It’s no secret that college is a difficult time to live a healthy lifestyle. Whether it is engorging in a late-night pizza, eating a pint of ice cream to deal with finals stress or drinking a little too much during a celebration – there are always temptations that lead college students away from eating nutritious foods. Not to mention, cooking and buying groceries can sometimes feel like spending unnecessary time and money when these things are already scarce.
In order to combat these difficulties, I generated a staple grocery list for my initial shopping excursion when I get to school. 
By stocking up my pantry with all these things, it creates a good foundation for the rest of my semester and helps me to stay on track.
The College-friendly Grocery List:
Fruits and Veggies:
- 1 bundle of bananas
- 1 bundle of kale
- 1 bag of spinach
- 2 avocados
- 1 sweet potato
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 package oats
- 1 package corn tortillas
- 1 package brown/wild rice
- 1 can black/garbanzo beans
- 1 package brown rice cakes
- 1 package whole grain bread
- 1 package pasta
- 1 container no-sugar pasta sauce
- 1 container coconut oil (Can opt for another kind of oil or butter/ ghee)
- 1 container salsa
- 1 jar all-natural peanut butter
- 1-2 bar(s) dark chocolate
- 3-7 protein/meal replacement bars
- Nuts and seeds or dried fruit
Refrigerated Items:
- 1 package eggs
- 2 small containers of egg whites or 1 large container
- 1 container milk
- 1 container Greek yogurt
- 2 containers cottage cheese
- 1 container turkey bacon
Frozen Items:
- 1-2 packages turkey/ chicken/ beef burgers
- 1 package cauliflower rice
- 1 package frozen corn
- 1 package bell peppers
- 1 package broccoli
- 1 package frozen spinach
- 1 package frozen fruit
OK, this list may seem super long, time-consuming, and expensive at first but it really isn’t because you don’t buy all of this every time! This list is simply to stock up your pantry and fridge for when you get started with school or your fitness journey and it will set up you up for success!
A normal grocery list for me is more like a 15-item grocery list. This grocery list is subject to change all the time. I change it up depending on sales, seasonal fruits and vegetables, what I am out of at home and needing specific items for recipes.
The advantage of having a rotating grocery list is that it keeps college students on a more set budget, which allows them to plan for the spending they will do every week/month on groceries. It also eliminates many negative temptations that make it difficult to eat healthy in college.
