Electronic Essentials: ➢ Blender
➢ Immersion Blender
➢ Crockpot
➢ General cookware set (No Teflon!)
➢ Onion Chopper
➢ Apple Corer
➢ Sharp knife set
➢ Pint or quart sized mason jars (available online at www.amazon.com or locally at Michael’s craft stores) or Nalgene plastic bottles
➢ Small lunch-sized cooler available at Target, Walmart, etc.
➢ 1 or 2 thermoses to keep soup etc. warm. Target carries a heavy duty type that works really well (microwaving food denatures the food).
➢ Portable and reusable ice packs
➢ Food Storage Containers such as Pyrex (glass) or Rubbermaid (plastic); just don’t reheat food in plastic containers!
Grocery List:➢ Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO), flax seed oil or hemp seed oil
➢ Coconut oil (is solid at room temperature)
➢ Frozen berries
➢ Long grain brown rice
➢ Sea Salt
➢ Pepper
➢ Spices (Fresh and/or Dried) Basil, Oregano, Red Chili Flakes, etc (what you like best)
➢ Fresh Vegetables Galore: Focus on what is in season to get the best quality and price
Best Produce to Buy Organic due to Heavy Pesticide Residue:
➢ Peaches
➢ Apples
➢ Sweet bell peppers
➢ Tomatoes
➢ Celery
➢ Nectarines
➢ Strawberries
➢ Cherries
➢ Lettuce
➢ Grapes (imported)
➢ Pears
➢ Spinach
➢ Potatoes
OK to buy Conventional (Non-Organic):➢ Onions
➢ Avocado
➢ Sweet Corn (frozen)
➢ Pineapples
➢ Mango
➢ Sweet Peas (frozen)
➢ Asparagus
➢ Kiwi
➢ Bananas
➢ Cabbage
➢ Broccoli
➢ Eggplant
For a PDF copy of the Environmental Working Group's Shopping Guide to Pesticides or to get the iPhone App for this guide go to
http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.phpEconomical Grocery Shopping Tips:➢ BJs has large bags of frozen organic vegetables and berries; Whole Foods has better frozen produce prices than traditional grocery stores
➢ Check out Trader Joes when you are ready. This grocery store is a great place for good deals on gourmet foods. They have a lot of great organic stuff. However, you really need to be a savvy label reader to shop here vs Whole Foods or Earth Fare because some of their foods do have trans-fats, MSG, soy protein isolate and more. Overall however they are a great source so study up on your label lingo!
➢ Plan out your meals! If you have a list and stick to it you won’t buy more than you need!
➢ The state farmer’s market is open year round and a good source to find fresh seasonal produce; Carrboro also has an excellent year round farmer’s market with some great organic farmers
➢ Go to the farmers market with a friend! Buying in bulk is cheaper as long as you are going to eat it all so it is best to check out the wholesale section at the farmers market with someone who will split the cost and the quantity of these great food-finds.
For a PDF grocery list print this
