I can’t tell you how many times I hear over and over how people go to the grocery store to buy fresh produce but end up wasting it. Either they live alone and purchased too much, find it’s hard to cook for 1 or 2 people, or they have trouble repurposing leftover fresh groceries before they go bad. Well, in this post I am going to feature a shopping list and give a few ideas on what to grab during your next grocery run and how to maximize what you bought for several different meals. I started off with this particular shopping list in order to make a kale and goat cheese salad… but realized when I got home the endless possibilities of what to do with the leftovers as I only cook for 2 people (me + John). I’m also going to throw in a few staples to this list that you really should have on hand in your kitchen or fridge in order to create more meals all week. Happy shopping and cooking!

Grocery List

Try to shop on Sunday or Monday – this list is under $150 and creates endless meals + a few staples to have on hand…

• 1 container cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 2 bell peppers
• 2 avocados
• 2 lemons
• 3 limes
• 1 bunch celery or pre-cut and washed celery sticks
• 1 bunch green onion
• 1 bag brussels sprouts
• fresh basil and rosemary
• 1 bunch raw kale
• 1-3 sweet potatoes depending on how many people you cook for
• 1 package of pre-washed shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 package spinach leaves
• Dole’s broccoli slaw / or any type will do
• 1 little 4-pack of greek yogurt – this is breakfast!
• 1 container reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1 container crumbled goat cheese
• 1 bottle French vinaigrette dressing; I go back and forth between Brianna’s and La Martinique, both are equally fattening and delicious
• 1 bottle red wine vinegar
• 1 bottle bbq sauce
• 1 bottle low sodium soy sauce
• 1 bottle worcestershire sauce
• 1 jar of marinara / I like puttanesca sauce… has yummy olives, garlic and capers in it
• extra virgin olive oil
• nonstick cooking spray
• Lawry’s seasoning salt
• Beau Monde Spice
• large ziplock bags (for marinating and leftovers)
• 1 lb beef fajita meat or flank steak
• 1 package skinless chicken tenders
• 1 package lean ground turkey
• 1 lb sliced deli lunch meat turkey
• 1 small container of light sour cream
• 1 bag frozen cauliflower (in a bag that steams)
• carton of eggs
• jar of salsa
• jar of minced garlic (store in your fridge – lasts forever)
• light laughing cow cheese
• mustard… really hope you already own mustard
• salt and pepper… please
• Ok I think that will do!! – notice this list doesn’t contain much fruit, flour, and processed junk? Try to lower your sugar intake on your next grocery run… you will feel lighter in no time!

Here is what you can create out of that long list….

1. Kale & Goat Cheese Salad

• washed and chopped kale
• 3 sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 an avocado
• 4 cucumber slices
• tablespoon crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
• freshly chopped basil sprigs
• lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and Beau Monde OR use one of the french dressings if you aren’t dieting

2. Spiced Rosemary Flank Steak

Ingredients:

• 1 lb flank steak or beef fajita skirt steak – pounded to 1/2 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Lawry’s
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of sea salt
• fresh rosemary springs
• 3 juiced limes
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

• in a large ziplock bag place the meat and all of the ingredients and marinade this in your fridge for 2-6 hours… the longer the better
• start your grill and once the heat is at 350… grill the steak on each side for 3-5 minutes depending on how rare you like it
• slice it thinly against the grain and top with fresh rosemary

3. Super Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• 2-3 sweet potatoes
• olive oil
• paprika
• Lawry’s Original Seasoned Salt
• fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

• preheat oven to 450 degrees
• on a cookie sheet lay foil or parchment paper
• place 1/4 thick peeled and sliced strips of sweet potato fries on the cookie sheet tossed in a little olive oil (just enough to coat) and sprinkle the Lawry’s and paprika
• bake for 18-20 minutes flipping occasionally with a spatula

4. Easy Breezy Brussels

Ingredients:

• 1 package fresh brussels sprouts (not frozen)
• nonstick cooking spray
• olive oil
• low sodium soy sauce
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• trim ends off the brussels sprouts and slice them in half
• in a medium to large skillet or saute pan add nonstick cooking spray and two tablespoons olive oil
• over medium high heat begin to brown the brussels sprouts
• add a little s&p and a couple splashes of soy sauce (a little goes a long way)
• let this sizzle for 8 minutes… if you like a crunchier texture only brown for about 5 minutes

5. Marinated Cucumbers + 6. Sauteed Spinach (use flank steak if you haven’t yet)

• Sauteed Spinach: add two tablespoons olive oil and one teaspoon minced garlic to a skillet over medium heat; add in spinach leaves one bunch at a time, use tongs to coat and toss the leaves in the olive oil… they shrink quickly… once all spinach is sauteed add a squeeze of lemon and salt & pepper
• Marinated Cucumbers: thinly slice any leftover cucumber you have in a small bowl, add lemon juice, tiny bit of soy sauce, salt & pepper… coat and toss this and store in fridge – serve as a cold side dish or have on hand for a snack

7. Cauliflower Mash

• steam you bag of frozen cauliflower (make sure you buy a bag that you can pop in the microwave)
• place the cooked cauliflower in a bowl and add a little spray butter, light sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic salt… top with cheese if you have any on hand… mash with a fork

8. Broccoli Slaw As Faux Pasta (or use as lettuce alternative in salad)

• pop this bag face down into your microwave for 3 minutes and you have instant faux pasta
• brown the ground turkey meat and add the jar of marinara until its sizzling
• top the meat sauce on the heated slaw… presto
• the version below has chicken sausage instead of ground turkey… both ways are delicious and super fast to make

 

9. Stovetop BBQ Chicken Tenders

• in a skillet spray nonstick cooking spray and cook skinless chicken tenders over medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side
• cover the chicken in bbq sauce and give the chicken a few more minutes until sauce is bubbling
• serve immediately or save extra as a salad topping for the next day

11 Ways to use leftovers from this shopping list:

• use leftover veggies to make a quick salad for lunch and top with sliced turkey for protein
• wrap leftover  kale lettuce with turkey and spread laughing cow cheese… dip in mustard- instant lettuce wraps
• have a few slices of turkey for a pre-workout snack
• make an omelette with your eggs and use goat cheese or feta, spinach leaves, remaining bell pepper and green onion and top with salsa – eggs for dinner will keep  you on track for weight loss
• use celery sticks with a wedge of laughing cow cheese for a quick snack
• toss leftover sliced cherry tomatoes in a skillet with green onion and olive oil and roast as a side dish with salt and pepper, top with crumbled goat cheese
• use leftover kale to make chips out of… tear the leaves and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and Lawry’s – bake on a cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes on 375 or until crunchy
• pick up a few small red new potatoes and slice them in wedges with olive oil, salt, pepper, and leftover rosemary… place on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 20 minutes – easy oven roasted rosemary potatoes – perfect with a side of leftover scrambled eggs – brunch for dinner
• mash up an avocado with lemon juice, salt and pepper as an easy snack, egg topping or on a piece of toast
• toss extra bell peppers in a skillet with olive oil and worcestershire and use as a side dish
• save a sweet potato and heat it in the microwave wrapped in a wet paper towel for 3 minutes… mash this up with spray butter and cinnamon