Do you make a grocery list before going to the supermarket?  In the United States it is very common for people to buy their groceries* in stores instead of in open air markets.  (Open air food markets in the United States are called ‘Farmer’s Markets’ and often they are held only one day a week, so most people buy their food in stores not open air markets.)  Before going to the store to buy groceries it is common to make a list of items to buy, in order to remember what items you needs.  This list is called a ‘grocery list’.  The foods on a grocery list can be divided into groups of similar items or categories.  At the grocery store (also called a ‘market’ or ‘supermarket’) there are signs that tell shoppers where to find the items they are looking for on their list.  So, what are the names for the food categories most commonly used in grocery stores in the English speaking world?  Below is a list of common sections of a grocery store and the types of foods and products found in those sections.  Also, there is a picture of how a grocery store might look like if you are just looking at it by food category.  Below this is a matching exercise.  In this exercise you need to match the different foods to the categories they belong to.  I have written the answers to this matching at the very bottom of this post.  Good luck and I hope you enjoy learning some new vocabulary.

bakery – bread, bagels, cakes, cookies
dry goods – cereal, pasta, crackers, cookies
canned goods – canned fruits and vegetables, tomato sauce, canned soup
frozen foods – frozen vegetables and fruit, frozen dinners, frozen pizza, frozen juice, ice cream
produce – apples, bananas, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, etc.
dairy products – eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt
deli counter – sliced meats for sandwiches, sliced cheese, buns for sandwiches, prepared salads
baking goods – flour, sugar, salt, spices, dry cookie or baking mixes
meats/meat counter – chicken, chicken breasts, beef, hamburger meat, pork chops
seafood – fresh fish, shellfish, lobster
toiletries – shampoo, conditioner, soap
paper goods – paper towels, toilet paper, paper cups
cleaning supplies – toilet bowl cleaner, glass cleaner, kitchen cleaning products
Matching:
1. seafood section        a. a birthday cake
2. dairy section            b. clams
3. deli counter             c. frozen spinach
4. produce                   d. sliced turkey
5. bakery                      e. watermelon
6.frozen foods             f. cake mix
7.meat counter           g. sausage
8. baking goods          h. cottage cheese

*groceries = food items sold in stores

Answers: 1-b, 2-h, 3-d, 4-e, 5-a, 6-c, 7-g, 8-f