How to Grocery Shop When You Hate Meal Planning

Last updated on May 1st, 2026 at 03:55 pm

Look, meal planning, and I don’t get along, and if you’re here, I suspect it’s the same for you. There are easy ways to meal plan (see the blog here!), But that can be killer when you’re at the grocery store because you might end up buying a bunch of stuff you don’t need and ultimately end up wasting. Groceries are expensive! We can’t afford food waste right now! So, let’s talk about grocery shopping when you hate meal planning.

The key is to stick to the basics – things that will help you pull together meals even if all you’re doing is opening your freezer, fridge, and pantry. That’s primarily what we’re talking about here. Obviously, you might have your snacks, your juice, etc., but here’s how you’re pulling together meals. It’s basically protein + produce + carb.

Protein

This will look different from family to family, especially considering whether you’re vegetarian or not. If you’re eating meat, grab 3-4 options for the week that you can break up into multiple meals. If you’re trying to save money, great options include chicken thighs/drumsticks, sausage, ground beef, and pork. Grab some bacon and make breakfast for dinner one night with eggs and pancakes.

If you’re able to buy it in bulk and portion it out, all the better. Especially things like ground beef, which you can split up for tacos one night and burgers the next. Chicken thighs you can have in pasta one night and baked the next. Sausage is another great one for pasta and for a one-sheet meal.

Eggs, tofu, and even some carbs like chickpea pasta (Banza) can be a great option too for easy ways to get in protein without breaking the bank. (I know the free-range eggs look great, but they’re actually not really that different, and I recommend just buying the $2 eggs.)  

Produce

Produce is your next big one, and you’ll want to grab some fruit and some veggies. Again, obviously, grab what you like. But you’ll want 3-4 options for the week that you can again split up. Root vegetables like carrots and beets last a long time in the fridge, which can be helpful. You can mix those with veggies that might not last as long, like green beans and spinach. Definitely grab some onions and garlic because they are where the flavor is!

Pro-tip: Don’t be afraid to buy frozen if you’re buying for an extended period of time. Frozen veggies are picked at their peak freshness, and they’re just as good. Grab some frozen broccoli for stir-fry or get some bags of veggies that steam in the microwave for an easy night.

Pro-tip: For the record, tomato sauce counts as veggies! Buy some for your pasta and feel good about it!

Carbs

Your carb staples are lentils, rice, beans, pasta, and tortillas. This gives you a huge variety of meals to choose from. Bread is also in this category. (Don’t be afraid to buy more bread than you need because bread freezes so well. You don’t even need to put it into a separate bag.) Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are another great option for your carbs.

Dairy

If you eat dairy, you’ll want to make sure to have this on hand, too. I’m basically talking about butter. Make sure you have butter. But milk, heavy cream, cheese, etc., are also great to have too, obviously. These items give you lots of options, especially for mixing up pasta dishes.

Pantry staples

This category includes things like seasonings, flour, sugar, extra virgin olive oil, etc. You need to be able to just open up your cupboards and find everything you need to make whatever makes sense. So, make sure you have these!

How to pull everything together into a meal

Okay, here’s where we get it together. It’s dinner time. Open your fridge. What’s going to go bad next? Cook that. Pick a protein, a produce item, and a carb, and pull it together into a meal. You might need to be creative, and that’s okay. I believe in you.

Pro-tip: Check expiration dates before buying. If you can get away with not having to freeze anything, that will make it easier to just pull out what you need for dinner. Plus, you can organize your dinners around what’s going to go bad next, which makes it even easier!

Some easy options based on what you might have bought:

• Tacos with salsa, ground beef or chicken, and cheese in your tortillas
• One sheet meal with sausage, onions, and green beans
• One sheet meal with chicken, carrots, and potatoes
• Protein pasta with tomato sauce and cheese (add sausage if you want it)
• Hamburgers with roasted home fries and carrots
• Pasta with shredded chicken or seafood and alfredo sauce
• Homemade hamburger helper

Look, the options are endless. Just don’t be afraid to mix and match weird things, and you’ve got this. Go forth.