QUICK ANSWER

Fill the cart the way MyPlate fills a plate: half fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned all count), then whole grains such as oats, brown rice and whole-wheat bread, a mix of proteins (fish, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts), and dairy or fortified soy. The printable list below is sorted by aisle.

What makes this list “healthy”.

We used one public standard, the USDA’s MyPlate, rather than our own idea of healthy. MyPlate splits food into five groups: vegetables, fruits, grains, protein foods and dairy. Its plate shows fruits and vegetables filling about half, and it recommends making at least half your grains whole grains and varying your protein.

Each item is labelled with its food group. Amounts depend on your household and calorie needs; MyPlate’s site has a personalised plan. If you have a medical diet, follow your clinician’s advice over any general list.

Healthy grocery list, by aisle.

The small label shows each item’s MyPlate food group. Frozen and canned produce count too and keep longer.

Or save as PDF from the print dialog.

Healthy grocery list

Week of

Produce

  • Leafy greens (spinach, romaine, kale)vegetables
  • Carrotsvegetables
  • Bell peppersvegetables
  • Broccolivegetables
  • Tomatoesvegetables
  • Cucumbersvegetables
  • Sweet potatoesvegetables
  • Onions and garlicvegetables
  • Bananasfruits
  • Applesfruits
  • Oranges or clementinesfruits
  • Berries (fresh or frozen)fruits
  • Lemons and limesfruits

Meat & seafood

  • Chicken breast or thighsprotein
  • Salmon or other fishprotein
  • Lean ground turkey or beefprotein

Tofu & plant-based protein

  • Tofuprotein

Dairy & eggs

  • Eggsprotein
  • Plain yogurt or Greek yogurtdairy
  • Milk or fortified soy milkdairy
  • Cheesedairy

Bread & bakery

  • Whole-grain breadgrains
  • Whole-wheat tortillasgrains

Pantry, canned & dry

  • Oatsgrains
  • Brown rice or quinoagrains
  • Whole-wheat pastagrains
  • Canned beans and lentilsprotein
  • Canned tunaprotein
  • Nuts, seeds and peanut butterprotein
  • Olive oiloils
  • Canned tomatoes (lower sodium)vegetables

Frozen

  • Frozen vegetables (no sauce)vegetables
  • Frozen fruitfruits

getmealpot.com/healthy-grocery-list/ · Let MealPot write this list for you from your week’s recipes.

Common questions.

What should be on a healthy grocery list?

Foods from all five MyPlate groups: vegetables and fruits (about half your cart), whole grains, varied protein (fish, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts) and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. Add a healthy cooking oil such as olive oil.

Are frozen vegetables as healthy as fresh?

MyPlate counts fresh, frozen, canned and dried vegetables and fruit. Frozen produce with no added sauce or sugar is a good way to avoid waste. For canned food, choose low-sodium or no-salt-added where you can.

How do I eat healthy on a budget?

Beans, lentils, eggs, oats, brown rice, frozen vegetables and in-season fruit are among the cheapest items on this list. Plan the week first and use the unit price calculator to compare pack sizes.

Is this a weight-loss grocery list?

No. It is a balanced base for everyday meals, built on MyPlate’s food groups. For weight loss or a medical condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

Can MealPot build a healthy meal plan?

MealPot plans meals around your preferences, shows estimated nutrition for each recipe and writes the grocery list for the week. Free to download; full meal plans need MealPot Pro.

MealPot writes this list from your week’s recipes.

Pick the week’s meals on iPhone or iPad and MealPot turns them into one grocery list, grouped by aisle. Free to download; full meal plans need MealPot Pro.

Get MealPot ↗

Sources