Dietitians Agree, These 30 Items Should Always Be On Your Healthy Grocery List (2024)

To make your supermarket excursions less stressful, registered dietitians shared their expertise on the healthiest foods to buy at the grocery store so you'll know what to have on your list each and every time you shop. Save the grocery list on your phone, so you can pull it up when you're feeling stuck, whether you're at a wholesale club, nationwide retailer such as Trader Joe's, or a locally owned supermarket.

Trust us, this list of healthy grocery store foods will help you save time so you don't have to linger in the aisles trying to decipher the nutrition label and wondering if it will actually taste delicious, again.

Healthy Food Grocery List #1

The dietitian: Stephanie Nelson, M.S., R.D., an in-house nutrition expert for MyFitnessPal.

Canned, Low-Sodium Beans

Nelson's first pick should definitely be a staple on your healthy food grocery list: Beans are a great source of fiber and plant-based protein (a half-cup serving of black beans offers 7 grams protein), so they're filling and beneficial for your heart and digestive health, says Nelson. Canned beans are pre-soaked so all you have to do is rinse and drain them and then season them as you see fit.

How to Use This Ingredient: Heat beans in a pot with some cumin, chili powder, cilantro, and lime juice and use them as a taco filling, suggests Nelson. Another option is to add them to any soup, chili, or stew just before serving, or mash them up with some breadcrumbs, seasoning, and egg to make veggie burger patties.

Add to list: Include breadcrumbs if you plan to make veggie burgers; add lime juice for a taco filling.

Frozen Berries

Depending on where you live, you might not have access to fresh berries year-round. Luckily, you can get all the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals berries have to offer — even in the dead of winter — by stocking up on bags of frozen berries, says Nelson.

How to Use This Ingredient: Defrost frozen berries in the microwave for a minute or less, and then mix them into healthy pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt, or peanut butter. Be sure to use the juices that melted out of the defrosted berries for extra sweetness, she says.

Add to list: Include yogurt since it's versatile and makes for a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert with berries.

Lentils

A cousin of beans, lentils pack nearly 24 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber per half-cup serving. But unlike other high-protein foods (think: chicken), lentils have a long shelf-life, so as long as you have the pantry space, you can buy them in bulk to save some cash on groceries, says Nelson.

How to Use This Ingredient: To incorporate this healthy food into your diet, cook the lentils in chicken or veggie broth until tender and season with a blend of cinnamon and ginger, or garlic, cumin, oregano, and a bay leaf, she suggests. You can also amp up the dish's fat, protein, and flavor by topping the lentils with a fried egg, she says.

Sprouted Wheat Bread

Sprouted bread often has less added sugar and offers more protein than standard bread, making it super filling and beneficial for maintaining muscle mass, she says.

How to Use This Ingredient: Nelson likes to toast sprouted wheat bread, then cover it in peanut butter and sliced banana. Another way is to top it with a fried egg and some avocado and tomato.

Add to list: Include bananas, avocado, and tomatoes, as toppings for toast.

Plain Instant Oats

Those pre-packaged, apple-cinnamon-flavored oatmeals may mentally transport you to cool autumn days, but they're often loaded with added sugar, says Nelson. To keep the fiber-packed breakfast food as nutritious as it can be, she recommends cooking with plain oats, then adding your favorite spices and toppings.

How to Use This Ingredient: Try mixing milk, chia seeds, flax seeds, or protein powder into warm oatmeal and topping it with berries, peanut butter, chopped nuts, or a teaspoon of brown sugar, says Nelson.

Canned Coconut Milk

To make soups and rice ultra-creamy without using dairy, turn to canned coconut milk. This pick on Nelson's healthy grocery list is super versatile, offers a plant-based source of healthy fat — which gives you energy and helps your body absorb vitamins — and lends a slight sweetness to your meals, she says.

How to Use This Ingredient: You can pour some into your coffee in place of regular creamer, she says.

