The 3-3-2-2-1 Method To Consider If You're Shopping For A Balanced Grocery Haul

Let's say the quiet part out loud: Grocery shopping can be super complicated. It's not exactly rocket science, but some days it feels pretty close. Navigating aisles with hundreds of items screaming at you to purchase them, figuring out your meals for the week, and trying to stay somewhat within the budget is a lot. But the solution to this problem isn't more meal plans, grocery lists, and online charts; it's a simplified shopping process called the 3-3-2-2-1 method that places a focus on the major food groups.

This shopping method has been making rounds on TikTok for a good reason; it's super simple and easy enough to remember even without a detailed grocery list. Here's the gist of it: When going to the store, buy three proteins, three vegetables, two fruits, two grains, and one sauce or dip. You can break that down even further, thinking in terms of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. 

For example, you get two veggies for lunch or dinner and one for a snack. One fruit goes toward breakfast, another can star in a dessert. One grain (like pasta or rice) to pair with meals that need cooking, and another (like bread or tortillas) to create quicker meals. Instead of aimlessly wandering around the store, you'll now know exactly which section to head to and how many items to pick up, saving you a bunch of time and money.

You'll notice that the list of three proteins, three vegetables, two fruits, two grains, and one sauce doesn't include dairy, fats, spices, or indulgent snacks. The 3-3-2-2-1 method is supposed to be used as a framework to ensure your grocery haul has variety and balance. But that doesn't mean you're not allowed to purchase anything else. You can customize the system as you wish, perhaps even adding one or two extra categories if that makes it more helpful. As long as it stays simple and improves your shopping experience, the method is doing its job.

Let's look at one example of the 3-3-2-2-1 shopping method in practice. Say your purchase includes chicken, beef, and canned tuna for protein; lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes for the vegetables; strawberries and peaches for the fruits; pasta and oats for the grains; and hummus for the dip. Strawberry overnight oats will cover breakfast, while the three protein-based meals could be tuna lettuce wraps, a classic chicken casserole, and American chop suey with beef. As for the snacks, you'll have carrots with hummus and some delicious peaches.