One of the biggest items to tick off your festive to-do list is your Christmas food shopping.
This is where my free Christmas food shopping list printable can be a real life-saver!
Even though the supermarkets are only closed for just one day, I always find this occupies my mind a lot in the Christmas build-up.
Because there’s not really many places you can go to grab emergency supplies, you need to be prepared with everything for the big day ahead of time.
Plus you may well be buying for the whole Christmas week – and it’s extra stressful if you are hosting other people for a day or more.
I like to avoid the shops on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and as many days after that as possible! This gives me a little break from braving the crowds in the aisles of our local supermarket.
But that means you have to be prepared! To help you get organised for Christmas, I’m sharing my free Christmas food shopping list.
This features all of the items – from meat to dairy and freezer items to household products – that I stock up on in my big pre-Christmas shop.
It includes the food you need for Christmas Day and the days after, so you can make the most of those Christmas leftovers.
Not only have I got my done-for-you shopping list with all the items you need, but I’ve also got a couple of blank lists you can print off and keep to fill in your own Christmas food essentials.
What food do you need for Christmas Day?
We always host Christmas at our house – usually cooking for nine people on the big day – and so I like to have all the different things people like to eat.
While the big focus of my Christmas food shopping list is the big Christmas dinner – with turkey and all the trimmings – I’m also considering snacks, cheese and meals for us as a family on the days before and after.
We always buy a huge turkey which gives us plenty of leftovers for the days after Christmas – we love turkey sandwiches, turkey pasta, turkey soup and turkey curry. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
Here’s a rundown of the key bits of food you need for Christmas Day:
The Main Meal
The bird. 54% of people have a turkey on Christmas Day, according to a YouGov survey. Alternatives include chicken and goose, while other people go totally alternative and choose beef or lamb. Vegetarian options include a nut roast.
Trimmings. Pigs in blankets are a must-have, plus I also always cook a gammon or ham and give everyone a slice of this along with their turkey.
Potatoes. You’ll also need some goose fat or oil to create amazingly crispy potatoes.
Vegetables. What you put on the side of your turkey is a personal choice, but many people choose sprouts for Christmas. You’ll probably want another two to three veggies to go with them. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage and parsnips are all great popular choices.
Sauces. Gravy is an essential – you can make this from scratch ahead of time or make it from gravy granules. Cranberry sauce, mustard and bread sauce are also popular on condiments to go with Christmas dinner. Plus don’t forget the salt and pepper for the table.
Other Food
Breakfast. We can’t manage a full cooked breakfast on Christmas Day and a big Christmas dinner. But I know many people love to have a treat for breakfast – so you may want to add bacon, sausages and eggs to your list.
A starter. Who knew a started could be a controversial topic? But when it comes to Christmas dinner, it can be. Nigella Lawson said she doesn’t understand why people add a starter, when the meal itself is so filling. Whether you do serve a starter or not is up to you, but I recommend keeping it light with either smoked salmon and a little salad and lemon or a prawn cocktail (it’s a classic!).
Snacks/nibbles. The nibbles are my second favourite bit about Christmas food – after the turkey dinner! Supermarkets now provide a huge range of oven-cook nibbles you can offer as warm snacks for guests.There’s often offers in the run-up to Christmas, so keep an eye out for those, and check if they can be frozen so you can buy them in advance. For cold snacks you could make blinis with smoked salmon, cream cheese and a little fresh dill, for example. Crisps, breadsticks and dips are also good to have.
Dessert. Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, trifle, a chocolate Christmas log and profiteroles are the most popular choices. Mince pies may also go down well as a snack for some time later in the day.
Cheese. A cheese platter is a lovely thing to offer your guests. Include a mixture of types of cheeses, such as cheddar, brie, and a blue cheese. Don’t forget the crackers, or a French stick that you can thinly slice for people to enjoy with the cheese.
Drinks
Wine and sparkling wine. A good rule is one bottle per person who will be drinking, plus two extra just in case. Purchase more white than red, unless all of your guests are red wine drinkers.
Beer
Soft drinks. For those not drinking alcohol try to purchase some nice drinks for them to enjoy. You could try mixing a non-alcoholic cocktail, or buy something pre-made, which is what I normally do.
Ice
Household essentials
It’s a good idea to stock up on the household cleaning and other essentials that you use around the home.
That includes cleaning products, toilet roll, kitchen roll, hand soap, and the essentials you need for wrapping gifts too.
Scroll to the end of this article to grab your free Christmas shopping list featuring all of the essentials you’ll for the actual day and after!
How to structure your grocery list
Structure your grocery list into categories based on where the various food and other items are located in the supermarket.