Eggs

Don't let the cholesterol count listed on the nutrition label deter you from adding eggs to your healthy food grocery list. "As long as you aren't sensitive to cholesterol — check with your doctor — eggs are perfectly safe and healthy to eat," says Nelson. "They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and they can add protein to any dish." And by "any dish," she means literally anything your heart desires.

How to Use This Ingredient: Add a fried egg to burgers, sandwiches, bowls of lentils or pasta, or even breakfast burritos. Better yet, scramble them up with all the veggies in your fridge that are on the verge of spoiling to cut back on food waste and get a boost of micronutrients, suggests Nelson.

Frozen Chicken Breasts

This healthy grocery store food is perfect for the days you just need a quick and easy source of protein. Buying frozen chicken breasts will save you money, and you can defrost a single piece if you're not feeling particularly ravenous, says Nelson.

How to Use This Ingredient: To give some oomph in the flavor department, Nelson suggests putting it in a slow cooker with some chicken broth, canned diced tomatoes, and seasonings; then pulling it apart with a fork once it's tender. If you're in the mood for something basic, top it with a couple of seasonings, then roast it in the oven or pan-fry it in some olive oil, she says.

Add to list: Include chicken broth and canned tomatoes if you plan to cook it in the slow cooker.

Healthy Food Grocery List #2

The dietitian: Christina Meyer-Jax, M.S., R.D.N., L.D.N., a health advisor for Lifesum and Gympass.

Collagen Peptides

Simply put, this first pick on Meyer-Jax's list of healthy grocery list must-haves is a stress-free source of protein. ICYDK, collagen is a protein found naturally in the body's connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and bones that lends them their strength, structure, and elasticity, she explains. "As we get older, our bodies become less efficient at producing collagen, so adding in collagen peptides can support protein needs," says Meyer-Jax.

How to Use This Ingredient: The powder mixes in easily to most hot and cold liquids. Try two scoops of Vital Proteins' Collagen Peptides (Buy It, $30, amazon.com) — which provides 20 grams of protein — in your coffee, smoothies, hot cereals, sauces, or baking mixes, she suggests.

Spiralized Zucchini

While there's nothing wrong with noshing on standard wheat-based pasta, zoodles can be a delicious alternative if you're following a low-carb or keto diet or you simply want to amp up your veggie intake. Meyer-Jax typically buys the pre-spiralized zucchini to take out some of the elbow grease to creating dinner, but you can break out the spiralizer in your kitchen cupboard if you'd prefer to start from scratch.

How to Use This Ingredient: Once you have your zoodles, heat them up in a skillet or in the microwave for about three minutes, then use them in place of your noodles in any pasta dish, she says. Another option is to add to a breakfast scramble with two eggs, tomatoes, and spinach for a quick, nutrient-dense breakfast that's high in protein and fiber to keep moving through the morning."

Add to list: Tomatoes and spinach pair well with zoodles.

Bone Broth

Bone broth's heyday may have been back in 2015, but it's still a nutritious addition to your shopping cart. "It's a great source of low-calorie, hydrating, and highly digestible protein that has no added sugars or artificial ingredients," she says. "I also recommend bone broth for gut health and for its digestive system-soothing effect."

How to Use This Ingredient: After you snag a good bone broth at the supermarket, you can drink it straight-up as an alternative to your morning coffee if you have a strong stomach. But for those who dry-heave at the thought of sipping on a cup o' bone broth, Meyer-Jax suggests using it to cook quinoa or rice, boosting the grains' flavor and protein content.

Add to list: Include quinoa or rice if you want to cook with bone broth.

Hot Sauce

When your meals need a bit more zing, add Cholula Hot Sauce (Buy It, $21 for 3, amazon.com) to your healthy grocery list. "It's a flavor powerhouse that has no sugar, is low in sodium, and is made with simple ingredients — peppers, water, spices — that can zip up all of our good-for-you foods that may be low on flavor," says Meyer-Jax.

