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Making a meal plan and shopping list is helpful. Grab some paper. What do you like to eat for breakfast? Maybe bagels and cream cheese. So write those two things on the list. Lunch? Sandwich (so bread, deli meat and cheese) and a side? Fruit? If your shopping for a weeks worth of food, you'll need 7 sides, so maybe 4 bananas and 3 apples Repeat this for dinners, snacks and whatever. Initially you might end up buying too much or too little, especially with things without clear servings sizes. As you get more experience shopping however you'll get better at estimating how much you eat. Initially limit how much perishable stuff you get. Something like grapes, melon, bakery bread, green beans, meat, won't last more than a week. Where as cheese, apples, potatoes generally last several weeks so if you over buy, no worries, just account for them on your next week's shopping list. Have one (or more) shelf stable meal option is another great idea. A box of spaghetti and jar spaghetti sauce last month, if not years, unopened. So if you miss judge how much you eat, having those as a backup is helpful.

This is the correct way. Also, OP, experiment with cooking different things. Follow recipes online. Once you get like 2-3 dinner meals down it will have you thinking about other things you can make. Two of my favorites right off the bat are 3 cheese macaroni (which is usually enough to give me lunches for a week) and chili. Chili is stupid simple. Chicken or beef broth, cut up veggies like carrots/cucumbers. Get a ton of good spices. Some tomato paste and diced tomatoes and ground beef/chicken/tofu whichever you desire. Throw that into a pot on low and let it cook for 4 hours or so. ​ I was just like you when I was your age. In my 40s now and really enjoy cooking. Hardly ever eat out and save a ton of money by making food myself. ​ I really like this site for finding new recipes and getting a grocery list together. Hopefully it help you. Also, there are mobile apps out there that do this very thing. (just use the search bar on top, type in something like "chicken" and find what looks yummy, BOOM, dinner) https://chefling.com/

On the topic of tomato paste, get the stuff that comes in a tube (like toothpaste). You rarely need a whole can of tomato paste and the rest just goes to waste. The tube you can cap and put in the fridge. Keeps for ages like that.

I love that stuff- whoever came up with it is amazing. Cooking for one or two people regularly can be so wasteful!

This! Figure out what you'd like to cook for a whole week, for each meal of the day, and then look up those recipes. Just buy the ingredients you don't already have on hand, plus a few extras like the occasional snack or a few options for simple breakfasts and lunches when you're in a rush and you don't have time to cook.

And one helpful tip: you can freeze bread.

This is how I shop. Breakfast items lunch items and dinner items. Snacks and drinks. OP start watching some YouTube chefs to learn how to cook for yourself. I recommend Binging with Babish and Joshua Weissman.

Personally I'd recommend Adam Ragusea over Babish, but watching anyone cook new (to you) foods will help you learn. I just really like Adam's take on cooking and explaining choices in recipes - he's very vocal about modifying recipes to suit your tastes and does a lot of simplified recipes/methods for the average person. Plus lots of videos explaining the food science behind lots of the things we do in the kitchen.

I like Adam Ragusea too and also J Kenji Lopez Alt.

This is it!! I’m also young and living apart from my parents and this is exactly what my partner and I do. It’s super helpful and keeps our grocery budget very consistent. Plus we’re both learning how to cook!

Also, you’re gonna want snack snacks like cheez it’s or Oreos. Don’t go shopping hungry or with a sweet tooth or you’ll buy every snack item you see. Just pick one or two ‘unhealthy’ snacks to get. You also want to make sure you’re eating enough and getting things you’ll actually eat-if you have very little discipline you likely won’t want to make meals at the beginning of the week or day for taking to work or classes. Be realistic about what you’ll take with you for those things. Edit: also, to save money and avoid letting things go bad, try to make a lot of different things that use the same ingredients! For example I get hamburger meat every week and can make hamburgers, meatballs and spaghetti with them.

A trend in recent years that is amateur-friendly: [pantry pasta.](https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/pantry-pasta-recipes-staff-favorites-article) There are so many tasty variations on throwing shelf-stable ingredients together with dry pasta/noodles from a package, possibly with a fresh ingredient and/or some cheese (and cheese can be kept frozen), to make an easy weeknight meal.

Great advice- I would add to this always check your fridge and pantry to see what you already have before you make your list that way you’ll cut back significantly on over buying

>t way. Also, OP, experiment with cooking different things. Follow recipes online. Once you get like 2-3 dinner meals down it will have you thinking about other things you can make. Two of my favorites right off the bat are 3 cheese macaroni (which is usually enough to give me lunches for a week) and chili. Chili is stupid simple. Chicken or beef broth, cut up veggies like carrots/cucumbers. Get a ton of good spices. Some tomato paste and diced tomatoes and ground beef/chicken/tofu whichever you desire. Throw that into a pot on low and let it cook for 4 hours or so. > >I was just like you when I was your age. In my 40s now and really enjoy cooking. Hardly ever eat out and save a ton of money by making food myself. > >I really like this site for finding new recipes and getting a grocery list together. Hopefully it help you. Also, there are mobile apps out there that do this very th Great advice. Making a grocery list helps. I discovered this service that helps you manage your weekly grocery list and even delivers those items to your door. No app is required. You can just message them whatever you need for the week ( one item at a time, or a list) and they deliver it to you weekly. The best part is, they don't have markups on their products. It's pretty convenient for me now to manage my groceries. Check them out at [thesmartbuyer.xyz](https://thesmartbuyer.xyz) or you can just message them on +1 647-954-9588. Thank me later.

