Let’s talk about grocery shopping. It’s kind of a mundane topic, but why not? After all, it is one of those necessary tasks that has to get done by some member of the household. In my household, that would be me.

I recently returned from a trip, and in addition to sorting through junk mail and transferring the contents of my suitcase to the laundry room, I was faced with a sparsely populated refrigerator. I had purged the perishables before we departed and save for some almond milk creamer and various jars of jellies, pickles and a wide variety of mustards, there wasn’t much in the way of meal fixings.

I’m pretty ambivalent about grocery shopping. On the one hand, I love to eat and don’t mind cooking. On the other, I never seem to quite know what to put in the cart after I’ve covered the essential items on my shopping list.

When the checker asks “did you find everything okay?” I always answer “and then some.” But it never fails that after schlepping the groceries from the cart to the car to the kitchen and then unpacking them, there’s always at least one essential item missing.

There are many stages and phases of grocery shopping based primarily on the number and ages of household members. Here’s a snapshot of my life viewed through the lens of a trip to the local market.

When I was a kid, I often accompanied my mom to the store. There were ten in our family and two carts were required – and usually filled to overflowing. At the time, I just assumed that was the norm.

My four older brothers played sports and their weekly food intake was substantial. Feeding eight growing children three meals a day (plus snacks) was a full-time job for my saint of a mother.

There were gallons of milk along with multiple brands of cold cereals. Cap’n Crunch, Life and Lucky Charms were family favorites. And mom knew how to stretch those jumbo packs of pork chops; ground beef and chicken breasts into hearty meals for a crowd. We never went hungry.

Our dinner rotation included chili, meatloaf, porkchops (with applesauce of course), her famous lasagna and pot roast among others. There was always plenty of fruit and vegetables, sandwich fixings and the ever-present Little Debbie snack cakes for our school lunches.

When I did the shopping for my more “modest sized” family of four, it was during the era of convenience foods. I made the usual kid friendly meals; mac ‘n cheese, chicken nuggets, PB & J – but I also prepared foods from my own childhood and tried to keep some healthy foods stocked as well.

Being a working mom meant a lot of Eggo frozen waffles, lunchables and easy and quick pasta dishes. I didn’t make a lot of fancy meals and back then most of us didn’t have gluten-free or organic foods on our radar.

Then there were the “big kid” years when there was never “anything to eat” in the house. I was always the mom with the well-stocked snack drawer. Plenty of granola bars, goldfish, pretzels, etc. The snack drawer got opened so much that I had to have the gliding mechanism replaced. The grocery bills grew along with the kids.

And then there were two.

When our kids were grown and flown, my grocery habits evolved once again. Finally, I could choose the foods my husband I preferred. Surely this would be fun and easy. We’d be eating healthy and I’d start cooking new and adventurous dishes. Or so I thought.

Shopping and cooking for two has its own set of challenges. Well intentioned recipe ingredients get forgotten. All those healthy and fresh salad ingredients have a shelf life.

An avocado is in its prime for about eight hours. A friend of mine refers to the “crisper” as the “rotter” – the place where well intentioned produce goes to die. So, eat it now or pitch it later.

Often the best laid plan to cook a healthy meal is thwarted when a hankering for Mexican food takes over. Or friends invite you to meet them at a favorite local eatery.

How long will those marinated chops you just bought last? Should they be transferred to the depths of the freezer and possibly forgotten forever?

A newish empty-nester recently shared her grocery dilemma; “Our fridge is a desolate bare entity now. It isn’t just that our kids are gone, it was them and all their friends traipsing in and out and wanting to be fed. I am lost as far as knowing how much food we are actually supposed to buy.”

And my friend Kathy recalls; “when our youngest was a tri-sport scholar and would “fork-lift” the entire fridge down his throat. It was a relief when he went to college and I no longer had to overstock the fridge and pantry.”

It’s challenging to come up with a creative dinner repertoire using healthy ingredients. I’ve fallen into a pattern which definitely needs a reboot. Salmon night, chicken night, pork chop night, breakfast for dinner night, “on-your-own” night – which may consist of oatmeal, peanut butter toast, or even a bag of skinny pop.

I have friends who scour Pinterest and come up with creative meals for two. They will also hit two or three grocery stores in their quest for the best produce or meat selection. I admire their dedication but find I do best when I stick to one-stop shopping at my favorite local store.

Here’s a typical shopping trip for me. After doing my best to score a parking spot near the cart return, I grab my reusable bags and roll my cart right into the produce section.

One of the reasons I like “my store” is the floorplan – you start out in produce which at least gives you a fighting chance at a heathy food haul.

The store entrance always features attractively displayed seasonal veggies – corn, tomatoes, peppers, etc. along with coordinating bakery and snack items. Apple donuts anyone?

On this particular trip, I choose some fresh tomatoes for a caprese salad and then head over the berry shelf to stock up on blueberries. They are a great source of antioxidants and are delicious in my breakfast yogurt.

After tossing a container of lettuce mix and some additional salad fixings into the cart, I steer towards the bakery where I fall prey to a container of their delicious chocolate chip cookies.

I’ve convinced myself that by purchasing and not baking cookies, I save myself from the wrath of eating raw cookie dough. I am also seduced by the scent of freshly baked sourdough bread. I’ve heard it’s better for digestion. Win-win.

Now it’s time to visit the meat and fish counter. I ask the butcher for two each of salmon filets, pork chops and marinated chicken breasts. Before moving on, I request one of those jumbo-sized, twice-baked potatoes. It’s not that big of a deal if you only eat half, right?

Next, I head for those inner aisles that we’re supposed to avoid. I stock up on some canned beans, pasta, tomatoes and salad dressing. Not too bad.

Then I’m off to the dairy section to replenish my supply of Greek yogurt, a healthy hummus dip and my favorite vanilla flavored almond milk creamer.

I meander down the chip aisle, knowing that I can’t leave without a few bags of skinny pop and the impossible to pass up Dots pretzels (original flavor). I challenge anyone to try Dot’s pretzels and not become a fan.

I finish up my shopping in the frozen food section by adding a few “Amy’s” Veggie lasagna meals, some Halo-top ice cream, a pepperoni pizza for the hubby – and a box of Jimmy Dean’s “Egg’Wich Delights” to my haul.

I check out feeling somewhat virtuous with my reusable grocery bags, and head home for what I consider the most challenging step of the grocery process – the “unloading.”

The unloading involves rearranging of the fridge to make room for all that healthy yet voluminous produce. The berries must be washed and placed in appropriate containers. The frozen food may require Tetris-like skills to fit the new items without displacing those long-lost frozen chicken breasts.

And finally, I’m done. The empty-nester grocery-run is complete! Which means absolutely no dinners out until the perishables are consumed. Unless of course a better offer comes along.

Here’s to fun and productive grocery shopping adventures regardless of your shopping stage.