How to Use This Ingredient: Splash it on eggs, shredded chicken, roasted veggies, or avocado toast to give your taste buds some much-needed excitement, she suggests.

Oat Milk

When choosing a jug of creamy oat milk, make sure you look for a variety that's fortified with calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin B12, which will ensure your plant-based drink has a similar micronutrient profile as cow's milk, she says. "Oat milk also provides beta-glucans, a naturally occurring soluble fiber that research has shown may reduce cholesterol and support immune function," says Meyer-Jax.

How to Use This Ingredient: To get its perks, simply add oat milk to your baked goods, smoothies, coffee, or cereal, she suggests.

Avocado Oil Cooking Spray

Olive oil is great and all, but it's not the only oil to include on your healthy grocery list. Avocado oil boasts monounsaturated fats — which can help lower your LDL or "bad" cholesterol — has a mild flavor, and can stand up to high-temperature cooking.

How to Use This Ingredient: It is ideal for stir-frying and baking, says Meyer-Jax. Having it in a cooking spray form allows you to add a little bit at a time.

Brown Rice Cakes

Versatile, gluten-free, and made from whole grains, the Lundberg Thin Stackers brown rice cakes (Buy It, $9, amazon.com) are a great option, says Meyer-Jax. You can top it with practically any fixings.

How to Use This Ingredient: Meyer-Jax loves smearing a cake with chive cream cheese, covering it with avocado slices and cherry tomatoes, and finishing it off with a dash of Everything But the Bagel seasoning.

Add to list: Include chive cream cheese and cherry tomatoes as toppings.

Bibb Lettuce (Butter Lettuce)

If you're looking for stress-free ways to add more veggies to your plate, Meyer-Jax suggests using the big leaves of bibb lettuce as a wrap.

How to Use This Ingredient: Just rinse one or two large lettuce leaves, add your favorite sandwich fillings, such as shredded chicken, cheese, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers, roll up, and enjoy, she says.

Add to list: Great add ons are cucumber and sliced cheese.

Healthy Food Grocery List #3

The dietitian: Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N, a Shape Brain Trust member.

Jarred Tomato Sauce

When you barely have enough energy to get off the couch, let alone make a lavish dinner, Gans suggests breaking out a jar of delicious tomato sauce, like this Campo D'Oro Basil Tomato Sauce (Buy It, $11, amazon.com), which is free of added sugar and made in Italy.

How to Use This Ingredient: For a quick and easy meal, use jarred tomato sauce and frozen peas tossed with al-dente cooked pasta, says Gans. You'll have an Italian meal, featuring an authentic sauce that doesn't take an entire day to create.

Add to list: Include frozen peas and pasta.

Pistachios

Not only are pistachios a good source of protein and fiber, but they're also rich in unsaturated fats, creating a nutrient package that can help keep you feeling full longer, says Gans. She recommends adding these 1.5-ounce single-serve packets of Wonderful Pistachios (Buy It, $16 for $24, amazon.com) to your list of what to buy at the grocery store.

How to Use This Ingredient: Bring small packages of pistachios with you to work or to your kid's sporting events. Each package provides 150 calories, 6 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber, so your stomach won't rumble in the middle of your afternoon meeting or that all-important game.

100% Fruit Bars

It's not always easy to get your hands on some fresh fruit. That's why Gans recommends stocking your snack cupboard with That's It fruit bars (Buy It, $30 for 20, amazon.com), which provide two whole servings of fruit per bar. Unlike other on-the-go snack bars, these are free of added sugar and preservatives.

How to Use This Ingredient: All-fruit snack bars are perfect to bring on road trips or plane flights. They take almost no room, and will help stave off hunger for hours.

