Grocery Shopping for One

Grocery shopping for one CAN be fun. There is nothing about grocery shopping for one person that should have any sort of bad connotation to it. If there is for you, I want to clear it up. Honey you do you with your groceries. Sure, you aren’t going to be going to Costco because it’s not worth it, most likely. Honestly, and this is a tangent, I’m so tired of all of the stigma of singleness. I still eat when I’m single. I still need groceries, so why do people make it somehow “hard” by asking how someone does it for one? Well for one thing, my grocery shopping happens by me first taking a shopping cart and then walking around, then I pay for it. The best part is buying food I want! I am just a little more strategic about how I shop.

Trader Joe’s Items

• Green Chiles (Use this to develop flavor.)
• Jalapeno Sauce (Spice is the way to my heart.)
• Chili Onion Crunch (See note above.)
• Everything Bagels (Pair with the salmon and capers spread OMG.)
• Sweet and Spicy Pecans (My sister got me addicted to these.)
• Gigli Pasta (Love, love, this pasta.)
• Smoked Salmon and Capers Spread (I could eat this by the spoonful.)
• Limone Alfredo Sauce (The BEST!)

Aldi

• Balsamic Reduction (I put this on top of everything I make, just ask my friends.)
• Rosemary Flatbread Crackers (I think this is a seasonal thing? But STOCK UP if you see these.)
• Cheese, cheese and cheese
• All Produce (every single visit)
  • Bag of Red Onions (I do not know if there is a person who loves onions more than I do.)
  • Bananas (I always think I’m going to eat these… then they end up in bread.)
  • Leeks (Caramelize these at the beginning of the week and put them on EVERYTHING.)
  • Spinach, Broccoli, Anything Green
• Garbanzo Beans (I try to eat vegetarian 1/2 the time at home, at a minimum and this has helped a ton.)

Aldi is where I try to get staples, cheese and produce. Although I guess all of those are staples? Anyway, I’ve gotten it down to about a 20 minute trip including bagging. That quick of a trip helps when I know I need to still go to more stores. WHY CAN’T ONE STORE HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED?

General Grocery Store

• Large Lima Beans (I use these for a lot of Greek-inspired recipes)
• Chipotle Tabasco (The ONLY issue I have with getting Chipotle delivered is not having this sauce so I solved that.)
• Banza Pasta (It is SO good and somehow they also have rice made of chickpeas?)

Cooking for One

I get it, it seems like a lot of work to cook for one. But why aren’t you worth that effort? It does take a bit to figure out the right proportions, but PLEASE do not fall into this lie. You are worth cooking for! This is a time to learn what food you like, new techniques and maybe even some flexing on plating skills.

My favorite cookbooks? Here you go! You can also see I’ve always used them as decor in this and this post.

Sure it’s takes me longer to go through things when I’m cooking for one. (some things, other things I wish I could blame someone else for eating). But please, stop attaching the crutch phrase of “single” to something that we kind of all do the same way. I know I sound like I’m on a rant about it, fair, but I really just don’t get it. Sometimes there are situations where it truly only applies to single people, but let me have my non-relationship status groceries.

P.S. When I was taking this photo I realized these would double for my absolutely non-existent lifestyle/cookbook. But how else do you take a shot of your favorite groceries than this? If you know how, tell me and I will gladly re-shoot this.