There are as many different shopping lists as there are people – we’ve all got our own individual tastes and preferences, so it makes sense that our shopping habits would reflect this. If you’re new to getting your own groceries, it can be a bit of a daunting experience. What do you get? How much is too much? What should be on my list? These questions (and more) can be answered by developing your very own personal shopping checklist. To help you lay the right foundations, we’ve put together a few suggestions below about what basic items to include on your checklist. Ready? Set. SHOP! Fruit and Veg Getting the right amount and variety of fruit and vegetables is essential to maintaining a balanced diet. If you’re after a good selection, a great place to start is with Scicliuna’s fruit and veggie box. It’s chock full of options and an excellent base to build from, especially for any vegan shopping list. Looking to expand your diet? Here are some of our most popular items to inspire you: Cauliflower you can roast whole or put in a stir fry Watermelon slices for a refreshing post-dinner treat Raspberries for your morning granola and yoghurt Mushrooms to fry up with butter and garlic to have on toast Cos lettuce (twin pack) for that crunchy texture in your salads. Pantry staples At first, when you’re itemising your essential shopping list, you may need to stock up on the basics – so don’t forget about your pantry. Keeping the right selection of products in there can help you in a pinch and make cooking a bit easier when working with particular recipes. Depending on your taste, you might explore a whole range of pantry goods, but we recommend starting with the following: Self-raising flour Jasmine rice Pulses, like red or green lentils St Ali Wide Awake strong espresso blend coffee (or tea if you prefer) Pasta, such as fusilli or gnocchi. Meat, Poultry & Seafood If you consume animal products, adding meat, poultry and seafood to your shopping list will help you to get the protein your body needs. Opt for lean proteins where possible, like turkey or fish, as they have the least amount of saturated fats. Short on ideas? Here are some staples you might like to include in next week’s shop: Flinders + Co beef patties for burgers with the lot Pork and fennel sausages to have with a side of steamed vegetables Skin-on Atlantic salmon to pan-fry and serve with a simple salad Porterhouse steak to BBQ with chips Chicken breast fillet to dice up for an Asian-inspired stir fry. Eggs & Dairy Often the base of many breakfast dishes, it can be helpful to keep eggs and dairy in the fridge at home when you want to whip up something tasty, fast. From yoghurt and milk to cheeses like brie, these creamy items can help to add a depth of flavour to any dish. Let’s keep things simple – start to master and use these products and you’ll be cooking up a storm in no time: Western Star spreadable butter EOSS natural yoghurt Moorabool Valley free range eggs Caterer’s Choice full cream milk That’s Amore shredded mozzarella cheese (perfect as a pizza topping!). Deli As you start to build out your grocery shopping list, you might find yourself needing quick and easy products you can use to throw together last-minute meals or snacks. Deli meats, sliced cheese and dips are perfect for just that – add them to your sandwich or wrap to create some stellar flavour combos! There are a lot of options when it comes to grabbing food from the deli, but we think these items are a great jumping-off point: Gamze Smokehouse smoked salmon Gamze Smokehouse sliced turkey breast That’s Amore buffalo bocconcini Yumi’s hommus dip Maffra Cheese Co peppercorn cheddar. Bakery Carbs, glorious carbs! You can’t beat the taste of a freshly baked loaf of bread for your morning toast or lunchtime sanga. Don’t forget, however, to treat yourself occasionally to some sweet treats (no shopping list would be complete without them!). To keep you on track, here are some must-haves to keep on your grocery list: Anything from Noisette, but particularly the ciabatta Banana bread Casadolce Turkish rolls Vegan muesli cookies (they come in a six-pack) A bag of Glick’s sesame bagels. Café and restaurant-quality food at home Eating restaurant-quality food at home doesn’t have to be a hassle – we’ve partnered with some of Melbourne’s top restaurants to bring high-quality meals right to your door. Choose from the likes of A25 for gluten-free pizza, Oriental Teahouse for dumplings and Chinese cuisine, Vamos for Mexican food and Vegie Bar for vegetarian and vegan meals. Alternatively, you can bring the cafe to you and choose from a wide selection of ready-made meals. There’s Mediterranian pasta bake, eggplant focaccia, wraps, sandwiches, salads and much, much more. Drinks For a splash of milk in your coffee or as a refreshing treat, there are a range of different beverages you can add to your grocery shopping list. We’re partial to low or no sugar drinks here at iPantry, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like to treat ourselves. Here are some fun and fancy drinks you might like to include on your list: Kreol antioxidant ginger lime A four-pack of CAPI blood orange Coco Coast coconut water Famous Soda Co cola Dash sparkling water, which comes in a bunch of flavours, such as peach, raspberry and cucumber An alternative milk, like Bonsoy, Milk Lab Almond Milk or Oatly oat milk. Vegan, gluten-free and organic If you’re conscious about creating a healthy shopping list (or are working with food allergies or intolerances), we stock a range of vegan, gluten-free and organic foods for you to choose from. While we can’t list every single item here, we can point you in the direction of some great staples to include on your next shopping list: The Vegan Dairy cultured butter and ashed chevre Quorn hot and spicy vegan burger patties Organic tinned pulses, such as brown lentils, chickpeas and mixed beans Ceres Organics brown rice crackers Well & Good seeded gluten-free sliced bread Nudie vegan coconut yoghurt Gluten-free flour Mister Bianco sughetto sauce. Tick off your checklist with iPantry Now that you’ve got your list sorted, it’s time to get your fridge and pantry in order. Shop online at iPantry and order before 2pm Monday to Friday for next day delivery. And if you spend more than $75, delivery is free. Skip the supermarket queue and take your time at home by shopping on our online grocery marketplace.