Eggs

Just like Nelson, Gans recommends adding eggs to your list of what to buy at the grocery store. "Eggs are packed with a whole lot of good-for-you nutrients, such as lutein, vitamin E, and B vitamins," she says. "Due to the wholesome, all-vegetarian hen feed, Eggland's Best eggs (Buy It, $5, target.com.) are the only eggs that provide six times more vitamin D and 25 percent less saturated fat than ordinary eggs."

How to Use This Ingredient: Enjoy them on their own — fried, scrambled, poached, or in omelet-form — or plop them on top of a slice of pizza, a baked potato, or a burrito bowl, she says.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Unlike dairy-derived cooking fats such as butter, which is high in saturated fat, extra-virgin olive oil is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which may help lower cholesterol levels and the risk of stroke, says Gans.

How to Use This Ingredient: Use extra-virgin olive oil to create rich sauces, salad dressings, and stir-fries, she says.

Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

Another item both Gans and Nelson have on their lists: Sprouted bread. Gans' pick is found in the frozen food section — not the bread aisle — and is made with wheat, barley, millet, spelt, lentils, and soybeans. Thanks to those atypical ingredients, Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread (Buy It, $7, target.com) packs 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein per slice.

How to Use This Ingredient: Having bread on hand makes a last-minute sandwich or slice of toast with peanut butter always an available option," she says.

Peanut Butter or Almond Butter

While other nut butter may contain added sugar, salt, or palm oil, which increases the saturated fat content, Crazy Richards' peanut butter (Buy It, $4, walmart.com) and almond butter (Buy It, $15, amazon.com) each contain one ingredient: Nuts.

How to Use This Ingredient: Go with a classic or elevated peanut butter and jelly sandwich, smear the almond butter on crackers or an apple for a snack, add either to your oatmeal for healthy fats and protein, or simply eat a spoonful, suggests Gans.

Add to list: Crackers and apples pair well with nut butter as a snack.

Frozen Veggies

Even though they're pre-packaged, frozen veggies are just as nutritious — and sometimes a bit more so — than their fresh counterparts since they're frozen at peak ripeness, making them a smart addition to your list of healthy foods to buy at the grocery store, says Gans. You can even buy them in bags for convenience, such as Bird's Eye Steamfresh (Buy It, $2, walmart.com), where there's no dish or clean-up required.

How to Use This Ingredient: Gans suggests tossing frozen veggies into sauces and soups for extra nutrition. They're also just great to have on hand so you'll be sure to eat your greens, even when you don't feel up to tossing a salad or steaming fresh veggies.

Fresh Fruit and Veggies

Of course, a list of healthy foods to buy at the grocery store isn't complete until there are fresh fruits and veggies added to it. Produce in general is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other key nutrients for your health, and since there's so much variety, there's no reason to leave the store empty-handed, says Gans.

How to Use This Ingredient: Add some strawberries to your morning cereal, try a peach for dessert with lunch, nosh on some raw sliced peppers and hummus for a snack, and start your dinner with a mixed green salad, says Gans. (Better yet, use them to create a version of "nature's cereal" that became popular on TikTok).

Add to list: Include hummus for dipping your veggies.

Healthy Food Grocery List #4

The dietitian: Samantha Lynch, M.S, R.D., C.D.N., founder of Samantha Lynch Nutrition.

Lemons

Oranges may be known for their vitamin C, but lemons pack a punch of the nutrient, too. One lemon offers 41 percent of the USDA's recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C, a nutrient that helps the body produce collagen, keep the immune system working properly, and protects you from free radical damage. Plus, the flavonoids found in citrus — including lemons — have anti-inflammatory properties, says Lynch.

How to Use This Ingredient: Try squeezing some juice onto your fish or salads, making a jug of lemonade, or adding a few slices to your green tea, says Lynch.

Broccoli

You may have developed an aversion to broccoli back when you were 7 years old, but considering all the veggie's health benefits, it's worth adding to your list of what to buy at the grocery store. A single stalk boasts 4 grams of fiber, as well as 171 percent of the RDA for vitamin K and 180 percent of that for vitamin C.