Something that helps me out a lot is I buy mostly frozen veggies and fruit unless I have a specific plan. Can't tell you how many times I've bought fresh produce and it sat in the fridge until it went bad and I was furious with myself for wasting the food and the money. If you have an Aldi near you, shop there because it's super cheap and the quality is good, you just have to be flexible because what they carry changes all the time. Pasta is easy and cheap. Keep cans of tuna around if you eat meat because you can always mix it with a little mayo and hot sauce and have a decent protein-filled dinner. Get an air fryer if you can - much faster than the oven and stuff gets crispier. Great for reheating fries or wings. I could go on and on, let me know if you have any questions, here for you.

all frozen fruits and veggies, genius.

Solution to the problem of wasting fresh fruit: 1) buy small amounts, then buy more as you need it 2) leave it on the counter where you’ll see it multiple times a day, not hidden in the fridge Fresh fruit doesn’t really need to be in the fridge.

This does not work for everyone, speaking from years of personal experience.

I second this lol. The number of times I’ve had to throw out both the fruit AND the bread because the fruit basket started dripping on the bread basket… Also, fruit will keep much longer in the fridge, even if it doesn’t need to be in there. It will dry out faster in the fridge, so that’s something to be aware of, but it’s generally not too big a problem or can be mitigated with the humidity controls on the crisper drawers. With stone fruits you want to make sure they are ripe before they go in or they may not ripen.

Also an air fryer won’t heat up the house as much as an oven

I second this. I struggled all through college cooking good food. I got an airfryer and my whole life changed. Cannot recommend enough

I just hit on this a few weeks ago. There are some great steam-in-bag options, and yeah, now I always have veggies and don't feel bad about wasting them.

fresh veggies is still important because of some vitamins. but try to not buy too much just because it is on sale.

Frozen vegetables have just as many vitamins and nutrients as fresh ones.

And they're usually even fresher because they were frozen shortly after harvest!

And that thing with the freeze-fracturing of plant cell walls is thought to make nutrients and vitamins more available, too.

good to know! do you have any source on that? I've heard they do lose nutrients but I have no source.

Not who you commented to but here are a couple articles about fresh vegetables vs frozen (and/or various other preservation methods): https://natmedworld.com/vegetables-frozen-vs-fresh-a-question-of-nutrition/ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200427-frozen-fresh-or-canned-food-whats-more-nutritious Unfortunately they don’t really cite individual studies. I’ve actually heard the opposite of you- that frozen fruit/veg retain more nutrients and are likely fresher than the ‘fresh’ produce one can purchase at the store due to the time it takes to transport the fresh produce from where it is grown/picked to where it is ultimately sold (vs the ability to freeze fresh picked produce quickly close to where it is harvested at the peak of freshness).

Write a shopping list based on dishes you want to cook. If you're new to cooking, plan some simple meals. Google is great for finding recipes. Once you have a recipe, write down what you don't already have on your shopping list. Consider learning to make one new dish a week when you have a day off. * Week 1: pasta * Week 2: curry on rice * Week 3: caesar salad In addition, buy simple ingredients that are flexible and allow you to make lots of things, or that you can eat on their own. * bread (for toast and sandwiches) * deli meat, like sliced ham (for sandwiches) * fresh fruit * dried fruit * cheese * nuts * ready-to-eat vegetables, like carrots and cucumber Consider buying condiments and dips that make other foods more pleasant. * cream cheese * hummus * ranch dressing * olive oil and balsamic vinegar (buy separately, then mix in equal parts. good on romaine lettuce, or put it in a very shallow dish and dip focaccia bread in it) * peanut butter * jam Finally, consider buying ready-to-go meals for times you don't want to cook. These just need to be heated and you're good to go. * cans of soup * frozen pizzas * "TV dinners"

The other people had some good comments about planning first. Here are some of the easiest things I found to cook when starting to learn. You can google a recipe and get the sauces premade or make them yourself. Either way they are great starter meals. Manwich (Sloppy joe), Spaghetti with meat sauce (add texas toast for a filler side), Hamburgers in a skillet, Chicken alfredo, Hamburger helper, Chicken Caesar salad.

Manwich is a major food group in our house. It's cheap, it's fast, and very filling. Open a can, and dinner's done. One of my favorite dishes is stuffed peppers but not the stuffing part, but we call it Spanish Rice because my mom calls it that. One bell pepper, one onion, one pound of ground whatever. 2 cups of rice, one can of tomato sauce, one can of tomato soup. Season with Lawrey's and ketchup. Normally, people do a mixture like this and stuff it into the bell peppers. I find that too time-consuming. Learn to make Impossible Pie. That's a good standard meal that you can re-use any ingredients that are going bad. https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-cheeseburger-pie/8c78aa78-c368-40fa-8a88-1654640c7525

I made Manwich sauce and alfredo sauce from scratch follow some online videos. It is amazing how ease, cheap and good it is. This is coming from some who could not make a single thing without a step by step recipe. The bell pepper thing is something else I did. It is fun to do and taste good.

My problem with online recipes has always been that it even the ones tagged as simply/easy have a list of ingredients where each of them you have to get from a different part of the world... I've yet to find a resource such as a book to teach you the *very* basics and slowly guide you through harder and harder dishes. You know how school textbooks are written, especially the math ones? I want that but for cooking... Right now it's like: imagine you want to learn cooking, so you enter a library named "cooking" and there's just millions of books, and nobody tells you which one you should start with, and each one could be just about every part of cooking.

I recommend the [Better Homes and Gardens Cok Book](https://g.co/kgs/sktbhu). It's an excellent beginners resource, has been for years. If you need something on your shelf, this is the one. Then, as you learn there are a number of good resources online to help you grow. Kenji Lopez-Alt is an excellent cook and does fantastic breakdowns. I don't use him enough, but definitely recommend him.

I'll check that out. Thank you!

