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Shopping Lists

Sharp Cooking’s shopping list feature turns your recipes and meal plans into organized grocery lists. No more forgetting ingredients or buying duplicates—everything you need is in one place, organized by category and ready to take to the store.

This guide will show you how to create shopping lists, organize them effectively, and make grocery shopping faster and easier.

What are Shopping Lists? {#what}

Shopping lists in Sharp Cooking automatically gather ingredients from recipes and combine them into a single, organized list. Instead of writing ingredients on paper or keeping mental notes, let the app do the work.

How Shopping Lists Work

  1. Add recipes to your meal plan or select individual recipes
  2. Generate a shopping list from those recipes
  3. Sharp Cooking combines duplicate ingredients (e.g., “2 cups flour” + “1 cup flour” = “3 cups flour”)
  4. Items are organized by category (produce, dairy, meat, pantry, etc.)
  5. Check off items as you shop
  6. List clears after shopping, ready for next week

Benefits

Save time:

  • No manual list writing
  • Organized by store layout
  • Check off as you go

Reduce errors:

  • Never forget an ingredient
  • Avoid buying duplicates
  • Accurate quantities

Simplify shopping:

  • One consolidated list
  • Easy to share with family
  • Works offline

Creating a Shopping List {#creating}

From a Meal Plan

The most common way to create a shopping list:

  1. Go to Meal Plan
  2. Plan your meals for the week (see Meal Planning guide)
  3. Tap Generate shopping list
  4. Sharp Cooking gathers all ingredients from planned recipes
  5. Duplicates are combined automatically
  6. The list opens, organized by category

Example:

  • Monday: Chicken stir-fry (2 bell peppers, 1 lb chicken, 2 tbsp soy sauce)
  • Wednesday: Fajitas (3 bell peppers, 1 lb chicken, 1 onion)
  • Shopping list shows: 5 bell peppers, 2 lbs chicken, 1 onion, 2 tbsp soy sauce

From Individual Recipes

Don’t use meal planning? You can still create shopping lists:

Method 1: From recipe page

  1. Open any recipe
  2. Tap Add to shopping list
  3. Choose to create a new list or add to existing
  4. Ingredients are added

Method 2: Select multiple recipes

  1. Go to your recipe collection
  2. Tap Select (top right)
  3. Choose multiple recipes
  4. Tap Add to shopping list
  5. All ingredients combined into one list

Manual Shopping Lists

You can also create lists from scratch:

  1. Go to Shopping Lists
  2. Tap New list
  3. Name it (e.g., “Costco run”)
  4. Tap Add item to manually add items
  5. Add as many as you need

Use cases for manual lists:

  • Household items (paper towels, dish soap)
  • Non-recipe items
  • Pharmacy or hardware store trips
  • Items you know you need but aren’t in recipes

Organizing Your Shopping List {#organizing}

Categories

Items are automatically sorted into categories:

  • Produce - Fruits and vegetables
  • Meat & Seafood - Fresh proteins
  • Dairy & Eggs - Milk, cheese, yogurt, butter
  • Bakery - Bread, tortillas, baked goods
  • Pantry - Canned goods, pasta, rice, oils, spices
  • Frozen - Frozen vegetables, ice cream, frozen meals
  • Beverages - Drinks, coffee, tea
  • Snacks - Chips, crackers, candy
  • Other - Items that don’t fit elsewhere

Why categories matter:

  • Shop in order of your store’s layout
  • Minimize backtracking
  • Find items faster
  • Don’t forget sections

Customizing Category Order

Rearrange categories to match your store:

  1. Open your shopping list
  2. Tap Edit categories (gear icon)
  3. Drag categories into your preferred order
  4. Save

Example custom order for your grocery store:

  1. Produce (at the front)
  2. Bakery (near entrance)
  3. Meat & Seafood (back left)
  4. Dairy (back right)
  5. Frozen (side aisle)
  6. Pantry (center aisles)
  7. Beverages (end aisle)
  8. Snacks (checkout lane)

Moving Items Between Categories

Sometimes the app gets it wrong:

  1. Tap and hold an item
  2. Select Move to category
  3. Choose the correct category
  4. Item moves

Example: “Coconut milk” might be in Dairy, but in your store it’s in the Asian foods section (Pantry). Move it there for easier shopping.

Shopping with Your List {#shopping}

In-Store Use

At the store:

  1. Open Sharp Cooking
  2. Go to Shopping Lists
  3. Open this week’s list
  4. Walk through the store
  5. Tap items to check them off as you add to cart
  6. Checked items move to the bottom (or disappear)

Pro tips:

  • Keep your phone screen on (don’t let it sleep)
  • Use one hand to navigate the list
  • If you can’t find an item, leave it unchecked and come back
  • Add forgotten items on the fly with + Add item

Offline Shopping

Shopping lists work offline:

  • List is cached on your device
  • Check off items without internet
  • Changes sync when you’re back online

Perfect for:

  • Basements with no signal
  • Stores with poor reception
  • Airplane mode to save battery

Sharing Shopping Lists

Send the list to your partner or roommate:

Method 1: Share link

  1. Open the shopping list
  2. Tap Share
  3. Choose Copy link or send via text/email
  4. Recipient opens link in Sharp Cooking
  5. They see the same list

Method 2: Household access

  • Everyone logged into the same Sharp Cooking account sees the same lists
  • Real-time sync - one person checks off, everyone sees it
  • Great for “divide and conquer” shopping

Method 3: Print or export

  1. Tap More options (three dots)
  2. Select Print or Export as PDF
  3. Print at home or email to someone

Managing Multiple Lists {#multiple-lists}

You can have several shopping lists at once:

When to Use Multiple Lists

Separate by store:

  • “Whole Foods” list
  • “Costco” list
  • “Farmer’s Market” list

Separate by frequency:

  • “Weekly groceries”
  • “Monthly bulk items”
  • “Pantry stock-up”

Separate by category:

  • “Groceries”
  • “Pharmacy”
  • “Hardware store”

Creating Additional Lists

  1. Go to Shopping Lists
  2. Tap New list
  3. Name it
  4. Add items manually or from recipes

Switching Between Lists

  1. In Shopping Lists view, you see all active lists
  2. Tap any list to open it
  3. Return to main view to switch to another

Archiving Completed Lists

After shopping, you can clear or archive a list:

  1. Open the completed list
  2. Tap Complete shopping
  3. Choose:
    • Clear all items - Empty the list for next time
    • Archive - Save as history (hidden from main view)
    • Delete - Permanently remove

Archived lists can be reopened from Archived lists menu. Useful for repeating the same shopping trip later.

Smart Shopping List Features {#smart-features}

Ingredient Consolidation

Sharp Cooking intelligently combines duplicate ingredients:

Examples:

  • “2 cups flour” + “1 cup flour” = “3 cups flour”
  • “1 lb chicken breast” + “8 oz chicken breast” = “1.5 lbs chicken breast”
  • “2 cloves garlic” + “3 cloves garlic” = “5 cloves garlic”

Mixed units: If recipes use different units, Sharp Cooking converts and combines:

  • “200g flour” + “1 cup flour” = “325g flour (1.25 cups)“

Quantity Adjustments

Change quantities on the fly:

  1. Tap an item on your list
  2. Adjust the quantity up or down
  3. Useful if you want extra or already have some at home

Example: Recipe calls for 2 cups milk, but you have 1 cup at home. Change list to “1 cup milk.”

Notes and Preferences

Add notes to items:

  1. Tap an item
  2. Add a note: “Get organic” or “Brand: Kirkland” or “On sale this week”
  3. Note shows below the item

Recurring Items

Some items you always need. Mark them as recurring:

  1. Tap an item
  2. Select Add to recurring items
  3. This item automatically appears on every new shopping list

Great for:

  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Bread
  • Coffee
  • Toilet paper

Practical Shopping Scenarios {#scenarios}

Scenario 1: Weekly Family Grocery Trip

Your situation: Planning meals for a family of 4, shopping once per week.

Your approach:

  1. Sunday morning: Plan meals for Mon-Sun
  2. Generate shopping list from meal plan
  3. Add recurring items (milk, bread, snacks)
  4. Add manual items (paper towels, pet food)
  5. Share list with partner
  6. Shop together Sunday afternoon, each takes half the list
  7. Check items off as you go
  8. Complete shopping, archive list

Result: Complete grocery run in one trip, nothing forgotten.

Scenario 2: Multiple Store Shopping

Your situation: You shop at Trader Joe’s for produce, Costco for bulk items, and a local butcher.

Your approach:

  1. Generate shopping list from meal plan
  2. Create 3 separate lists:
    • “Trader Joe’s” - Produce and pantry
    • “Costco” - Bulk grains, canned goods, frozen items
    • “Butcher” - All meats
  3. Manually distribute items from master list to store-specific lists
  4. Shop over 2-3 days

Result: Optimized shopping across stores, no duplicate trips.

Scenario 3: Budget-Conscious Shopping

Your situation: Limited budget, need to compare prices and shop sales.

Your approach:

  1. Generate shopping list
  2. Before shopping, review list and mark expensive items with notes
  3. At store, check prices
  4. Swap expensive ingredients for budget alternatives
  5. Check off items as you buy them
  6. Leave unchecked items for next trip if over budget

Result: Stay within budget, prioritize essentials, defer nice-to-haves.

Scenario 4: Dietary Restrictions

Your situation: Shopping for mixed household (one gluten-free, one dairy-free).

Your approach:

  1. Generate shopping list
  2. Add notes to items: “GF pasta” “Almond milk (DF)”
  3. Organize list to shop gluten-free section first
  4. Check labels carefully
  5. Use notes to remember substitutions

Result: Accommodate all dietary needs without forgetting special items.

Tips and Tricks {#tips}

Reduce Food Waste

  • Only generate lists from meals you’ll actually cook
  • Check your pantry before shopping - uncheck items you already have
  • Buy exact quantities when possible
  • Note expiration dates in item notes

Save Money

  • Add “On sale” notes when you see deals
  • Compare unit prices in-store
  • Buy generic for pantry staples (note in list: “Any brand OK”)
  • Use bulk items from Costco for better value

Shop Faster

  • Arrange categories to match your store layout
  • Group similar items even within categories
  • Shop during off-peak hours (less crowded)
  • Use self-checkout with list visible on phone

Avoid Forgetting Items

  • Add items as soon as you think of them (even before meal planning)
  • Keep a “running list” that persists across weeks
  • Use recurring items for essentials
  • Review list before leaving for the store

Family Coordination

  • Share lists with household members
  • Assign items to specific people (“You get produce, I’ll get meat”)
  • Use check-offs to see what’s been found
  • Add items remotely if someone thinks of something while shopping

Frequently Asked Questions {#faq}

Do I need an account to use shopping lists? Yes, shopping lists require a free Sharp Cooking account to save and sync.

Can I use shopping lists without meal planning? Yes! Add items manually or generate from individual recipes.

How many shopping lists can I have? Unlimited. Create as many as you need for different stores or purposes.

Can I print my shopping list? Yes, use the Export/Print option in the list menu.

Does the app know my store’s layout? No, but you can customize category order to match your store.

What if an ingredient is in the wrong category? Move it manually. Future lists will remember your preference.

Can I shop without internet? Yes, lists are cached offline. Changes sync when you’re back online.

How do I uncheck items if I change my mind? Tap checked items to uncheck them. They move back to the main list.

Can I add non-food items? Yes, add any item manually to the “Other” category.

What happens to checked items? They move to the bottom or disappear (you can toggle this in settings).

Can I reuse a shopping list? Yes, archived lists can be reopened and reused with one tap.

How do I delete an item from the list? Swipe left on the item and tap Delete, or tap and hold and select Remove.

Can I edit item quantities? Yes, tap the item to change quantity or add notes.

What if a recipe doesn’t have quantities? Items will show without amounts. You can add quantities manually.

Can I combine shopping lists? Not directly, but you can add items from one list to another manually.

Do shopping lists expire? No, they stay until you delete or archive them.

Can multiple people edit the same list at once? Yes, if sharing an account. Changes sync in real-time.

What’s the difference between clearing and archiving? Clearing empties the list but keeps it active. Archiving saves it to history and hides it.

Can I customize which categories show? You can rearrange order but can’t hide categories currently.

How does ingredient consolidation work with different units? Sharp Cooking converts to a common unit and combines (e.g., cups + grams).

Can I add photos to shopping list items? Not currently, but you can add text notes.

Is there a way to estimate total cost? Not built-in, but you can add price notes to items manually.

Can I create a shopping list from someone else’s shared recipe? Yes, if you save their recipe to your collection, you can add it to your list.

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