Shopping List Template: Free Template for Switzerland

Why a Shopping List Template Is Worth Its Weight in Gold

Be honest: how often do you stand in Migros or Coop thinking 'What did I need again?' — only to get home and realise you are missing the one ingredient you need for dinner. You are not alone. Studies show that shopping without a list leads to 15–20% higher spending because we make impulse purchases whilst forgetting the essentials.

A blank piece of paper only helps so much. You write down 'milk, bread, cheese' — and still forget half of what you need. The problem: without structure, you do not think in categories. You think of whatever comes to mind in the moment. And that is almost never everything.

A shopping list template solves this problem elegantly. It is pre-sorted by category — just like the aisles in the shop. You go through each category, tick off what you need, and nothing gets forgotten. No zigzagging through the store, no second trip on the same day.

• Nothing forgotten: The categories remind you of every section — including household and frozen goods
• Faster shopping: The category order matches the typical store layout
• Fewer impulse buys: Shopping with a list keeps you focused and spending less
• Less food waste: You only buy what you actually need
• Less stress: No frantic deliberating in front of the shelves

The Perfect Shopping List: Sorted by Category

The best shopping list mirrors the layout of the shop you visit. At Migros and Coop, you typically start with fruit and vegetables and work your way through the departments to household and non-food. Here are the categories that work best for Swiss grocery shopping:

Fruit & Vegetables

This is where your shop begins — the freshest items first. Think about seasonal produce: strawberries in summer, pumpkin in autumn, lamb's lettuce in winter. Look for the Suisse Garantie label for Swiss-grown products.

Bread & Baked Goods

From Zopf for the Sunday brunch to wholegrain bread for the week. Do not forget: flour, yeast, and baking supplies also belong in this category if you enjoy baking at home.

Dairy & Eggs

Milk, butter, cream, yoghurt, quark — and of course cheese. Switzerland is a cheese country: Gruyere, Emmentaler, Appenzeller, or raclette cheese feature on almost every shopping list. Do not forget the eggs.

Meat, Fish & Vegetarian Alternatives

Whether it is chicken, mince, salmon, or plant-based alternatives — plan this category based on your weekly menu. Meat and fish are not cheap in Switzerland, so planning here pays off especially well.

Pantry & Tinned Goods

Pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, stock cubes, spices, Aromat, Cenovis — the basics that should always be in the cupboard. A well-stocked pantry makes spontaneous cooking possible.

Drinks

Mineral water, Rivella, fruit spritzers, coffee, tea — and perhaps squash for the children. This category is often forgotten, even though drinks are heavy and you would rather not make a separate trip for them.

Frozen Goods

Frozen vegetables, emergency pizza, ice cream, fish fingers. Add frozen items to your trolley last so the cold chain is not broken.

Household & Non-Food

Washing-up liquid, loo roll, bin bags, laundry detergent — things you never need until they suddenly run out. A template with this category reminds you to restock in time.

Printable Shopping List Template

Here is your ready-made shopping list template — a checklist you can work through directly. The categories are arranged in the order you would encounter them at Migros or Coop. Before your shop, go through each category and note down what you need.

Fruit & Vegetables

• Apples / pears
• Bananas
• Berries (seasonal)
• Lemons / limes
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic
• Lettuce (lamb's lettuce, iceberg, rocket)
• Potatoes
• Courgettes
• Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Fresh herbs (basil, parsley)

Bread & Baked Goods

• Bread (wholegrain, rye, rolls)
• Zopf (Swiss braided bread)
• Toast
• Flour
• Sugar
• Yeast / baking powder

Dairy & Eggs

• Milk (whole, semi-skimmed)
• Butter
• Cream (single, double)
• Yoghurt (plain, fruit)
• Birchermuesli
• Quark
• Gruyere / Emmentaler
• Raclette cheese / fondue mix
• Mozzarella
• Eggs (free-range)

Meat, Fish & Vegetarian

• Chicken (breast, thighs)
• Mince (beef, mixed)
• Cervelat / bratwurst
• Cold cuts (ham, salami)
• Salmon / fish fillets
• Tofu / Quorn