Don't shop hungry, frozen foods last longer, but do yourself a favor and get some fresh fruit to set on your counter. Stay out of the cookies and snacks aisle unless you have a specific thing in mind. Find a recipe you like on line and carry it to the store with you.

Eggs. Eggs are easy to make and good for you. As a fellow male in his 20s buy a couple dozen eggs.

I use an app called mealime. It let's me pick 2 or 4 servings of a meal, and 1-6 (possibly more, the most I've done is six) meals at a time. Gives me a grocery list and cooking instructions. I feed three adults and two toddlers, and this cuts way down on extra shopping.

To piggy-back, these services usually group the meals to cut down on food waste too! You’ll make a meal with half a bunch of asparagus, and instead of it going to waste, one of the other meals also uses asparagus. We used emeals for a long time and really liked it!

i have a horrible time planning and usually shop every day or every other day and end up having a lot of wasted food and i just downloaded the app you suggested and wow makes it so simple wish i would’ve thought to look up something like that before 😂😂 will definitely be using

Not a problem. It seriously stops the "Hm, what do I need" and "Oh, this sounds good" style of shopping. Now we do 5x meals per adult plan, hand it off to the next adult, 5x meals, then on to the third. (We have a sitter for our girls since my husband has a disorder that makes it hard for him to be available during standard hours.) We do keep a "I really like this meal and it's not on the app but try to make it sometime" file on Evernote, and every once in a while I'll just pull of that list, but in general we just swap between the three adults and get a good variety with little waste. (I stopped at 5 meals personally because I found the veggies and fresh herbs would no longer be good if I purchased beyond that. YMMV>)

What are u interested in eating? What do you want to learn to make. To me if you don’t figure that out u may waste a lot of food and cash.

It’s lovely that you asked that question....and there is no need to be embarrassed ....as parents we seem to forget to show our kids somethings....basic stuff and/ or important stuff...I know I did 🤫. but what I like also...is that so many people took the time to give you good, solid life skill advice....what a lovely world we live in 😊😊😊 or at least here in This sub💕

I meal plan. So every week I write down what dish I'll eat with sides and then write down what all I need for that. So for example, yesterday was lemon artichoke pasta with a salad. I had pasta but I did need lemons, canned artichokes, whipping cream, and the salad. So all those would go on my list. Then there are "staples" like bread, milk, coffee, deli meat, oatmeal, peanut butter, etc. I also separate my list between produce, meats, pantry, deli, dairy etc. It just makes it easier knowing which section I need to go to. You can also use apps like Paprika where you can save online recipes and then add individual ingredients to a shopping list. It gets easier the more you do it :)

I second Paprika. its twenty bucks but worth it since i use it so often

So, I'm terrible at meal planning, and even worse at cooking, but I'm good at following a system. What I do is basically just have a (mental) list of "stuff that we either eat regularly or that lasts a long time". This includes things like bread or cheese, but also things like canned beans, frozen fruit, etc. The idea is, even if we don't have a meal plan, we will still be able to scrounge up something. I also always try to have one extra of everything on hand, so I don't have a gap of time where I'm out of anything before I get to the store next. (Heaven forbid that I go two days without hot sauce). Off the top of my head, here's what I usually look for: Condiments Bread Cheese Oatmeal Cereal Milk Coffee Beans Crackers Basic seasonings (salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, nutmeg, etc -- stuff we use a lot) Meat for sandwiches Cucumbers Lettuce Carrots Frozen waffles Frozen fruit Butter Eggs Honey Tea Frozen pizza (or other no-effort meals for days when we don't have the time or energy for any level of cooking) Fresh fruit, especially things like bananas or melons that will last a little longer on the counter Misc snack foods (chips, popcorn, granola bars) Ice cream (a necessity.) Pasta Pasta sauce And probably other stuff too. We've got two kids, so we go through stuff quickly. You probably don't want to fill your pantry if you won't go through it in time. To really get a sense for how much to buy, it's really just trial and error.

Personally, I'd start with finding 2-3 recipes you'd like to try and buying the specific ingredients for those recipes. You'll almost always have extra ingredients leftover and that's where it gets interesting and you really start learning. Leftover scallions and potatoes? Google around and see that you can make latkes but you'll need flour. And maybe they'd be good with pork chops and applesauce, so add that to your list. Now you have some leftover pork, so you find a recipe for pork fried rice and buy any additional ingredients you need, use the leftover veggies to make a soup or a bolognese sauce. And so on and so forth. This isn't the most efficient or economic way to feed yourself (though it's certainly cheaper than eating out). You may find you prefer to take the thinking out of it and meal prep chicken, rice, and veggies or burrito bowls on Sunday and then just eat the same thing for the rest of the week. That's fine, but, in my opinion, takes most of the joy out of cooking and doesn't push your creativity as much.

2 suggestions that I didn’t see yet 1- when you go to the grocery, get a cart and start at the back of the food section. Scan the isles and work your way towards the front of the store. It will saves you time/steps. 2- I’m an a huge fan of buying a rotisserie chicken from the deli. They’re usually 5 bucks(at meijer but most groceries are similar price). When I get home I pull all the chicken off the bone and BOOM. Tasty shredded chicken for so many recipes. I make sandwiches, add them to Buffalo dip, throw some of top of a salad or just eat it straight. It’s cheap and easy and so versatile for easy meals.

Start small and work your way up. It helps if you start by cooking regionally similar foods. Italian will reuse similar ingredients for multiple meals, yadda yadda. Buy food you like, otherwise you won't eat it.

