Keep an enduring list
I keep one Grocery List on my phone in the notes app, with checkboxes enabled. This way at the store, I check off everything I buy. During the week, whenever I run out of an ingredient, I uncheck that item on my phone list. This way, I always have a list I’m updating, and anytime I happen to enter into a grocery store, I can pull out my phone and know exactly what I need at that moment (or at least have a good guess).
My Ingredient List
I cook (roughly) the same breakfast and lunch most days, and everything on my dinner menu uses basically the same ingredients, so my pantry is pretty simple to maintain:
FRESH PRODUCE
- Bananas
- Berry Medley, frozen
- Apples / Grapes / Oranges (lunch options)
- Carrots / Bell Peppers (lunch options)
- Garlic
- Onion
- Chili, usually jalapenos
- Lemon / Lime / both
- Tomatoes
- Greens / Broccoli (micronutrient allstars)
DAIRY / MEAT
- Greek Yogurt, whole milk
- Milk, whole, vitamin D
- Cheese, typically shredded or cream
- Meat, usually chicken or ground beef depending on what dinners I want
CARBS / FATS / AISLES
- Oats, old-fashioned
- Peanut Butter
- Bread, sourdough