Typically you’ll find the fruit and veg as you enter the shop, then the meat, then dairy and juice, then tinned goods and bread, and so on.
This is how my dad always did it when I was growing up, and I’ve stuck to the same method. It works!
This way you’re not zig-zagging all over the supermarket going from the flour back to the poultry and then back to the frozen section.
The main categories I use are:
- Produce. This is where you’ll find your fruit and veg plus fresh herbs.
- Meat
- Dairy
- Herbs & spices.
- Grains & bread.
- Snacks/desserts.
- Condiments, oils & sauces
- Tinned & dried produce
- Baking
- Freezer
- Drinks
Christmas food shopping list printable
Here’s your printable Christmas grocery shopping list in PDF format. Just click to download and then print it off as many times as you need!
There are three versions here for you to use – a blank with check boxes, a blank with square spaces for you to fill with as many items as you need and a complete checklist for you to use in full or delete as appropriate.
It includes the items you need for Christmas Day, plus some extras to help you make the most of Christmas leftovers in the days after.
Christmas food list
Here’s the complete Christmas food list for you to read through. It includes Christmas Day food, and items you need to make meals on the days after.
For example curry powder and chopped tomatoes and garlic can be used to make a curry with leftover turkey, and any leftover roast potatoes and veg can be added too!
Produce
Potatoes
Carrots
Broccoli
Sprouts
Parsnips
Cabbage
Onions
Garlic
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Bananas
Apples
Grapes
Strawberries
Oranges
Fresh herbs
Protein/meat
Turkey
Ham joint
Pigs in blankets
Sausages
Bacon
Smoked salmon
Sliced ham
Eggs
Party food selection
Sausage rolls
Pate
Dairy
Milk
Butter – unsalted & salted
Spread
Cheese selection
Yoghurt
Coleslaw
Cream
Brandy sauce
Custard
Herbs & spices
Curry powder
Chilli powder
Stock cubes
Stuffing
Grains & bread
Rice
Pasta
Cereals
Porridge oats
Sliced bread
Breadsticks
Snacks/desserts
Raisins
Biscuits
Crackers
Popcorn
Crisps
Sweets
Chocolates
Cake
Mince pies
Christmas pudding
Yule log
Pretzels
Nuts
Condiments, oils & sauces
Vegetable oil
Goose fat
Cranberry sauce
Bread sauce
Apple sauce
Chutney
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Salad dressing
Red wine vinegar
Gravy granules
Pasta sauce
Dip selection
Tinned & dried produce
Chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
Soup
Tinned fruit
Pickled onions
Pickles
Freezer
Peas
Fries
Onion rings
Ice cream
Ice lollies
Ice
Yorkshire pudding
Drinks
Squash
Juice
Coca Cola
Tea
Coffee
Wine
Sparkling wine
Beer
Port
Gin
Tonic water/mixers
Baking
Plain flour
Caster sugar
Baking powder
Mincemeat
Marzipan
Honey
Sugar
Golden syrup
Maple syrup
Household
Multi-purpose cleaning spray
Washing-up liquid
Bleach
Dishwasher tablets
Toilet roll
Kitchen roll
Bin bags
Cling film
Foil
Foil trays
Greaseproof paper
Christmas crackers
Batteries
Gift wrap
Gift tags
Tape
Tips for your Christmas food shopping list
Start with a meal plan
Before writing out your shopping list it’s a good idea to plan out exactly what you want to serve for people.
Consider what time of day you will be serving Christmas dinner (or lunch) so you can figure out how much food you need to offer people before and after.
Don’t go too heavy on the snacks, as you want people to be able to enjoy the main meal.
Use category headings such as:
- Breakfast
- Drinks
- Snacks
- Christmas lunch – including starter, main and dessert
Also meal plan the rest of the week after Christmas if you want to avoid going to the supermarket.
Then you can go through your meal plans and figure out all of the items you need to make it happen. Add that to your Christmas food shopping list.
Consider guests dietary requirements
The people coming to you for Christmas Day are likely to be your nearest and dearest. But it’s just worth double checking you’re aware of any things they don’t eat – allergies or intolerances can develop at any time.
If someone is a vegetarian then plan for how you will cater for them alongside the meat eaters.
Check your cupboards
A few weeks before Christmas it’s a good idea to take stock of what’s in your cupboards already.
This will save you from buying stuff you already have.
Plus you can clear out any items that are past their use by date.
Organise your fridge freezer
Before heading off to do the festive food shop make sure there is space in the fridge and the freezer for all of your essentials.
The turkey is likely to take up quite a large bit of space.
Clear out any jars or produce that has gone off or is past its use by date.