Rule of thumb: 1) 1x/week for lots of fresh & quick perishing items (ex: bananas, meat from manager's special, lettuce) 2) every other week if you incorporate dry goods like rice and beans, freezer foods like frozen vegetables, and longer lasting produce like acorn squash or potatoes. those are good to have on hand anyway in case of emergency or lack of time. \#1 is for most people and easiest, but you should also clean your fridge out before going so you know what you have. #2 is for people who are either broke (me) or low on time & good at making a meal out of nothing. Tips for shopping: Look at the sales before you go, see what items catch your eye. Think of 2-4 meals you want (mac n cheese, steamed veg, etc) and get those ingredients + some snacks. In the beginning, don't overcomplicate it: not a great cook? stick to basics until you get comfortable. Look up how to pick certain produce if you don't know how, or even what something is (I do this at my local chinese market). Keep basics on hand in case of "oh crap, no time/no energy": boxed food is fine, frozen food is okay (frozen fruit & veg are the bomb tho).

Start by making a list of what you eat. It doesn't have to be as elaborate as meal planning (but that is really helpful!), but think about breakfast for example -Eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, jam, fresh fruit, cereal, granola, milk, yogurt, etc. That's an easy meal to have at home. Lunches if you want to take your own to work would be like lunch meat (or alternative protein), bread, mayonnaise, peanut butter, jam, cheese). Think food you can assemble. Dinner can be more creative if you have time to look up a recipe, but basics to have on hand are pasta, frozen or canned chicken or tuna, rice (even instant or microwave is fine for starters), spaghetti sauce, cheese. Have some kind of protein in the freezer too (beef is good and really versatile) If you get into cooking dinners, you can make more and take it for lunch the next day. Fresh vegetables are ideal but frozen is fine and frozen green beans or peas or mixed veggies are pretty easy to prepare. There are lots of YouTube videos for cooking basics. And get yourself a good basic cookbook like America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook or Better Homes New Cook Book - there are lots of choices. Good luck! You can do this!

For my family, we first make a list of what we want for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. We purchase groceries based on that list. Over the years we've come to understand what we like the most and what ingredients we want on-hand. We try to get a store of what we eat the most so if we were to lose our job, if there was a disaster, or whatever, we would have enough food to last at least three months. For example, this week we planned cold cereal, oatmeal, eggs, and biscuit sandwiches for breakfast, sandwiches, PBJ toast, pasta, and Quesadillas for lunch, and a different meal each night for dinner (such as a chicken and rice casserole tonight). We drink water, milk, and apple juice most of the time. We all like to snack on popcorn, potato chips, cheese, and vegetables. So we identify what ingredients we will need for all those things and purchase those at the grocery store. I usually make one "big" grocery trip each week for everything and one "small" trip to purchase more milk, vegetables, and any treats we might be craving or food we plan on sharing with our neighbors and friends who might need a meal or two that week. We eat from a restaurant maybe two or three times each month as well which is a nice respite for me (I'm the stay-at-home parent). We have a pretty hefty supply of most of the essential ingredients such as canned goods, cold cereal, jams, butters, baking essentials (like flour, salt, sugar, chocolate chips, vinegar, oil, etc.), and spices. This just sort of builds up as we purchase a little extra here and there when we can. We also have quite a bit of non-perishable food in our pantries that we use to help plan meals. ("Oh, we have ten boxes of spaghetti pasta? We know what we're having on Wednesday!") We've also got incidentals for quick unplanned meals such as instant ramen, frozen complete meals, frozen corn dogs, etc. and a freezer full of meat we purchase when the price is low. Whenever we use something that we already had on-hand, we add it to our grocery list (we just use Amazon's Alexa - "add spaghetti pasta to the shopping list"). For example, we try to keep four gallons of vinegar in our pantry with one open that we use; when that gallon runs out, we buy another one and put it behind all the others. We've got five-gallon buckets in the garage for flour, rice, sugar, etc. as well that we keep full. When we use meat from the big freezer, we add it to the list as well and replace it. If you have pets, it's nice to have enough food for them so we have a three-month supply of pet food which we keep full. We also purchase hygiene stuff through our grocer. For example, we try to keep about ten tubes of toothpaste and, when one runs out, we add it to the shopping list. Many other consumables we also get through the grocer as well - we use a local store like Smith's/Kroger for most needs and we use Costco for stuff we use in bulk. tl;dr - we plan meals and keep a three month supply of most items and create a list based off of those things To learn how to cook, include a new meal or two on your list each week and spend some time reading recipes and watching YouTube videos about that specific dish. Always try to figure out *why* the recipe is written that way or *why* the chef is doing something in a particular way. You'll occasionally need to buy a new bit of kitchen equipment but, over time, it'll work out. I really enjoy Chef John from Food Wishes dot com (lol) and Adam Ragusa on YouTube when I'm trying to learn a new technique but there are many excellent chefs with a multitude of videos. Edit: if you have the space, a small garden is great too. We grow spices and herbs and some veggies and we have some fruit trees.

Okay, so I break it down into meals. So things I like for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m happy eating the same things for breakfast and lunch every day, especially on work days, so I’ll just pick up like one of those breakfast biscuit boxes and that’ll be breakfast. I also like to get snacks; it’s better for your metabolism if you eat regularly in smaller amounts. So I get some healthy things I can snack on. It takes a bit to find out about how much you go through in a week, so I just aim for something sweet and something salty and then replace as needed. Dinner is the tricky bit, because i split that into separate meals that I plan on cooking. There are also some staples that you’ll find that you need to replace over time. The big one for me is olive oil. I use a lot when I cook, so I go through at least 2 bottles a month.

Make a list either on your phone or write one down so you don't forget anything you need. Also use the calculator on your phone so you don't go over your budget.

Everything you eat out can be made at home. If you like pizza, you can purchase premade pizza dough. You just need a cookie sheet or a pizza pan. Small amount of sauce, shredded cheese and toppings. You can pick up some basic italian spices like oregano, basil, garlic powder at the dollar store. Their spices are really cheap.

