to wal-mart we go: the grocery list of a healthy (broke) college student

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you're super hungry, so you grab a quick bag of chips to munch on while you look in the fridge for something better to come along. You want to know a secret? Nothing is going to appear- no matter how many times you look (sorry not sorry).

And that, my friends, is why you meal plan! It's much easier to eat healthy when you know what you are going to eat. You buy the food you need, and ONLY the food you need. (Thus solving the standing in front of the fridge, eating a bag of chips, looking for something better to come along dilemma).

I always make my meal plan on Saturday, go to Wal-Mart, and then I'm all set for the week ahead.

TIP! If you make two menus, you can just switch off every other week, using the exact same meals...ea$y money!

Alright alright, now let's get to the grocery shoppin' and list makin' shall we?

These are the items I always have in bulk, or items that just last a long time. This means I don't have to buy them every week, maybe only every couple of months or once a month.

Beans (if you don't make them fresh, canned)

Brown rice

Quinoa

Oatmeal

Frozen fruit (strawberries and mangos)

Frozen spinach

Frozen chicken

Chia seeds

Marinara sauce

Peanut butter

Almond milk

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Maple syrup

Honey

Red Hot sauce

Wheat bread

Sourdough bread

Wheat tortillas

Corn tortillas

Corn tortilla chips

Pickles

Mustard

That isn't e everything, but those are the items I use most frequently.

Now for a weekly grocery list. This is mostly produce, and it will change depending on what I'm eating for that week. It doesn't seem like much, but that's because I eat the produce along with the bulk items I listed above. Here's an average week's list:

Bananas (I get extra to freeze)

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Spaghetti squash

Apples

Lettuce

Red onion

Cabbage

Avocados

Bell peppers

Eggs

Lara bars

Watermelon

Sweet potatos

I'll give some examples of how I would use that produce for that week.

Breakfast:

-oatmeal with bananas, peanut butter, and maple syrup

-lara bar and an apple

-wheat toast with peanut butter, bananas, and honey

-omelet with bell peppers, avocado, and an apple

-apple and peanut butter

-smoothie (so many different variations)

Lunch:

-toasted sourdough or wheat sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, avocado, mustard

-salad with quinoa, lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt

-avocado toast

-taco salad with beans, cabbage, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, red hot sauce, corn tortilla chips on the side

Dinner:

-spaghetti squash with marinara sauce, stir fry bell peppers and red onions, with avocado sourdough bread on the side

-corn taco with chicken, tomatoes, cabbage, red onion, bell peppers, and red hot

-quinoa with chicken and stir fry bell peppers, and red onion

-sweet potato with chicken and brown rice

There are SO many different ways to use those foods for meals, but I hope that seeing a few helps you guys get some inspo! It's actually pretty cheap ($15-$20) depending on how much you're buying! Most of the money goes towards those bulk items, but they last a long time.

If you need more ideas of meals, look at my Instagram, or send me a quick email or text! Tell me what you have, or send me a pic of your fridge...whatever! I'm sure we could figure out a yummy meal:-)