Weekly Healthy Grocery List for One

If you live by yourself, don't worry, you're not alone! If you're in the USA, you're one of 35 million single-person households. In the UK, the figure is 7.7 million.

But, if you're all by yourself, how should you go about your grocery shopping? Having a good healthy grocery list for one will not only keep you fit and fed, but also has some other surprising benefits.

We looked at how Listonic users in single-person households shop, and the patterns are clear: planning makes a significant difference to both budget and nutrition.

Weekly Healthy Grocery List for One

What should the list include?

A healthy weekly grocery list for one person should cover all the major food groups in portions sized for a single household. The list below follows general healthy eating guidelines, including:

• 2 portions of fish (preferably oily) per week
• No starchy vegetables (such as potatoes)
• Meat portion control
• White meat and lean red meat
• 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, snacking on about 2-3 portions of fruit a day and having 2 portions of vegetables with a main meal

Healthy condiments are included but only need to be bought when you run out. Some items, such as grains, may last more than a week and keep well in a cool dry place.

You're more than welcome to make additions and subtractions to make it your own.

Healthy Food Portion Breakdown

One of the biggest challenges when shopping for one is knowing how much to actually buy. Here is how many meals or servings a standard grocery store pack provides, based on healthy eating guidelines.

Meat, fish, & eggs

1lb / 500g pack of chicken breasts = 4 meals

1lb / 500g pack of lean ground beef = 4 meals

1½ lb / 300g pack of ham = 10 sandwiches

1 can of tuna (5oz / 160g) = 1 meal

1 can of sardines (5oz / 160g) = 1 meal

Pack of 2 salmon fillets = 2 meals

6 medium eggs = 3 egg breakfasts

Dairy

2 cups / 500ml carton of milk (or milk alternative) = 8 bowls of breakfast

1 lb / 500g tub of Greek yogurt = 3 bowls

½ lb / 250g stick/block of butter or healthy oil-infused spread = 50 slices of bread

¾ lb / 350g block of cheese = 12 sandwiches

Grains

1 loaf of wholemeal/wholegrain bread = 10 sandwiches

1 lb / 500g bag of wholegrain pasta = 6 meals

½ lb / 250g bag of brown rice = 5 meals

1lb / 500g box of healthy breakfast cereal = 10 breakfast bowls

1lb / 500g box of oatmeal = 10 breakfasts

Vegetables

1 can of chopped tomatoes = 4 servings of pasta sauce

1 onion = ingredient for 2-4 portions (depending on recipe)

1 avocado = 2 meals

1 medium eggplant / aubergine = 2-3 sides

1 medium zucchini / courgette = 2-3 sides

1 can of peas = 2 sides

1 can of beans (any) = 2 meals/sides

1 sweet potato = 2 sides

2 carrots = 1 side

Fruit & Nuts

1 apple = 1 snack

1 large banana = 1 snack

1 orange = 1 snack

2-3 satsumas/clementines/mandarins = 1 snack

2 plums = 1 snack

1 cup of (approx 8) strawberries = 1 snack

1 cup of (approx 32) grapes = 1 snack

1 handful of nuts (approx. 1oz / 30g) = 1 snack

1 handful of dried mix fruit (approx 1oz / 30g) = 1 snack

Shopping for One: Tips and Strategies

There's nothing quite like independence: having no one else to rely on but yourself. Unfortunately, this means that you have to look after your grocery shopping, too.

But where do you even start with doing the groceries? Well, making sure you're keeping yourself healthy is a very good start.

There are plenty of "healthy grocery lists" online that can give you plenty of tips and ideas. But how do you actually translate it into a basic grocery list for 1?

The trick here is to try and work out precisely how much you'll need. Having items like chicken, carrots, avocados, milk, and bread on your list are all well and good, but how do you know how much of each you should buy?

The FAQs below cover the most common questions solo shoppers have, from whether to meal plan to how to make bulk buying work for a single household.

Weekly Healthy Grocery List for One FAQs

Do I really need to use a shopping list?

Yes.

There's a temptation to think that, because you're living alone, that shopping is easy. This is because you feel you don't need to buy as much and therefore don't need to plan as meticulously.

But if anything, living by yourself means you probably should be planning more! But why is this?

Firstly, to keep costs down. Supermarkets are quite unscrupulous when it comes to finding sneaky psychological ways to make you buy things you didn't plan to or simply don't need.

Making a list and doing your darndest to stick to it will help you fight those bedazzling offers and temptations. This is important when it comes to pricier items on your list. You don't want to be spending unnecessary pennies on the olive oil that's on offer when your normal brand is still cheaper.