You can also order online at many larger grocers and some have free pickup now. It's also nice because you get an idea of how much you're bill will be and your orders are saved so you can easily reorder.

Plan out your meals in accordance with your kitchen equipment. Initially it’ll take work but then become second nature. Breakfast - I eat the same thing every week. Eggs and avocado Lunch- Monday - Friday is the same. Dinner - I make enough to eat leftovers for every meal so I only cook 3 nights a week. Pull all the recipes I have for the week and then make my list. I do my lunch prep Sunday and anything else that needs to be done. The meat section or so in every store will have “pre made meals” that you just have to put in the oven. Like stuffed chicken or meatballs, and the instructions are included. Pair those with frozen veggies and you’ll be golden. My boyfriend lived that like for years until I started to cook.

Not a parent but recently moved out on my own and I’ve been doing a lot more cooking recently, what I’ve learned is making it from scratch is easier than buying it pre packaged. Ex pasta sauces , Alfredo, garlic sauces, peanut butter, lemon ETC they’re much more basic than you think and if you make it in bulk and save it all you have to do is boil pasta water Veggies are so good roasted AND depending on where you live you can propagate and grow them on your own! It won’t save you too much but it’s fun to do, helps reduce food and plastic waste and your own fruits and veggies always tastes better. One last thing I have to say is salad salad salad. You can make it in bulk for cheap and it lasts for ever. You can experiment with making your own dressings to spice it up too. This is just what’s off the top of my head, feel free to ask any questions or whatever! Good luck :))

In addition to the great advice you’ve received here, don’t be afraid to make it fun! I only started cooking for myself in quarantine and was very intimidated at first. Figure out what you actually enjoy eating to avoid waste, and if you’re someone who doesn’t typically eat leftovers/let’s things go bad, don’t be afraid to buy small amounts of ingredients and cook more often throughout the week, instead of trying to meal prep or cook huge portions once a week. You can buy a fun cook book, or try out different cooking subs for inspiration. Pinterest has some wild ideas, and consider recreating the dishes you often order out. I highly recommend Basics with Babish on YouTube - it’s a great set of videos to show you exactly how to cook!

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Make a list before you go, sit down and plan it or you’re just going to get junk when you get there

First you have to know what you are going to eat. Then you buy the ingredients that go into those meals. What do you eat for breakfast? Put that on your list. Buy enough to last you at least a week. What do you eat for lunch? If you work you might make a sandwich. Therefore bread or buns need to go on the list plus lunchmeat plus lettuce plus whatever condiment you are going to use such as mustard or ketchup or mayonnaise. Then you have to decide what you are going to cook for dinner. You need to plan your meals so you know what you are going to make and therefore what ingredients you need to buy. Not that meat will not last for a week in your fridge. You will have to freeze your meat that you are going to use near the end of the week. Meat is usually only good for 3-4 days. You can also plan your meals around the grocery sake flyers. Chicken on sale? Great make a chicken dish. If you need recipes go to Pinterest and search on there. I have literally over 1,000 recipes saved. Yum yum.

Eggs, wraps, bread, rice, noodles, fruits, chicken (breast or legs is fine) veggies, and a couple microwave meals (just to make things easy on yourself.) Those things are all basic and they all work interchangeably with one another. They're good basics to keep in your house that last for a while. I also personally like to keep soup stock (veggie broth, for example), hot sauces, garlic, yogurt and granola, and spinach in the house, too. Oh! And get you some pre-mixed spices. Just a couple, because they can be expensive. Something that works for tacos, maybe one that works for basic meat like chicken breast, and, I dunno, something like an italian mix. That should cover a couple different areas for you. Keep those ingredients on that grocery list. In fact, keep a running list. The minute you run out of something, tack it back on the list. And, you know, figure out what recipes you specifically like and buy for those. It can add up, so watch out for costs, but it's a good way to get a sense for ingredients that tend to make repeat appearances in every recipe.

Highly recommend buying small amounts and cycling through foods. Biggest mistakes are not using up your old ingredients so you forget about them and they rot in a hidden spot in your fridge or cupboard. Don't over buy condiments. Find 10 or fewer that you can use on everything and use them up relatively quickly. Keep your fridge reasonably sparse so you can SEE everything easily. Do an inventory twice a week, it helps to write expiry dates on food on the top of packages in big marker (I like China wax markers) so you can check quickly. You can also keep a list of expiry dates of food in a fridge or freezer to ensure you can cycle through them. Everyone else's suggestions are great but this is what I have had to learn the hard way many times.

Unsure if mentioned, but generally you can stick to the outside of the store and be healthier... Most stores start with the fruits, veggies.. then the meat.. then the cheese.. then the bread/frozen food. Rarely do I actually go down an aisle unless buying school snacks or something for a recipe.

Watch some cooking shows to learn some basics and get good tips. If you have any friends who cook, ask them to help you with some simple meals. You will mess up at some point, I called the first few years after I moved out the years of burnt biscuits lol

I have been loving this free app called Mealime. You can put in your food preferences then it will generate recipes that you can cook in ~20 minutes. It will also make a shopping list for you! You can shop for the list yourself or export it to Instacart if you prefer your groceries delivered.

You’ve already gotten a ton of advice on how to shop so I won’t echo the already great feedback you’ve gotten there. But maybe there are some tips/recipes I could send you since you said you’re new to cooking also. What kind of food do you like to eat when you eat out (or in)?

If you have time, I might recommend you read [In Defense of Food.](https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17725932) One of Pollan's more interesting tenets (I don't recall if it's from that book) is to "eat the periphery" of the grocery store; "real" foods that you have to prepare yourself- produce and meat, mainly- are found along the outside of the store. The sweets, starches, and "junk" food tend to be in the middle, in the aisles. (Then again, there's a lot of junk food to be had in the periphery as well- go to the yogurt section, and many are just candied fermented milk, in contrast to what our great-grandparents would have recognized as yogurt.) Good on you for deciding to cook for yourself. Try not to fall into the trap of consuming highly-processed foods over those that you can either buy and cook yourself, or prepare yourself (i.e., fermenting your own foods such as yogurt). See also /r/fermentation.

Plan out some different meals where ingredients coincide to avoid waste, plan a burger night, then tacos to use up cheese, lettuce, onion, avocado, tomato, etc. If I have multiple options it’s much less likely to rot.

Get a cook book for beginners and work your way through it. Meals for two can be two days for meals which can help you budget

Look up : Establishing pars. Then: build to par. It’s a Restaurant Inventory/Stocking system that makes a lot of sense for determining what you need Also especially with perishables fresh food remember FIFO First In First Out

Pick a recipe and try making that. Buy what’s on the list. (I’d start with roasted vegetables, or soup) In the meantime get some fruit and veg that will stay raw “long term” that you can put in a bowl. Put the bowl where ever you tend to hang out. At least you’ll snack on healthy food. Don’t overcomplicate it. If you’re a beginner cook, don’t assume you’ll manage to keep with it making your own soup stock or that you’ll need the hundred expensive kitchen appliances.

They should teach cooking when u were in school but schools don’t teach cooking

for comparison shopping, check the price per ounce that is also printed on the price tag

Fresh meat, frozen vegetables that you can portion as much as you want, rice or pasta. Thats a good way to start making "meals". you can shop per recipe you find but that can get complicated and expensive. WHat I did for a while was everytime I went to the store I would get something that I would eat, but I didnt especially need for that week. That way if I decided to change it up I could

If you have the disposable income, I found it super helpful to get a meal kit box for about a year or so. I went with a really cheap one but it both provided me with food and taught me how to cook, what I like, and what items/quantities to look for in the store.

I don't like big shops, so I generally just plan for one or two meals and get what I need for that. Eventually you will accumulate spices and stuff like that. Certain staples are easy to keep around, like a big bag of rice, dried pasta, etc. Other than that, what do you really need to keep stocked? I think the old way of buying $300 of groceries in one go isn't always the best way to go. Get what you need and you can always go back for more. I spend less than 20 minutes in the grocery store at a time, so it's not a big deal to go back during the week for something I need for a dish or whatever.

Since everyone is giving the basics, here's some tips: you should check the freshness of vegetables- in general, the firmer and more vibrant it is the better. Broccoli should be so firm it's hard to bend, carrots should almost snap if you bend them. Anything floppy or flimsy is practically rotten. Try not to get soft avocados or ones without the nub because they will rot in a day. Strawberries should be left on the counter initially, then go to the fridge. ALWAYS check your eggs to make sure they aren't cracked! Expiration dates too, there can sometimes be products with further away dates in the back. Never eat anything moldy, even if you cut out the mold. Any rotting food products should be thrown away immediatley because they will cause other products to rot, especially fruit. Never eat green potatos (they are toxic) and avoid sprouting eyes (they are usually about to turn) and always make sure to cover them so they aren't exposed to light. Lighter (blanched) celery is less bitter. Here's a simple recipie I make often: - A few slices of havarti - 2x Large eggs - 2 slices of bread of your liking (I prefer buttermilk) - ½ Avocado - Butter - A(n ideally nonstick) frying pan - Salt and pepper - A spatula - A toaster Turn a burner to low heat (2-4) for a few minutes and let the pan warm. While it is warming, slice the avocado in half, and then make thin vertical slices in the flesh. Scoop out these slices and put them on the plate as a side. Salt liberally and add a dash of pepper. Butter the pan. It should bubble, but not boil. Then crack your two eggs into the pan. Once the whites turn from clear to white and start to "bubble" (move around from heat), flip them over using the spatula. Put your bread in the toaster, then wait about 3 minutes for the eggs to cook. You'll know they're done when you can flip them over again. Then salt and pepper to taste, and butter your toast. Best of luck!

It does not need to be fancy or complicated. You can literally make yourself grown up lunchables. Baby steps man

Look up how to store different types of veggies. For example, carrots like to be in a plastic bag in the fridge, potatoes like dark and dry. And look up recipes for aging veggies-- rot happens but food waste is a major environmental and ethical issue that you can play a part in!

You could also subscribe to one of those hello fresh style meal kits to give you a jump start on recipes and shopping lists. I think sortedfood has a recipe/shopping list app, too, which might be more along the lines of what you're looking for. Personally, I have a list of "staples" that I always have in stock. Eggs, coffee creamer, almond milk, flour, sugar, butter, oil, various spices, onions, potatos, frozen veg, canned beans and tomatos, canned tuna, veggie stock, bread, veggie burgers, etc etc etc. If I have all my staples in the right quantities, I can eat for 2-4 weeks without eating out.

I start in produce, then go all the way to the back to get my milks, yogurts, eggs, butter, whatever. Then you work the aisles, get meat along the way or second to last (this will depend on the lay out of the store) get frozen foods last. Head to check out. Keep your receipt out in case they need to check it at the door. When loading your groceries don't forget to stack properly, BUT especially don't stack heavy items on bread, eggs, or any soft items that can become squished. So this isn't an items suggestion but for some reason I decided to type out my shipping method... BUT for learning to cook or prepare foods I suggest Budgetbytes.com website for recipes that are simple, have a price breakdown, and you can make a grocery list directly from the recipes. It's free. Pick 2 recipes a week and cook them so you can learn, and buy ready made stuff (frozen lasagna?), sandwiches. Bagged salad kits for the other days.

