College Grocery List

As a freshman in college, you are sure to be filled with a lot of apprehension as you will be exposed to new experiences, new situations and new life. The first year in college is all about new schedule, new friends, first hand experience at cooking and shopping for the same. As you are on a tighter budget in the college, you cannot afford to eat out day and night; which is also unhealthy. Soon will come a time when you will be thinking of cooking yourself (although it's the first time in life)! Apart from cooking, college students find shopping for the items equally troublesome. Well, the following list will be helpful for the first timers in shopping for grocery and cooking!

College Grocery Shopping Tips

One of the most obvious tips in grocery shopping is that before going shopping, you need to be fully aware of your budget. You should also research in the market to look for grocery stores that have a wider option of grocery (with respect to cost of items).

• Although you may love your cheeses and love to indulge in chocolates, you need to make healthy choices in the longer run. A healthy grocery list consists of fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, fish, lean meats, etc.
• Firstly, you should shop for the items that you need everyday like bread, eggs, rice, noodles, etc. as these food items can be used for making breakfast, lunch as well as snack dishes.
• You should look for versatile food items like eggs which can be included in different dishes like salads, sandwiches; or can be eaten as a meal by making an omelet, etc. Bananas, potatoes, fruits, cheese, eggs, beans, etc. are some of the versatile food items.
• Meat, poultry and fish should not be stored for a long time as there can be high chances of it getting spoiled. Cereals, dried fruits and nuts, etc. are some of the items that last longer.
• Check out for discounts and save your grocery coupons for healthy foods rather than indulging in luxury or gourmet food items.
• Lastly, one of the basic tips to be remembered while making college grocery shopping list is to include foods that last for at least a week. This will save a lot of time as you need not go shopping every two days.

Grocery List

The grocery list for college students should include fruits and vegetables in order to maintain good health. Fruits and vegetables can be brought in frozen, canned, fresh, chopped, etc. versions. You can also cut vegetables like carrots and cucumbers and store them in refrigerators to eat as snack later. This list is divided into different categories which will make sorting and shopping easier.

Dairy

• Canned low fat / whole milk
• Skim milk
• Yogurt
• Low fat butter / margarine
• Peanut butter
• Cheddar, Mozzarella cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Eggs

Breakfast

• Cereals
• Oatmeal
• Flaxseed
• Whole wheat bread
• Muesli
• Cornflakes
• Cookies / Cupcakes

Frozen Foods

• Fish sticks / fillets
• Chicken breast / meatballs
• Deli meat
• Turkey
• Spinach / tomatoes / Broccoli
• Fruits / fruits juices
• Beans
• Sauces / salsa / dressing / vinegar

Dry Foods

• Dried fruits and nuts
• Brown / white rice
• Rice cakes
• Couscous
• Instant rice
• Macaroni
• Noodles
• Cake / pancake mix
• Instant popcorn
• Baked low fat fries / crisps
• Spices, oil and condiments

Here is a list of one dish meals or quick and easy meals that you can prepare in the college pantry. The following dishes can be eaten as breakfast or even as meals for lunch and dinner. These dishes can be made using above mentioned food items as ingredients.

One Dish Meals

• Cream based soups
• Peanut butter sandwich / toast
• Scrambled / boiled / deviled eggs / omelet
• Beans on toast
• Pasta with cheese
• Oven ready lasagna, pizza
• Noodles
• Salad with spinach / broccoli / fruits / eggs / chicken
• Coleslaw
• Sandwiches
• Burritos
• Tacos
• Meatball Salad / noodles
• Burgers / hotdogs
• Guacamole

Lastly, remember that old clichéd saying Practice makes a man perfect! Good luck!