Written by Regin Smith | Reviewed by Fit with Food Dietitians

Grocery shopping can be a daunting task for college students, especially when you don’t know where to start. With a little bit of planning, you can pick healthy and affordable foods that fuel your body and brain.

Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

Make a list

The first thing I do when I’m planning to go to the grocery store is make a list. I find that by making a list, I’m less likely to buy the things I don’t need and only get the things I do need. This also helps me to make sure I am spending the least amount possible on my groceries for the week.

Try the 54321 method 

The 54321 method is a grocery trick to make sure you are getting a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins for your meals throughout the week. This method is 5 vegetables, 4 fruits, 3 proteins, 2 sauces, and 1 grain. This way you can mix and match your proteins, vegetables, grains, and sauces to make different meals and not be eating the same thing every day. 

Plan your meals

I find that I spend the least amount of money when I plan my meals ahead of time. Planning your meals for the week is a great way to reduce costs and go into the week knowing what you’re going to be eating all week. When planning meals, you can also make sure you are using similar ingredients to limit the amount of things you need to get at the grocery store. 

Frozen foods are just as good

It’s a common misconception that frozen foods aren’t as good for you as fresh foods. However, frozen foods can be just as nutritious as fresh foods, especially produce. When buying produce like broccoli or strawberries, the stuff you find in the frozen section is just as good as the fresh produce. Freezing fruits and vegetables retains all of the nutrients you would get in fresh produce, and it’s generally a lot cheaper. 

The same rule goes for meat. If you buy more meat than you think you’re going to use before the expiration date, freeze it! If you freeze your meat before the expiration date, you can pull it out of the freezer and thaw it whenever you’re going to use it. 

You can also freeze lots of other things like bread, sauces, soups, and so much more. If you’re buying for one and can’t finish a loaf of bread before it goes bad, freeze it! That way whenever you want a sandwich or a piece of bread, you can take it out of the freezer and put it in the microwave or leave it on the counter for about an hour to thaw. 

Make your cart colorful

Have you heard of the expression ‘eat the rainbow’? When you look at your cart while shopping, it should be full of different colors. Making sure your cart is full of different colors makes sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need. 

Don’t go to the store hungry

When going to the grocery store, I always make sure I eat a snack or a meal ahead of time. When you go to the grocery store hungry, you are more likely to buy things you don’t need. So, eating ahead of time is a way to save yourself a little bit of money and not buy the cookies that look good at the moment. 

Check expiration dates

A common mistake people make, even myself sometimes, is not checking expiration dates, especially with fresh produce. A lot of times grocery stores will put products with the closest expiration date at the front. It is important to check this so that you aren’t buying something on Sunday that expires on Tuesday. This way you don’t have to throw things away that you’ve barely touched yet, wasting a lot of money. 

Buy prepared meats

Something I hear a lot is that people don’t like dealing with raw chicken or raw meats, I’m right there with you. An easy way to combat this is by buying prepared meats. If you don’t like cooking chicken, buy a rotisserie chicken. This way you can shred it at the beginning of the week and incorporate it in your meals throughout the week. 

Recipe ideas: 

Chicken teriyaki bowls

Put 1-2 chicken breasts in crock pot 

Pour about a cup of teriyaki sauce over the chicken (I like G Hughes sugar free teriyaki sauce) 

Cover crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours

Take chicken out of crock pot and shred with two forks

Put chicken back in crock pot with the teriyaki sauce

While chicken is cooking:

Preheat oven to 425

Cut zucchini into slices

In a large bowl, toss zucchini with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Put on baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Roast for 15-20 minutes

Steam broccoli as described on package

Cook rice as described on package

Serve chicken with rice, steamed broccoli, and roasted zucchini.

Optional: add a drizzle of japanese BBQ sauce

Chicken Sausage Pasta

Cook chicken sausage in skillet as described on packaging

Add in your desired vegetables, as well as salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the skillet while chicken sausage is cooking

While chicken sausage and vegetables are cooking, make your desired pasta as described on package (I like the Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi!) 

Add cooked pasta to skillet with chicken sausage and vegetables

Add pasta sauce if desired

Enjoy!

References:

Meet 5-4-3-2-1 Shopping: The Internet’s Best Trick for Saving Money on Groceries. Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/what-is-5-4-3-2-1-shopping-8424902 

Bouzari A, Holstege D, Barrett DM. Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. J Agric Food Chem. 2015;63(3):957-962. doi:10.1021/jf5058793