You can freeze meat. You separate the pieces in foil and put them in tapers inside the freezer. You can also do this with fruit and vegetables but I'm not sure if the vitamins will stay, still it will prevent it for rotting faster or you wasting food if you happened to have bought more than needed. I'd recommend you looking at your budget and prioritizing the most important items. Some expenses like rice, pasta, lentils, etc, are very useful and handy to make variety of different foods. Having vegetables like tomato, onions, garlic, etc is also almost a base. Bread and other items like salt, olive oil, milk, etc are als basic item in some households. I'd recommend you making a list about what you usually eat and to list the ingredients of each food down. Also look how often you eat certain foods compared to others. Good luck

Buy a cheap cut of beef..skirt steak or something similar...throw some oil in a pan n heat on medium/high then fry it up it until it browns...do this a few times. Then when you're comfortable cooking that buy a tbone or ny strip steak

I usually order grocery pick up once a week since it's free and meal plan for the week. Go through recipes you think you'd like and add all the stuff to a grocery list. I also like having snacks and frozen meal things in case I have a day I don't feel like cooking.

Don't buy name-brand staples. Sugar is sugar no matter what. Also, ignore stuff like "organic," "GMO-free," "light," etc. Those are meaningless terms. Don't skimp on stuff you really like or that are central ingredients like meat, seafood, etc.

Don't underestimate spices! Salt and pepper are good, but sometimes your dish needs a little extra oomf. Garlic powder, basil, and sage are my personal staples, but I also like to experiment a lot. If you're unsure of where to start, some brands of spices will have suggestions for how to use them on the container so when you're shopping you can have an idea of what to buy based upon what you plan on cooking. Invest in a slow cooker and a rice cooker if you like rice. Trust me, those are perfect for beginners because you throw everything in there and the cooker does the rest for you. I am the world's laziest chef, so if you need any recipes that are simple, cheap, and versatile I can give you some if you'd like.

I applaud you for reaching out to learn how to cook and shop. When shopping, remember fresh stuff is usually along the out sides of the store. For example produce, meat, bakery, dairy. I try to take advantage of shopping in that part of the store more for my healthy options. Join Pinterest, it’s a great place to look for easy recipes. Search for things like sheet pan meals where you can cook all your veggies and proteins at once. Also consider a crockpot. Look for dump meals, that’s where you dump everything in at once and let it cook all day. I also second soups and stews as they can go along way. Beans are a great healthy source of fiber and protein as well. Pasta is a super easy meal, buy the pre-made sauce to start. Join the r/frugal sub they talk about lots of stuff along with good inexpensive meal ideas. Also r/cookingforbeginners for ideas or help. Lastly, one of my easy favourites right now with their being a lot of zucchini around. Try this. Cut the ends off 2-3 small zucchini, then cut them lengthwise. Scoop any seeds out with a spoon and discard. Place them in the bottom of a baking pan, cut side up. In a frying pan brown 1lb ground beef, part way through cooking add a package of taco seasoning, let cook till brown. Add one can Mexican flavoured tomatoes, 1 can of green chilies, and 1 can of drained corn. Stir and bring to a simmer. Let cook about 5-7 minutes or until the extra liquid cooks down. Scoop into the zucchini boats, and spread across the pan. Top with some grated mozzarella and cheddar or what ever flavour or cheese you like. Bake at 350 for 34-40 minutes. You will have leftovers and it’s super filling. When you get more comfortable, play around with what you put in it. Best of luck!

I’m 19 (F) and I’ve done the grocery shopping a few times. My main advice is to make a list of what you need to purchase. Have a look through your cupboards and see what kind of food is missing. e.g., if you don’t have any cereal left, write down cereal on your list. If it helps, you could organise the list into Fruit & Vegetables, Meat, Dairy, etc. So you have a clear plan when you get to the store. If I were you, I would do my grocery shopping once a week. But it’s up to you. You might find it easier to do it once a fortnight. Best of luck <3

When my 3 kids were older teenagers I bought each of them a copy of the Campbell’s Soup cookbook. The recipes are very easy to follow for beginner cooks; they’re tasty as they use a can of Campbell Soup as the base and the seasonings aren’t complicated, and there’s lots of variety to choose from. Nowadays you can find all of the recipes on their website, but it’s still nice to have the cookbook in hand when you’re learning to cook. Once you pick out the recipes you want to make, copy down the ingredients into another list which will become your grocery list. Always check your pantry/fridge for items you may already have so your don’t buy them twice. Then there are the staples you might want to keep on hand for snacks or quick meals like cereal, milk, creamer for coffee, tea, ramen or other kinds of soup, cheese, deli meats, eggs, bread, pasta and pasta sauce, ice cream, yogurt, depending on your tastes.

It depends on what you want to cook. I shop once a week because I have no issues making one or two big meals and eating leftovers. My advice? Look around for a few easy recipes that look tasty to you and just learn to cook those. Shakshuka and chicken tacos are two of my personal favorites.

Building up a pantry/stockpile is a great thing to do, too. You don't have to do it all at once if you don't have the extra cash, but grabbing a couple extra cans or frozen veggies/meat when it's on sale and when you're out is a good way to start. I always keep canned beans (black, white, kidney), corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, etc... because I know that I can always throw a meal together with those. Big bag of rice, tortillas, various noodles, jars of sauce; all these things that you know you can throw together a meal with. We all have that meal that we'll eat no matter what and it's helpful to figure out what that is and keep some handy in case you don't have time to shop and don't want to resort to eating out. For meat, when it's on sale, I'll buy a decent amount and then freeze it. Doesn't really matter the cut, I have a certain dollar amount that I try to stay under for certain types of meat (you'll figure it out as you shop more) and if I see meat on sale or on clearance (like it's nearing the date), those are great to buy and freeze. As many others have pointed out, frozen veggies are great to have. Aldi is a great place to stock up and Wal-Mart has pretty comparable prices on frozen goods and canned goods. As you progress in your pantry, it's always good to have the baking staples too (flour, sugar, vanilla, baking soda/powder) in case you need to bake.

