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My Shopping List

Make a shopping list. Include the items you need for your menus and any low-calorie basics you need to restock in your kitchen.

Dairy Case
  • Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk
  • Low-fat or reduced fat cottage cheese
  • Fat-free cottage cheese
  • Low-fat or reduced fat cheeses
  • Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
  • Light or diet margarine (tub, squeeze, or spray)
  • Fat-free or reduced fat sour cream
  • Fat-free cream cheese
  • Eggs/egg substitute
  • ___________________


Breads, Muffins, and Rolls
  • Bread, bagels, or pita bread
  • English muffins
  • Yeast breads (whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel, multi-grain, or raisin)
  • Corn tortillas (not fried)
  • Low-fat flour tortillas
  • Fat-free biscuit mix
  • Rice crackers
  • Challah
  • ___________________


Cereals, Crackers, Rice, Noodles, and Pasta
  • Plain cereal, dry or cooked
  • Saltines, soda crackers (low-sodium or unsalted tops)
  • Graham crackers
  • Other low-fat crackers
  • Rice (brown, white, etc.)
  • Pasta (noodles, spaghetti)
  • Bulgur, couscous, or kasha
  • Potato mixes (made without fat)
  • Wheat mixes
  • Tabouli grain salad
  • Hominy
  • Polenta
  • Polvillo
  • Hominy grits
  • Quinoa
  • Millet
  • Aramanth
  • Oatmeal
  • ___________________


Vegetables (fresh, canned, and frozen)
Fresh Vegetables:
  • Broccoli
  • Peas
  • Corn
  • Cauliflower
  • Squash
  • Green beans
  • Green leafy vegetables
  • Spinach
  • Lettuce
  • Cabbage
  • Artichokes
  • Cucumber
  • Asparagus
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots or celery
  • Onions
  • Potatoes
  • Tomatoes
  • Green peppers
  • Chilies
  • ___________________

Canned Vegetables
(low-sodium or no-salt-added):
  • Canned tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce or pasta
  • Other canned vegetables
  • Canned vegetable soup,
  • reduced sodium

Frozen Vegetables:
(without added fats):
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Mixed medley, etc.
  • ___________________

Exotic Fresh Vegetables
  • Okra
  • Eggplant
  • Grape leaves
  • Mustard greens
  • Kale
  • Leeks
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Chinese celery
  • Bok choy
  • Napa cabbage
  • Seaweed
  • Rhubarb
  • ___________________
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Meat Case
  • White meat chicken and turkey (skin off)
  • Fish (not battered)
  • Beef, round or sirloin
  • Extra lean ground beef such as ground round
  • Pork tenderloin
  • 95% fat-free lunch meats or low-fat deli meats
  • ___________________

Meat Equivalents:
  • Tofu (or bean curd)
  • Beans (see bean list)
  • Eggs/egg substitutes (see dairy list)
  • ___________________


Fruit (fresh, canned, and frozen)
Fresh Fruit:
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Peaches
  • Oranges
  • Pears
  • Grapes
  • Grapefruit
  • Apricots
  • Dried Fruits
  • Cherries
  • Plums
  • Melons
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Plantains
  • Mangoes
  • ___________________

Exotic Fresh Fruit:
  • Kiwi
  • Olives
  • Figs
  • Quinces
  • Currants
  • Persimmons
  • Pomegranates
  • Papaya
  • Zapote
  • Guava
  • Starfruit
  • Litchi nuts
  • Winter melons
  • ___________________

Canned Fruit (in juice or water):
  • Canned pineapple
  • Applesauce
  • Other canned fruits (mixed or plain)
  • ___________________

Frozen Fruits (without added sugar):
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • 100% fruit juice
  • ___________________

Dried Fruit:
  • Raisins/dried fruit (these tend to be higher in calories than fresh fruit)
  • ___________________


Beans and Legumes (if canned, no-salt-added)
  • Lentils
  • Black beans
  • Red beans (kidney beans)
  • Navy beans
  • Black beans
  • Pinto beans
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Fava beans
  • Italian white beans
  • Great white northern beans
  • Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
  • Dried beans, peas, and lentils (without flavoring packets)
  • ___________________


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Baking Items
  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Imitation butter (flakes or buds)
  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • Canned evaporated milk— fat-free (skim) or reduced fat (2%)
  • Non-fat dry milk powder
  • Cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Cornstarch
  • Unflavored gelatin
  • Gelatin, any flavor (reduced calorie)
  • Pudding mixes (reduced calorie)
  • Angel food cake mix
  • ___________________


Frozen Foods
  • Fish fillets—unbreaded
  • Egg substitute
  • 100 percent fruit juices (no sugar added)
  • Fruits (no sugar added)
  • Vegetables (plain)
  • ___________________


Condiments, Sauces, Seasonings, and Spreads
  • Fat-free or low-fat salad dressings
  • Mustard (Dijon, etc.)
  • Catsup
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Jam, jelly, or honey
  • Spices
  • Flavored vinegars
  • Hoisin sauce and plum sauce
  • Salsa or picante sauce
  • Canned green chilies
  • Soy sauce (low-sodium)
  • Bouillon cubes/granules (low-sodium)
  • ___________________


Beverages
  • No-calorie drink mixes
  • Reduced calorie juices
  • Unsweetened iced tea
  • Carbonated water
  • Water
  • ___________________


Nuts and Seeds
  • Almonds, unsalted
  • Mixed nuts, unsalted
  • Peanuts, unsalted
  • Walnuts
  • Sesame seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds, unsalted
  • Sunflower seeds, unsalted
  • Cashews, unsalted
  • Pecans, unsalted
  • ___________________


Fats and Oils
  • Soft (tub) margarine
  • Mayonnaise, low-fat
  • Canola oil
  • Corn oil
  • Olive oil
  • Safflower oil
  • ___________________




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