!