How to Use This Ingredient: To make these little trees actually taste good, roast the florets with lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan cheese or purée them with carrots and cheese to create a creamy soup. (Put the leaves to good use with these recipes.)

Add to list: Parmesan cheese and carrots are great add-on choices.

Avocados

You probably already have avocados on your grocery list, but in case you need some more convincing to write them on there, know that avocados are rich in that LDL-cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat. Plus, the bright green fruit has 13.5 grams of fiber, which helps regulate your number twos, maintain bowel health, and potentially reduce cholesterol levels.

How to Use This Ingredient: Once you've eaten enough avocado toast to last a lifetime, add a few slices to your salad, mash the fruit up into guacamole, or transform the fruit into ice cream.

Dark Chocolate

Yes, even chocolate can be included on your "what to buy at the grocery store" list. "Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants shown to reduce 'bad' LDL cholesterol and increase 'good' HDL levels," says Lynch. And the type of chocolate you consume makes a difference: The more cocoa, the more flavonoids, so opt for bars with higher percentages of cacao.

How to Use This Ingredient: Nosh on a few pieces after dinner or when you need a midday pick-me-up, and when you're feeling extravagant, use the chocolate to make a three-ingredient dark chocolate bark.

Potatoes

Available in colors spanning across the rainbow, this healthy grocery item is rich in carbohydrates, your body's primary energy source during exercise, and packs important micronutrients, too. One red potato contains 37 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for potassium — a mineral that helps muscles contract and regulates blood pressure— while one sweet potato provides 132 percent of the RDA for vitamin A, a nutrient that keeps your vision in tip-top shape.

How to Use This Ingredient: Slice 'em real thin and roast for tender french fries, dice them and combine with other veggies on this list to create a buddha bowl, or whip them into mashed potatoes.

Salmon

Chicken may be your go-to source of protein after a grueling workout, but salmon deserves to be in your rotation of healthy foods to buy at the supermarket. The fish packs a whopping 17 grams of protein per three ounces, plus it's a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which play a key role in supporting heart, brain, and eye health.

How to Use This Ingredient: To get your fill, roast a salmon fillet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon juice or grill it with sliced peaches and avocado.

Walnuts

Walnuts contain the most omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce cholesterol, of all nuts, says Lynch.

How to Use This Ingredient: Crumble a few in your morning oatmeal, sprinkle them on top of your salad, or dip them in melted dark chocolate for a nutritious sweet treat.

Garlic

You're most likely incorporating garlic into your meals for the kick it adds, not for its nutritional perks. But it does offer one: The allium contains anti-inflammatory compounds, says Lynch, meaning it could help ease up chronic inflammation that can potentially lead to serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

How to Use This Ingredient: You can't go wrong with homemade garlic bread, but if you want to get creative with your consumption, try adding a few cloves to your fried rice, pasta sauce, nutritious hummus, or flavorful stews and embrace your garlic breath.

Spinach

One cup of spinach offers 58 micrograms of folate (about 15 percent of the RDA), a nutrient that's needed to make DNA and other genetic material and, among pregnant women, prevent neural tube defects in the baby. The healthy food to buy at the grocery store also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that are important for eye health, says Lynch.

How to Use This Ingredient: If you're still put off by its bitter taste as an adult, hide the leafy green in spinach and artichoke dip, your favorite pasta dish, or in a green smoothie. Try blending 1 cup spinach, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 banana, 1 cup apple juice, and ice, suggests Lynch.

Add to list: Include apple juice if you plan to make a smoothie.

Dietitian-Approved Healthy Grocery List

Take this handy grocery list (and the additional items called out under each ingredient) with you each time you go to the store so you can make sure you always have the basics on hand to eat healthy flavorful meals all the time. With healthy staples like beans, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, you can make fresh and easy meals and snacks that are good for you and taste delicious.

Want to add these seamlessly to your cart? We've got you covered. Here are our Shape dietitian's picks: