Five Things I Always Buy

List your top 5 grocery store items.

I used to think grocery shopping was about variety. More options. More novelty. More inspiration.

Lately, I have learned the opposite. My cart tells the truth about my life. It reveals what I lean on when I am tired, what I trust when my body needs steadiness, and what I return to when I want food to do more than just fill a plate.

There are five items I buy again and again. Not because they are trendy. Not because a diet told me to. But because they meet me where I am and quietly help me become who I am trying to be. As Wendell Berry once wrote, “Eating is an agricultural act.” I would add that it is also a spiritual one.

Scripture reminds me that “the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19), and these five foods are my way of tending that temple with intention rather than obsession.

1. Lentils: The Quiet Backbone of My Meals

Lentils are my stand-in for rice, potatoes, and anything that used to spike my blood sugar and leave me hungry an hour later. They are humble, affordable, and deeply sustaining. I add them to stews, soups, chili, and warm bowls, letting them soak up whatever flavors I am working with that day.

They remind me of Proverbs 15:17, which says that a simple meal served with love is better than abundance without peace. Lentils do exactly that. They offer fullness without heaviness and structure without restriction.

As food writer Tamar Adler notes, “What we eat determines how we live.” Lentils help me live steadier.

2. Chicken: Reliable, Flexible, Uncomplicated

Chicken is the protein I trust when I do not want to think too hard. It adapts to Provençal herbs, tomato-based stews, soups, or a simple sauté with vegetables. It never demands center stage, but it always shows up.

I appreciate that kind of reliability, especially in seasons when my energy is stretched thin. Ecclesiastes reminds us that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Chicken works best when paired with vegetables and herbs, and I like that it teaches me the value of balance rather than extremes.

It is food that supports strength without drama.

3. Onions and Garlic: The Beginning of Almost Everything

If you have cooked with me, you know that most meals start the same way. Olive oil warming in a pan. Onions going in first. Garlic following closely behind. That smell signals that something grounding is about to happen.

Onions and garlic are both flavor and function. They support circulation, immunity, and depth, both nutritionally and emotionally. James Beard once said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” For me, onions and garlic are that ground. They connect nearly every dish I make.

Scripture puts it simply: “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Sometimes daily bread looks like onions and garlic slowly softening in a pan.

4. Leafy Greens: What I Add When I Want Balance

Spinach, chard, parsley, cilantro. I rotate them, but I always have some form of green in the fridge. I add them to eggs, stews, soups, and even breakfast plates when my body feels like it needs recalibration.

Greens are how I gently correct without punishing myself. They bring minerals, clarity, and lightness to meals that could otherwise tip toward heaviness. As Alice Waters wrote, “We are what we eat only insofar as we eat well.” Greens help me eat well without overthinking it.

They are my reminder that nourishment can be restorative rather than corrective.

5. Olive Oil and Spices: My Kitchen Pharmacy

Olive oil, turmeric, black pepper, herbes de Provence. These are not garnish in my kitchen. They are active participants. Olive oil carries flavor and nutrients. Turmeric and pepper work together. Herbs bring warmth and memory.

I love that these ingredients come with history and intention built in. Isaiah 58:11 speaks of being continually guided and strengthened, and that is how these staples function in my cooking. They guide simple ingredients into something meaningful.

Flavor, when chosen thoughtfully, becomes care.

Soul Insights

1. Repetition can be grounding, not boring.

Buying the same foods each week does not limit creativity. It creates trust. When your body knows what to expect, it relaxes. That relaxation opens space for intuition rather than control.

2. Food choices reflect self-respect more than willpower.

I no longer choose foods to fix myself. I choose foods that assume I am worth caring for as I am. That shift changes everything about how meals feel.

3. Healing often looks ordinary.

There is nothing flashy about lentils or onions. Yet they quietly support stability, digestion, and energy. Healing does not always announce itself loudly. It often settles in over time.

4. A short grocery list can still be abundant.

Abundance is not about quantity. It is about how well something serves you. These five items meet many needs without asking for excess.

5. Intention turns routine into ritual.

When I buy these foods, cook them, and eat them with awareness, something shifts. The kitchen becomes a place of alignment, not obligation. Even simple meals can carry meaning when chosen with care.

Final Thoughts

These five grocery items are not rules. They are anchors. They remind me that health does not come from chasing the next idea, but from returning to what consistently supports me.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by food decisions, try this experiment. Choose five items you trust. Build your meals around them for a week. Pay attention to how your body responds, not just physically but emotionally.

Sometimes the path forward is not about adding more, but about honoring what already works.

By the way…

While you’re here, I’d love for you to explore my book 17 Syllables of Me and visit my website, SoulPath Insights.

Thank you for taking the time to read! 🤗

Soul Path Insights