Grocery shopping may at times feel tedious, but with a chef’s mindset, that task can be a lot more efficient and even fun!  We asked chefs from around America to share their best tips for planning, budgeting, cart-filling, and just improving plain old grocery shopping to better the experience for home cooks. A few tweaks to your routine may make the errand more enjoyable, and your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry more exciting. Read on for a few easy grocery shopping habits from professional chefs you can add to your own regular shopping routine.

Buy and Cook Seasonally

“While making friends with your farmer’s market vendors is ideal, you might not have the luxury or time to go anywhere but the supermarket,” says Amitzur Mor, Executive Chef at Barbounia. “In this case, education is key. Visit the supermarket after looking up what’s in season in your area, and try to choose from that list. You might see peaches in September, for example, but oftentimes those have been grown in July or August, and then chilled and kept for a few months. In-season vegetables means local vegetables—produce that hasn’t traveled so much. Vegetables that are in season are going to be sweeter and crunchier, because they’ve been grown more recently and closer to home.” 

Add a Farmer’s Market Trip to Your Routine

Shopping at the farmer’s market doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be an outing. A social shopping experience to meet neighbors and local food producers. “Ultimately, the farmer’s market is your best friend,” says Brett Ellis, farmer on staff at Husky Meadows Farm. “I encourage people, especially young adults and starter cooks, to check out sustainability resources, like Grow NYC, for their respective cities to discover when they will take place. If this is unavailable, the local section [at your supermarket] is your best bet. As a former culinary chef turned resident farmer, I’m still amazed at what I see from the produce I cut directly from the ground. The difference in quality is apparent, and fresh produce transforms your culinary experience.” 

Keep Your Pantry Fresh 

“While buying in bulk is thought to be ideal, shopping in smaller loads is more effective,” says Ellis. “Keep a foundation of canned goods, dry foods, and spices. When starting from scratch, don’t get overwhelmed—start small. A good vinegar, olive oil, and one salt of your liking go a long way.”  

Plan Ahead for Meals Out and Leftovers 

“Think about what you or your family wants, if you have plans to eat out any days, or how many meals you need to cover for the week,” says chef Glenn Rolnick, director of culinary operations at the Alicart Group. “I like to account for leftovers, which can decrease how many meals I need to shop for. From there, I will put a list together and create a menu. I create a shopping list based on the ingredients I need for meals, and then add any snacks, beverages, fruits etc. I start this list a few days before I go shopping so that I can add things as I run out of them.”

Be Flexible With Your Cart

You don’t necessarily have to stick to the list you build, within reason. “Sometimes I will sub out a pre-planned meal while I’m at the store if something looks really good or is on sale,” says Rolnick. “I like last-minute ideas too. I need to hand-pick my fruits. I like to see the colors and textures, and make sure there aren’t any brown or mushy spots. Same with proteins, I need to pick it out. The colors and dates are very important, and the protein needs to be fresh and bright in color.”

Organize Your Shopping List by Food Groups

“Start by thinking about all of the meals that you prepare during the week. Essentially, you are creating a cycle menu of sorts,” says Kenny Gilbert, chef and owner of Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar. “Then, organize your list by food groups, such as dry, produce, freezer, meat, seafood, poultry, and dairy. Always think seasonal and buy local when possible.”

Eat Before You Shop (and Shop on Weekdays If You Can) 

“Eat before you go,” says Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible. “When you’re hungry, everything looks good, and you’re going to wind up with all kinds of snacks in your cart that you never had any intention of buying. And stay away from grocery stores on weekends. That should really go without saying at this point.”

Challenge Yourself to Expand Your Boundaries

“When grocery shopping, always buy one thing you’ve never tried or cooked with before,” says Nick DiGiovanni, author of Knife Drop. “It’s a great way to expand your skill set in the kitchen, or even find your new favorite food. Sometimes, shopping or cooking a regular weeknight dinner can feel difficult, but this practice will help to keep things feeling fresh.”  

Take Advantage of the Freezer Aisle

“Consider buying frozen produce so that you won’t mistakenly let fresh produce go bad in your fridge,” says DiGiovanni. He recommends adding leftovers and about-to-spoil ingredients to your freezer too, labeling all containers with their contents and date, so you can easily reach for DIY frozen spinach or last month’s big dinner stew in a pinch.

Grocery Shop Online 

Sometimes, the best shopping is done from the comfort of your own home. “You can order incredibly high-quality foods online,” says DiGiovanni. “For instance, if you love salmon and know you eat it often at home, consider going online and finding a high-quality, sustainable salmon purveyor and shipping yourself several whole filets. You can portion them out and freeze them. Sometimes they can even be higher quality than what you’d find at the market, and you’ll likely end up saving money if done right.”