Weekly Shopping List
My weekly shopping list consists of fresh produce and any pantry staples that have ran out that week. I like to buy my produce weekly to make sure I always have them fresh on hand.
What I do is buy at least 1 from each group below.
Starchy Vegetables:
- Pumpkin - great for soups, roasted with curry powder, casseroles etc
- Sweet Potato - Kiwis also call this Kumara. Whatever you do to potatoes can be done to sweet potatoes - mashed, baked, mixed in casseroles, grated and pan fried to hash browns etc.
- Potato - Surely you know what to do with potatoes. To keep it healthy, stay away from putting too much oil or deep frying. Baking is just as good!
- Corn - Perfect and cheap during the summer. Easy to cook in the microwave, baked in the oven or even grilled on the barbecue.
Cruciferous Vegetables:
- Broccoli - This has tons of protein and iron. I love this steams or baked. Also super delicious in stir fries, soups and even fried rice! Pro tip: Don't throw away the stalk. Chop it and blend in with soups.
- Cauliflower - This is good in curry, stir fries, baked, steamed, mashed into mashed potatoes, grilled or if you want to be fancy you can make cauliflower rice or pizza base with it. Pro tip - search cauliflower buffalo wings. Yum!
- Kale - you know how healthy this is, and it's also pretty easy to grow. Mix in salad greens, smoothies, soups etc.
- Cabbage - Love cabbage! This is soo good in asian stir fries or a healthier replacement to lettuce. Put it in your burgers, tacos, salads etc. And make sure you eat both green and purple!
- Bok Choy - also yummy in stir fries and steamed with oyster sauce.
Salad Greens:
- Spinach - Baby and normal spinach are really good for you. They have lots of iron and fibre that is good for your digestion.
- Lettuce - Iceberg, Romaine, Fancy, Purple... you name it!
- Arugula - also known as 'roquette', this adds a nutty taste to your salad. Also good to toss in pasta, or other grain salad.
Peppers: I buy all 3 colours of capsicum a week. This is one of my main staples all year round. Capsicum is good in Mexican foods, tossed in salad, cooked in stir fries etc. The green capsicum is really great on pizza too!
Fruit Vegetables: They're treated as vegetables, but really they're fruits.
- Avocado - avocado on toast, guacamole, hummus and avocado on crackers, avocado on its own with salt and pepper. You can even make chocolate mousse with this or turn it into a delicious dessert!
- Tomato - Surely you know what to do with tomatoes... eat fresh on avocado toast, cook as part of your base flavour, pasta, etc...
Root Vegetables:
- Carrot - I buy this every week. Mix into stir fries, salads, grate into your spaghetti bolognese, turn into carrot cake etc.
- Beetroot - I love making this into my easy energy salad.
- Parsnip - I love the flavour of parsnip in pumpkin soup, baked into chips or even mashed in with mashed potatoes.
Mushrooms: I buy whatever type of mushroom is on sale. I love these in Italian and Mexican food.
- Button mushrooms
- Portobello
- Or other fancy mushrooms with other types.. shiitake, eringi, enokitake.
Beans:
- Green beans: This is good in stir fries, grilled, baked even steamed.
- Snow peas: Perfect in Asian stir fries or include into your pasta!
- Yellow beans: I use these the same way I use green beans.
Other vegetables:
- Cucumber: super good in salads or sandwiches. I love these in greek salads with olives and sundried tomatoes.
- Zucchini: One of the most versatile veges out there I reckon. Use in stir fries, spiralise into pasta, mix in your roasted veges etc.
- Fennel: I love fennel in salad with anything citrus - particularly oranges.
- Celery: I love this in soups
Fresh herbs and flavouring:
- Basil: I use this normally with my Italian dishes - pizza and pasta, mainly.
- Coriander: Perfect in Indian and Mexican foods.
- Spring Onion: I love this in stir fries and soups
- Chives: Super good in mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs.
Fruits: Perfect for snacking, baking, breakfasts and desserts. I love to buy the staples mainly bananas and apples along with whatever is in season. Buying produce that is in season means it's cheap, fresh and has lots of nutrients.
- Bananas: Eat with peanut butter, sliced on oats, mixed into smoothies, baked into banana bread, mashed to sweeten homemade mueslis.
- Apples: Apple crumble, apple cinnamon porridge etc..
- Berries: Frozen or fresh!
- Citrus: Oranges mainly. I love this in smoothies or on its own.
- Plus whatever is on season. Now that summer is ending, stone fruits are abundant - plums, nectarines, peaches yum!