Pantry & Tinned Goods

• Pasta (spaghetti, penne)
• Rice (basmati, risotto)
• Tomato sauce / tinned tomatoes
• Stock cubes (vegetable, chicken)
• Olive oil / rapeseed oil
• Vinegar (balsamic, cider)
• Aromat
• Cenovis
• Mustard / ketchup / mayonnaise
• Spices (salt, pepper, paprika, curry)
• Muesli / oats
• Jam / honey
• Nuts / dried fruit

Drinks

• Mineral water (sparkling / still)
• Rivella
• Fruit juice / spritzers
• Squash
• Coffee (beans, capsules)
• Tea

Frozen Goods

• Frozen vegetables (peas, spinach)
• Chips / fries
• Pizza
• Fish fingers
• Ice cream

Household & Non-Food

• Washing-up liquid / dishwasher tabs
• Laundry detergent / fabric softener
• Toilet roll
• Kitchen roll
• Bin bags (Zueri-Sack, etc.)
• Aluminium foil / cling film
• Sponges / cleaning cloths

From Template to Automatic Shopping List

A printed template is a great first step. You have structure, you forget less, and you are faster in the shop. But let us be honest: going through the same list by hand every week, calculating quantities, and checking what is left — it gets tedious after a while. A shopping list app can take that repetitive work off your hands entirely.

This is where the big advantage of a digital solution shows. Imagine planning your recipes for the week on Sunday — and your shopping list is created automatically. All ingredients from all recipes, combined and sorted by category. If two recipes need onions, the list does not say 'onions' twice — it shows them once with the correct quantity.

That is exactly what TellerPlan does. You import your recipes (e.g. from Cookidoo or from cookbooks by taking a photo), plan your week, and the shopping list generates itself. It is like a template that thinks for you.

Here is the comparison at a glance:

• Paper template: Free, tactile, no app needed — but everything is manual: calculating quantities, combining duplicate ingredients, filling it in from scratch each week
• Notes app (e.g. Apple Notes): Flexible, always with you — but no categories, no automatic combining, no connection to recipes
• TellerPlan: Shopping list is created automatically from your meal plan, ingredients are combined and sorted by category, works with Cookidoo and your own recipes

Tips for the Perfectly Organised Shopping List

Whether you use a paper template or an app — these tips will help you make your weekly shop even more efficient:

1. Check what you already have

Before writing the list: take a quick look in the fridge, the pantry, and the freezer. Nothing is more annoying than buying three packets of spaghetti when there are already two in the cupboard. This saves money and prevents food waste.

2. Plan the weekly shop at the weekend

Take 15 minutes on Saturday or Sunday to create your weekly meal plan and derive the shopping list from it. This way you start the week relaxed and only need to pick up fresh items during the week.

3. Note quantities, not just products

'Carrots' is too vague. Write 'carrots, 500 g' or 'carrots, 1 bunch'. This way you buy the right amount and avoid leftovers that end up in the bin.

4. Keep a staples list ready

There are things you buy almost every week: milk, bread, eggs, bananas. Create a 'staples list' with these basics and add the special ingredients for your recipes each week. This saves time.

5. One shop, one trip

Try to get as much done in one shopping trip as possible. Multiple small shops during the week cost more time — and lead to more impulse purchases. With a good list, one big weekly shop at Migros or Coop is enough, topped up with fresh bread and vegetables during the week.

Never Forget Anything Again

A shopping list template is the simplest step towards a less stressful weekly shop. You do not need an app, no sign-up, no subscription — just print or copy the template above and you are already better organised than 80% of the people in the store.

But if you find yourself doing the same work every week — looking up recipes, writing down ingredients, adding up quantities — then it might be time for the next step. TellerPlan takes exactly that work off your hands: you plan your recipes for the week, and the shopping list creates itself. All ingredients, all quantities, sorted by category.

Whether you stick with the paper template or switch to the digital version — the most important thing is: never go shopping without a list again. