ISO A list of "every" food/ingredient
April 25, 2022 6:29 AM Subscribe
I'd like a list of every food, by which I mean mainly "ingredient" type foods: produce items, baked goods, sauces, spices, etc.. Think a detailed list of every food available in a supermarket. Google has been surprisingly useless.
Response by poster: Wikipedia says stores typically carry anywhere from 15,000 to 60,000 SKUs
Sure, but most of those are duplicates: broccoli crowns, broccoli crowns organic, broccoli bunch, broccoli bunch organic, 20 kinds of frozen pizza, 50 different frozen dinners, 5 brands/sizes of oregano, etc. and many are not foods.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:43 AM on April 25, 2022
Sure, but most of those are duplicates: broccoli crowns, broccoli crowns organic, broccoli bunch, broccoli bunch organic, 20 kinds of frozen pizza, 50 different frozen dinners, 5 brands/sizes of oregano, etc. and many are not foods.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:43 AM on April 25, 2022
I will be the one to point out that what can be found in a supermarket will vary significantly by region. To give just one example that's completely within the US, nearly every supermarket in New England sells steak tips, which I'd never seen anywhere else before moving here. That's to say nothing of other countries.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:51 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 6:51 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
What kevinbelt says. Supermarkets by me carry many varieties of Hatch green chile, fresh, frozen and canned. You don't see that in pretty much any other state.
You seem to be trying to use Google and crowdsourcing to get a detailed list of 'everything' in your local store, but also where certain categories are combined using criteria only you know (to use your broccoli example - will you combine multiple brands of soy sauce? Are you distinguishing tamari from shoyu? Etc. This is a lot more work than you seem to be assuming it is, since the internal logic of what you think ought to be combined is not going to be immediately obvious to someone else). That's both unreasonable to ask a search engine and unreasonable to ask strangers.
You could try asking the manager of the store where you shop for a full inventory and combining the redundancies yourself.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 6:57 AM on April 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
You seem to be trying to use Google and crowdsourcing to get a detailed list of 'everything' in your local store, but also where certain categories are combined using criteria only you know (to use your broccoli example - will you combine multiple brands of soy sauce? Are you distinguishing tamari from shoyu? Etc. This is a lot more work than you seem to be assuming it is, since the internal logic of what you think ought to be combined is not going to be immediately obvious to someone else). That's both unreasonable to ask a search engine and unreasonable to ask strangers.
You could try asking the manager of the store where you shop for a full inventory and combining the redundancies yourself.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 6:57 AM on April 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
I think that starts to get really difficult based on how broad your categories are, I.e. is a dinner roll the same as a croissant or is salt a spice? Which, based on your comment above, it seems they would be.
For this one I think you're going to have to go to a grocery store and walk the aisles asking yourself what the categories are.
posted by gregr at 7:03 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
For this one I think you're going to have to go to a grocery store and walk the aisles asking yourself what the categories are.
posted by gregr at 7:03 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Yeah, I would have just put those under "beef". Alright, at the risk of threadsitting...basically I'm asking in support of this earlier question I asked so I can check off foods I like and don't like...
So I think maybe I need to break this down. I found a pretty comprehensive lists of produce items and spices...Not having any luck with sauces and condiments. Is there a master list of spices/condiments somewhere? I don't care if it includes things not in my local store. Meat I'm happy to just break down by source animal. Besides produce/spices/sauces what other category would i need to include to convey to someone what ingredients I like and don't like? What about thinks like "Shake and Bake" ... what category would I find that in?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:03 AM on April 25, 2022
So I think maybe I need to break this down. I found a pretty comprehensive lists of produce items and spices...Not having any luck with sauces and condiments. Is there a master list of spices/condiments somewhere? I don't care if it includes things not in my local store. Meat I'm happy to just break down by source animal. Besides produce/spices/sauces what other category would i need to include to convey to someone what ingredients I like and don't like? What about thinks like "Shake and Bake" ... what category would I find that in?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:03 AM on April 25, 2022
If you are paying a human to help you plan your menus, it would probably be simpler to talk with them about your preferences in the context of putting your menus together, and then refine it as you go along.
One approach would be to begin by putting together a list of main dishes and side dishes that you like, including specific brands and how they are seasoned. Then if your helper wants to expand from there, they could check in with you. Anything that is not on your positive list would be assumed to be unacceptable prior to checking in.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 7:06 AM on April 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
One approach would be to begin by putting together a list of main dishes and side dishes that you like, including specific brands and how they are seasoned. Then if your helper wants to expand from there, they could check in with you. Anything that is not on your positive list would be assumed to be unacceptable prior to checking in.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 7:06 AM on April 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
You can get a database of many different individual foods, with nutrient information, from USDA's FoodData Central.
posted by grouse at 7:16 AM on April 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by grouse at 7:16 AM on April 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
You could just look through a website for ordering groceries online. Depending on your preferences, you could just list all the acceptable ingredients or list all the unacceptable ingredients.
posted by maleficent at 7:24 AM on April 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by maleficent at 7:24 AM on April 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
Yes, I was about to say if I needed a list like this that needed to be tailored to how I think about ingredient categories and subcategories, I think I would use the FreshDirect website. Their categories along the top can help you find ones that you might be forgetting. Their subcategories lists along the left can help you compose the lists of subcategories (see the left sidebar here for condiments and sauces, for instance). You can search for things if you're not sure what category they're in (so, they don't have Shake N Bake, but depending on why it's on your list you can see that breadcrumbs are in Grocery>Pantry>Bread>Croutons & Breadcrumbs).
It'd be a little tedious but you'd only have to do it once and the process might even help you with the reason you need the list in the first place.
posted by lampoil at 7:37 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
It'd be a little tedious but you'd only have to do it once and the process might even help you with the reason you need the list in the first place.
posted by lampoil at 7:37 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Can you shop at Aldi? I can't see your location but it's worth a plug because they are pretty good for your purposes. They have far fewer items than most American supermarket style grocers. They have about 1.5k items, which is tiny compared to the 15-60k figure above.
They do have a variety of eg cheeses and jams, but only a handful of each, instead of a few dozen like you'll see at the larger regional chain stores. Also, they are fairly dialed in on "'normal' milquetoast American diet" (however problematic that may be, you'll know it when you see it), so you'll not be bothered by a zillion Indian or Chinese sauces or whatever.
Finally, their online shopping is pretty solid, and even do a good curbside pickup. I am confident you can live healthily eating only simple meals made with picky-eater-friendly recipes sourced from Aldi. But even if you can't shop there, their food list will be a good starting point I think. As for recipe suggestions, you may like to skim this MeFi favorite free book Good and Cheap.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:46 AM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
They do have a variety of eg cheeses and jams, but only a handful of each, instead of a few dozen like you'll see at the larger regional chain stores. Also, they are fairly dialed in on "'normal' milquetoast American diet" (however problematic that may be, you'll know it when you see it), so you'll not be bothered by a zillion Indian or Chinese sauces or whatever.
Finally, their online shopping is pretty solid, and even do a good curbside pickup. I am confident you can live healthily eating only simple meals made with picky-eater-friendly recipes sourced from Aldi. But even if you can't shop there, their food list will be a good starting point I think. As for recipe suggestions, you may like to skim this MeFi favorite free book Good and Cheap.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:46 AM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I used to work at Trader Joes and this data is very closely held. But I can do a back of the envelope guess as the the potential range of items. TJ's does not have a lot of duplication and carries, at any given moment about 3500 unique items, precovid. For comparison, Aldi, owned by the same guys as TJ's, but mostly separate (there's only so many suppliers) carries about 1200 items at any given moment. There is lots of snacks and prepared food at both locations, but they are missing many many things that I, and the many many people who asked for them, consider basic ingredients. Whole Foods was rumored to carry about 35,000 sku's, but with a huge amount of duplication.
I would speculate that the number of 'ingredients' you are considering is somewhere around 800-1000. The range would depend on how particular you are about things like cheese, noodles and if dried salami is different from the sliced turkey is different than frozen chicken breasts. I would suggest starting with recipes and working toward the list of ingredients. Apps like Paprika will make short work of building a shopping list out of a weeks worth of recipes.
posted by zenon at 7:53 AM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I would speculate that the number of 'ingredients' you are considering is somewhere around 800-1000. The range would depend on how particular you are about things like cheese, noodles and if dried salami is different from the sliced turkey is different than frozen chicken breasts. I would suggest starting with recipes and working toward the list of ingredients. Apps like Paprika will make short work of building a shopping list out of a weeks worth of recipes.
posted by zenon at 7:53 AM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
There are two ways I could approach this. The first, since it sounds like you know your way around a supermarket already, is to look at the Cook's Thesaurus for a particular product. Wikipedia also has lists of condiments, spices, etc. But honestly, that's time consuming and I don't know how helpful it would actually be to what you're trying to do.
That's why I'd suggest starting with tastes and flavors rather than ingredients. This is actually something I've been meaning to write for a while but haven't for various reasons. Instead of listing every condiment bottle in your local supermarket, think about what kinds of condiments you already know you like, and then you can extrapolate from there. If, for example, you know you prefer milder condiments like plain mayonnaise to more pungent ones like mustard, it's probably not worth thinking about garlic aioli. Or if you like sweeter condiments like ketchup, you might also like brown sugar-y barbecue sauces. You can do the same thing with vegetables, cheeses, etc. If you like x,
Finally, if your problem, as you say in your other post, is just that you "often do not have food that can be turned into a real meal", have you considered consulting a pantry-stocking guide? All meats can be frozen, most veggies can be either frozen or canned, and most grains can be stored dry, and meat + veggie + grain is a pretty easy meal formula that's easily adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand. From there all you need are maybe some frozen prepared foods and a few pantry basics like dairy, cooking oils, and spices, and there are tons of guides about how to stock that. I think it's better to do the taste inventory first, though, so that you don't stock a bunch of stuff you don't like. I cook a lot, but I only use the same six or eight spices, plus two or three spice blends. I don't need a giant spice rack with rosemary and coriander and herbes de provence, because I don't like eating those flavors.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:56 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
That's why I'd suggest starting with tastes and flavors rather than ingredients. This is actually something I've been meaning to write for a while but haven't for various reasons. Instead of listing every condiment bottle in your local supermarket, think about what kinds of condiments you already know you like, and then you can extrapolate from there. If, for example, you know you prefer milder condiments like plain mayonnaise to more pungent ones like mustard, it's probably not worth thinking about garlic aioli. Or if you like sweeter condiments like ketchup, you might also like brown sugar-y barbecue sauces. You can do the same thing with vegetables, cheeses, etc. If you like x,
Finally, if your problem, as you say in your other post, is just that you "often do not have food that can be turned into a real meal", have you considered consulting a pantry-stocking guide? All meats can be frozen, most veggies can be either frozen or canned, and most grains can be stored dry, and meat + veggie + grain is a pretty easy meal formula that's easily adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand. From there all you need are maybe some frozen prepared foods and a few pantry basics like dairy, cooking oils, and spices, and there are tons of guides about how to stock that. I think it's better to do the taste inventory first, though, so that you don't stock a bunch of stuff you don't like. I cook a lot, but I only use the same six or eight spices, plus two or three spice blends. I don't need a giant spice rack with rosemary and coriander and herbes de provence, because I don't like eating those flavors.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:56 AM on April 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
In accordance with my reply in the other thread, I would suggest that you start now by listing your favorite seven spring meals -- if you are in the Northern Hemisphere. Forget about the future right now. Make a new list in June. And forget about all the stuff you don't like. Why would you spend time listing that?
Someone who helps you can learn a lot from what you do like, perhaps more than from what you don't like.
Spring vegetables are peas and spring onions and string beans and new carrots and new spinach, for instance. Spring meats are chicken and lamb. Spring fruits could be strawberries and oranges, there might still be avocados.
From the list of your favorite things, you can look at the ingredients: are there any overlaps of ingredients? Use a spreadsheet this once. There will be salt and pepper, but are there perhaps also pasta or rice? I remember you don't like potatoes. Are there onions or garlic or both? Are there some vegetables you like most, and are they good frozen? Do you like chicken? There are a gazillion different chicken recipes, you can make three completely meals from one charcuterie chicken. Do you like tomato-based sauces? Legumes? The items, that are in several of your favorite dishes, are your personal pantry staples.
in the other thread, a couple of us opined that frozen food can be just fine. Now I would like to add tins. Some tins are good, and help you stay happy and healthy. Most legumes do very well in a tin. I prefer beans and chickpeas, but I have a little tin of peas for an emergency too, if the freezer breaks down. Sweet corn are better in a tin than frozen IMO. Tomatoes are better in a tin than fresh for cooking if you live in a cold and dark region. Coconut milk is a great pantry staple if you like it. And fish! I like sardines, tuna and anchovies from tins, and sometimes squid. I've noticed many people like salmon too. I also like cod roe and cod liver, but they might be aquired tastes.
Add tins like this to your pantry, and you have more options. Still healthy and tasty
And of course, the dried stuff: the rice, the pasta, the quinoa, the couscous, and many more, are all things that you can make a fast meal out of with few other ingredients.
Leftovers seem to have negative connotations for some people. But leftovers don't have to be reheated and dry meat with grey vegs. If you like chicken, a dinner of charcuterie chicken served with couscous and frozen peas stewed in olive oil with parsley, lemon juice and garlic can become a lunch salad the next day, with the left over vegetables and some chicken pieces mixed into the couscous. And there will still be leftover chicken for a Caesar salad with chicken -- just use store-bought dressing and croutons. (This was just an example, I don't know if you like this, but it reminded me that frozen parsley is very practical).
posted by mumimor at 9:35 AM on April 25, 2022
Someone who helps you can learn a lot from what you do like, perhaps more than from what you don't like.
Spring vegetables are peas and spring onions and string beans and new carrots and new spinach, for instance. Spring meats are chicken and lamb. Spring fruits could be strawberries and oranges, there might still be avocados.
From the list of your favorite things, you can look at the ingredients: are there any overlaps of ingredients? Use a spreadsheet this once. There will be salt and pepper, but are there perhaps also pasta or rice? I remember you don't like potatoes. Are there onions or garlic or both? Are there some vegetables you like most, and are they good frozen? Do you like chicken? There are a gazillion different chicken recipes, you can make three completely meals from one charcuterie chicken. Do you like tomato-based sauces? Legumes? The items, that are in several of your favorite dishes, are your personal pantry staples.
in the other thread, a couple of us opined that frozen food can be just fine. Now I would like to add tins. Some tins are good, and help you stay happy and healthy. Most legumes do very well in a tin. I prefer beans and chickpeas, but I have a little tin of peas for an emergency too, if the freezer breaks down. Sweet corn are better in a tin than frozen IMO. Tomatoes are better in a tin than fresh for cooking if you live in a cold and dark region. Coconut milk is a great pantry staple if you like it. And fish! I like sardines, tuna and anchovies from tins, and sometimes squid. I've noticed many people like salmon too. I also like cod roe and cod liver, but they might be aquired tastes.
Add tins like this to your pantry, and you have more options. Still healthy and tasty
And of course, the dried stuff: the rice, the pasta, the quinoa, the couscous, and many more, are all things that you can make a fast meal out of with few other ingredients.
Leftovers seem to have negative connotations for some people. But leftovers don't have to be reheated and dry meat with grey vegs. If you like chicken, a dinner of charcuterie chicken served with couscous and frozen peas stewed in olive oil with parsley, lemon juice and garlic can become a lunch salad the next day, with the left over vegetables and some chicken pieces mixed into the couscous. And there will still be leftover chicken for a Caesar salad with chicken -- just use store-bought dressing and croutons. (This was just an example, I don't know if you like this, but it reminded me that frozen parsley is very practical).
posted by mumimor at 9:35 AM on April 25, 2022
you're doing a ton of work here that won't get you closer to the goal of "enjoyable healthy meals with much less work."
If the goal is to create a plan with a shopping list, just start listing meals you like. It's ok if nothing comes to mind right away. Keep a list on your counter and jot stuff down as you make it over the course of a week or two. Note if your kid likes it too. Keep a list of the things your kid reacts badly to as well. Nothing ruins a dinner like having a kid whine about it.
Once you have a list of dishes that you know work well for you and your kid, the shopping list and meal-ordering become obvious. (Like if you see that stir-fry over rice works well, and so does instant pot chicken soup with rice, then it's obvious to cook 2x the amt of rice and have those meals be on sequential days; plus if you don't have a rice cooker, then you'll want to have that rice cooked in advance, so those are probably Sunday and Monday's meals, so you're not stuck waiting 40 minutes for rice to cook on a weeknight.)
All you need is a week's worth. Repetition will make this easier on every level.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:36 AM on April 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
If the goal is to create a plan with a shopping list, just start listing meals you like. It's ok if nothing comes to mind right away. Keep a list on your counter and jot stuff down as you make it over the course of a week or two. Note if your kid likes it too. Keep a list of the things your kid reacts badly to as well. Nothing ruins a dinner like having a kid whine about it.
Once you have a list of dishes that you know work well for you and your kid, the shopping list and meal-ordering become obvious. (Like if you see that stir-fry over rice works well, and so does instant pot chicken soup with rice, then it's obvious to cook 2x the amt of rice and have those meals be on sequential days; plus if you don't have a rice cooker, then you'll want to have that rice cooked in advance, so those are probably Sunday and Monday's meals, so you're not stuck waiting 40 minutes for rice to cook on a weeknight.)
All you need is a week's worth. Repetition will make this easier on every level.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:36 AM on April 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
Etsy has these shopping lists that have lists of food. Could this work?
posted by Toddles at 11:45 AM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Toddles at 11:45 AM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I tried to do this for a SNAP list I found (I figured it would be close to complete since it had over 30k individual items/skus). It was not. There were like 27 different categories of milk, not that much fresh food, and no condiments, sauces, or spices. And even though I was able to get all 30k into my database, I've only purchased like 1-2 items from the list. Everything else requires manual input.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:52 PM on April 25, 2022
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:52 PM on April 25, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by theora55 at 6:38 AM on April 25, 2022