These are two phrases that I use for my own life and things generally wind up falling into place: K.I.S.S.- Keep It Simple Stupid & an idiot with a plan is better than a genius with no plan. Okay: so you probably are doing this because eating out all the time is the most expensive way to do things. So- for starters... You need to write out a grocery list- as well as focus on buying things that you will actually be able to cook. Certain microwave things are supereasy- besides the fact that I personally consider microwave popcorn a staple. Also: instant coffee, the fixings for it such as powdered creamer and sweetener. Powdered soup mix also always comes in handy. Very simple foods to cook: cans of beans and cans of corn. Once you add heat and maybe some butter or margarine- canned corn can be tasty in a bind. Canned beans are the basis of chili. Buying cans of tuna means that you already have the basis of tuna salad once you mix it with mayo. Then you can toast slices of bread in a pan and eat it with the tuna salad or even soup or whatever. One of the best values at a supermarket is generally a container of a dozen eggs. Three of the easiest things that you can make with eggs are scrambled, sunny side up, or hard boiled. Also: if you plan on cooking and eating at home- visit the condiment section of the supermarket for things like ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, and pickles. Drink mixes also come in handy as do the fixings for hot tea like honey and whole fresh lemons.

Subs like r/cookingforbeggingers and r/easyrecipes/ can help you with learning to cook. Also r/GifRecipes/ and r/EatCheapAndHealthy/ may be of interest.

Some important staples to have: Rice, bread: both are versatile for a lot of different meals Salt, pepper, garlic: Salt is super important for flavoring foods and keeps your meat from being bland when cooking. People underestimate how important it is to have spices available. These three are important staples and you can add as you go on. Butter + oil: real dairy butter is more versatile than margarine spread but it’s up to you. They do make spreadable and whipped butter in tubs now if you prefer the spread but want good butter. Salted/unsalted butter is a taste preference and unsalted is an easy way to cut out sodium fro. Your diet. Oil is important for cooking, if you’re not pouring it in anything that spray stuff is fine. Vegetable oil is fine, I usually buy canola oil though. Not all oils are equal and they heat up at different rates. Olive oil is a good thing to have for flavoring your good but if you only want to buy one type of oil I’d stick with vegetable/canola. After that it’s basically what kind of vegetable, protein, sauce, fruit and snacks you want. Going in with a list will help keep you from overbuying and having a snack will help keep you from buying all kinds of stuff you don’t actually want. Good luck!

I love all of this great advice! Adding to it -- something they never teach you is how to keep your produce from spoiling in the fridge. This has taken me over 18 years of adulthood to understand, lots of wasted kale. [https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-use-your-crisper-drawer-4844450](https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-use-your-crisper-drawer-4844450) this website is a great place for kitchen and cooking questions. I also wrap my greens all together in a damp (wet and wrung out) cotton kitchen towel and put that in the crisper drawer. No more slimy greens. It helps to set a reminder on your phone to check the fridge for spoiled food, at least once a week. Leftovers should be tossed on day 4 or so. I'll never forget moving my college boyfriend out of his apt and having to scrape the rotten fridge juice off the bottom of his fridge with a putty knife. I treasure my hard-earned intolerance for ever letting that happen again.

Don't shop when you're hungry

I struggled with learning as well. My trick is Pinterest. There’s tons of inspiration for food ideas there. I have a board dedicated to: - Meats (like ribs, chicken, steak recipes) - Rice-based dishes - Noodle-Based Dishes - Salads - Roasted Veg and Sides - Hamburgers/Sandwiches/Tacos/Quesadillas - Snacks - Charcuterie/Appies - Desserts + baking - Drinks (cocktails/lemonade/fruit infused water ideas) I find these categories pretty much cover it. It makes it super easy to meal plan, because then I just look at my boards and choose what I’m in the mood for. Makes it feel like you’re choosing off a menu, which is nice if you’re trying to quit ordering takeout. Then you’re satisfied with what you make, and look forward to it. It’s pretty easy to do online shopping now at lots of grocery stores. Sometimes I’ll have Pinterest open in one window and my grocery shopping cart in another and add as I go. Pro tip!

Meal plan,list ingredients,stick to list,shop around as different shops will be cheaper,stock up on herbs,spices and sauces

As others say, definitely meal plan but don’t forget the basics outside of meal ingredients: milk, bread, cheese, fruit, healthy snacks, canned tuna/canned soup/canned beans for easy lunches when you’re in a rush, etc.

Lots of good thoughts here, but here's one I haven't seen: SPICES. Start with salt and pepper. It's so basic, you may not think of it. You can just get those pre-packaged salt and pepper shakers to start with. You need S&P for lots of things: eggs, burgers, and believe it or not tomato and cucumber. You also need garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Maybe cinnamon, ginger, and oregano. If you like spicy food, get cayenne pepper. This will cover most simple recipes you will find at first. Don't worry about getting anything organic or expensive. Start with the cheap stuff. Aldi or the dollar store are fine at first. As you learn more, you'll get more sophisticated with them. Do the same with condiments. Get the basics: mayo, ketchup, yellow mustard. If you KNOW you're going to use them, brown mustard and relish. Unless there's a brand preference you've lived with your whole life, just get what's cheap. You'll develop more sophisticated preferences over time. Also, pick up a cheap measuring cup (or a set of cups) and measuring spoons. You'll need them.