How to Make a Grocery List from a Meal Plan
A reliable grocery list is the sum of the meals you intend to prepare.
Updated 15 October 2026
What an ISE Nutrition grocery list includes
Each ISE Nutrition list adds the ingredient quantities in the 35 scheduled meals. It is an amount-to-use list, not a package-ordering service. Check the quantities against pantry stock, packaging sizes and the stated preparation conditions before buying.
Check the pantry first
Tick off ingredients you already have. Lists on this site are for one adult for seven days and use edible weights, so unpeeled or bone-in products may require extra purchased weight.
Keep preparation states straight
Beans and chickpeas are weighed cooked and drained. Lentils, rice, quinoa, oats and pasta are weighed dry. Canned beans must be compared with drained weight, not the total weight including liquid.
Check every label
Dietary labels describe the selected ingredients. They cannot establish how a particular brand was made. Check allergens, gluten-free certification, rennet and vegan suitability where relevant.
Add usage before rounding to packages
For example, 60 g dry pasta on one day and 75 g on another total 135 g dry pasta. If you buy a 500 g packet, 365 g remains after those meals. Keep the menu quantities at 135 g; buying a larger packet does not mean eating the whole packet.
Read the drained quantity
For a hypothetical can labelled 240 g drained weight, three 80 g portions use the full drained contents. Compare canned beans with drained weight rather than the can’s total weight with liquid. Raw greens and cooked, drained greens are not interchangeable weights: purchase amounts depend on trimming and cooking yield.
Account for batch cooking
Some instructions explain a batch of several servings while the weekly schedule uses one serving. The list includes that scheduled serving only. To cook the full batch, add every extra ingredient amount and decide how to store the remaining servings.
Take a practical copy
Download the ingredient CSV, print the menu, or use the on-page checklist. Ticks stay in the browser when storage is available; they do not sync across devices.
See the editorial policy and correction requirements and nutrition calculation sources.
Compare meal plan diet types or browse meal plans by calories and diet.