Fast delivery
Get in as fast as 1 hour
It’s all local
Shop your favorites
Direct chat
Connect with shoppers
Food
Food Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart buying guide to food
Food shopping is an essential task that must take place for every household. Fortunately, Instacart is available to make the job a little easier. You can save time by ordering your groceries through Instacart. To make the best possible use of the service, it's important to know how to select the right food products for your needs.
Check your calendar
Look over your calendar for the coming weeks to determine what kinds of meals you should plan for. Do you need snacks for soccer practice? Are your kids taking lunches to school? Will you need extra convenience meals for the days you're working long hours? What special events are coming up?
The events on your agenda will give you a good idea of what types of meals and snacks you need for the days and weeks ahead. Remember to include family traditions such as pizza Fridays or meatless Mondays, so your shopping list will include everything you need to stay on track.
Make a plan
Meal planning is a great way to develop an efficient grocery list. While it's tempting to click on any item that looks good, these products won't always add up to a well-rounded meal. Make a menu and work from there to order the ingredients you need for each meal. Remember to include breakfast, lunches for work or school, and snacks.
Take the time to round out your meals, so you're going beyond the main course to include sides such as garlic bread, salads, and vegetables. Remember drinks, too.
Prepare for the unexpected
The best-laid plans can still go awry when unexpected events take place. Include pantry staples such as pasta and pasta sauces for days when you forget to thaw the meat for dinner. Have plenty of snacks on hand so you can easily grab something healthy to eat if you're rushing out the door on a last-minute errand. While whole foods are typically the healthiest option, having some pre-made frozen meals on hand is smart, as you never know when you'll find yourself pressed for time as you get stuck in the office or have to work late on a school project.
Food Near Me
Buy your favorite Food online with Instacart. Order Baked Goods, Frozen Food, Pantry, and more from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
Browse more Food categories:
FAQ's about food
To get the highest quality produce, it's typically best to select loose fruits and vegetables rather than those that are pre-packaged. When apples are picked individually, it's easy to spot soft ones, while you may unknowingly pick up apples that are past their prime when you purchase them in a large bag.
Most fruits and vegetables are at their best when they're plump and firm but not hard. Some fruits, such as nectarines and mangos, should have a little give when squeezed, but you never want to pick produce that's mushy or soft. Heavier produce is usually better, as the extra weight indicates more juice.
Buy only as much fresh produce as you can eat in a week. This is especially true of berries, bananas, tomatoes, peaches, and avocados.
Storing food in the freezer is the best way to prolong its life. Stocking up on frozen foods will help you go longer between shopping trips. While you may trust frozen foods to last indefinitely, it's important to note that even the freezer won't preserve your meals forever. While many items are still safe to eat after years, the quality and flavor will have diminished significantly over this amount of time. Here are some general guidelines on the longevity of frozen foods:
- Bacon or lamb: 2 months.
- Oily fish or cooked shellfish: 3 months.
- Unblanched vegetables: 3 months.
- Beef, veal, chicken, turkey, venison, pork, rabbit, or cured meat: 3 months.
- Prepared soups and sauces: 3 months.
- Prepared meals, bread, and cakes: 6 months.
- Whitefish: 6 months.
- Fruit: 6 months.
- Unsalted butter: 6 months.
- Vacuum-sealed fish: 1 year.
- Blanched vegetables: 1 year.
- Salted butter: 1 year.
- Ice cream: 1 year.
Selecting the proper cut at the meat counter will greatly impact how your finished dish tastes. First, check the color. Beef should be bright red, pork should look pinkish-red, and chicken should be pink. Avoid any meat that has a gray or brown tinge.
Fat adds flavor to the meat. In red meat, you want some marbling throughout. Fat is white in younger animals and yellower in older animals. A cut from an older animal has a more mature flavor, though one from a younger animal is more tender.
Avoid any packages that have excess liquid or obvious swelling of the plastic. A pool of liquid can indicate that the meat was not stored properly. Bacteria releases gases that cause packaging to swell.
Stocking your pantry with long-lived staples is a good way to safeguard your family against unexpected events. This strategy will also ensure that you can always pull something together for dinner even if you haven't gone shopping recently. Some items can last for years. These foods can be kept for the following times:
- Powdered milk: 18 months.
- Beef jerky: 1-2 years.
- Canned produce: 1-2 years past the "best by" date.
- Dry pasta: 1-2 years past the "best by" date.
- Peanut butter: 2 years.
- Canned or vacuum packaged tuna: 3-5 years past the "best by" date.
- Dark chocolate: 2-5 years.
- Honey: Indefinitely.
- Dried beans or white rice: Indefinitely.
- Brown rice: 6-8 months.
Organic farms control pests and weeds using natural means such as composting and biodiversity. Conventional farms rely on chemicals to supply nutrients, manage pests, and kill weeds. Organic meat products come from animals that have access to the outdoors, get at least 30% of their nutrition from grazing, and consume organic foods.
The USDA certifies organic food as:
- 100% Organic: Whole foods or multi-ingredient foods that are completely organic.
- Organic: Made from at least 95% organic ingredients.
- Made with Organic: Contains at least 70% organic ingredients.
Save money when you shop at home through Instacart and avoid impulse buying. With your Instacart shopper selecting your items, you'll get everything that's on your list and nothing that isn't.