Using a good shopping list means that you'll only buy what you need. This means you'll be less likely to end up with products that you'll never use, or worse, have to throw away.

After all, overheads are much higher when living in a single-person household, so making sure you have a good cheap grocery list for one person is actually quite essential.

Secondly, it will help reduce food waste. Environmental issues are becoming more and more prevalent these days. Food waste is a large contributor to greenhouse gases and climate change.

It's also costly, as every unused food item you throw out is actually something you've spent money on. Having a good shopping list will help you buy only what you need for that week, and reduce your food waste.

Thirdly, a good shopping list can help you maintain a healthy living lifestyle. It's easy to plump for ready-made meals for one when living alone.

They're convenient, but they're certainly not as healthy as preparing your own food. Having a good weekly meal plan and shopping list can help you prepare your own meals and keep your intake of unhealthy saturated fat, sodium, and refined sugar down.

In our data, Listonic users who shop with a prepared list consistently report spending less per week and throwing away less food than those who shop without one.

So, I should create a meal plan?

It's definitely advised.

Figuring out exactly what you'll be eating and cooking for the week will really help ensure your grocery list for one reduces waste and spending.

Be honest when you create your meal plan. Are there some nights where you're simply not going to have the time or the energy to cook a meal? Are you likely to go for takeout at the weekend?

If so, don't worry! It's far better to include and incorporate these into your meal plans and shop around these.

But isn't buying in bulk cheaper?

Generally, yes. But it isn't if you just end up throwing stuff away because you haven't used things before they go bad, it really isn't.

There's no point buying 10 onions for $5 at 50¢ each, rather than $3 for the 4 onions at 75¢ if you end up throwing 6 onions away. If this happens, you actually ended up paying $5 for just 4 onions: that's $2.5 per onion!

But you can make buying in bulk work for you as long as you have the knowledge and the means to preserve things for longer.

For example, if you have extra onions, you can take time to chop up the ones you're unlikely to use straight away and store them in the freezer.

Check out our "How to Store" section for guides and tips about how to get the maximum shelf-life from your food.

Should I cook for one?

No.

Cooking for one doesn't take much less time than cooking for 4 or more. Therefore, you might want to consider cooking a meal that serves 4+ and storing the remaining portions to have later in the week.

Of course, this is totally dependent on your storage situation, particularly freezer space. It also means your weekly menu will have a narrower variety of meals for you to enjoy.

But doing this really helps keep costs down as you're simply buying a lot less. It also saves time for some meals as all you need to do is defrost then reheat a portion.

We tested this with Listonic users and found that batch cookers consistently reported lower weekly grocery spend and less food waste.

Are there any general money-saving tips for shopping for one?

Absolutely.

The best tip is to make a shopping list and stick to it, which we've mentioned above. The next best tip is that frozen and canned food are godsends! Both are generally cheaper in weight compared to their fresh counterparts. They are also just as healthy as fresh food.

If you're choosing time-saving prepared food, such as frozen mixed chopped vegetables, then they might be pricier.

However, the convenience of these might be worth the extra pennies. What's also great about these is that they keep for a long time.

So, if your meal plan for the week diverges for whatever reason, at least you don't need to worry about having to throw unused food items out because you didn't get round to using them as planned.

As well as reducing your food waste, as they can be used at a later date you won't be putting your hard-earned bucks straight into the garbage.

How much should a single person spend on groceries per week?

According to USDA data, the average single adult in the US spends between $80 and $120 per week on groceries, depending on their eating habits and location. Listonic users report that having a structured weekly list typically brings that figure toward the lower end of the range.

The key levers are: planning meals in advance, buying frozen and canned staples in bulk, and avoiding shopping when hungry.

How do I reduce food waste when shopping for one?

The most effective approach is to plan your meals before you write your list, not after. Start with what you already have in the fridge and build around it.

Choose ingredients that appear in multiple meals across the week. For example, a bag of spinach can work in an omelette, a pasta dish, and a salad.

Buy fresh items only when you have a specific meal planned for them within 2 to 3 days, and lean on frozen or canned alternatives for everything else.

What should a healthy grocery list for one person include?

A healthy weekly grocery list for one person should cover five main categories: protein (chicken, eggs, fish, beans), vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned), fruit (for snacks and breakfast), whole grains (oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice, pasta), and dairy or alternatives (milk, yogurt, cheese).

Beyond that, keep a rotation of healthy condiments and pantry staples. These don't need to be bought every week, but keeping them stocked means you can cook varied meals from a shorter, cheaper weekly list.