Nutrition: All of the meals you will have should have a balance of nutrients for healthy eating, generally a variety of foods from each food group per meal will provide for a varied and healthy diet. The proportions of a meal should be as follows, 1:1:2. This means every meal should have 1 part protein, 1 part grain, and 2 parts fruit/veggie. Buy a variety of healthy things because snacks and sweets although yummy won’t provide the biologically needed resources for your body's functions.

Food groups

• Vegetables: Plants eaten for fiber and minerals and vitamins.

• Fruits: Plants eaten for fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and provides energy from sugar.

• Proteins: Meats, seafood, plant-based protein like beans or legumes. Protein is for strong bones and growth, fats are also provided for energy.

• Dairy: Milk, cheese, and yogurt--all these things provide calcium and protein for strength and growth (usually one serving per meal as prescribed by the nutrition label).

• Grains: Bread items provide starch and carbohydrates for energy and functionality, but carbohydrates are used quickly and may cause tiredness if this is the main part of your diet.

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Shopping: Good grocery shopping requires a list based on what you have in your home, what needs to be replaced in your home and anything else within the budget that you desire. Don’t shop when hungry or without a list, this results in buying the less nutritional food items. 

Make a list: When choosing items for the list check the nutrition label (it provides how many calories per serving, serving size, and how healthy it is for you): Rule of thumb- fewer ingredients are better, and the percentages on the food label represent how much of your daily recommended amount of those things are provided by each serving.

Safety: Food has to be properly stored. Keep meats, veggies, fruits, and dairy refrigerated. Foods to keep for a long time should be frozen. Grains should be kept dry to prevent mold. Things cooked hot should be eaten hot and stored cold for later use. 

Preparation: Everyone needs to know how to prepare various kinds of foods or just learn the basics from the internet. Whether you want to steam, boil, bake, fry, roast, sauteé, grill, or broil any meal, look it up online.

Cost: Oftentimes the "store brand" is exactly the same product as "name brands", but they usually cost less. Be sure to compare the prices of all foods. The store is required to label the shelf with the cost/oz or cost/piece. Also, buying items in bulk that can be frozen is more cost-effective than buying the same thing multiple separate times.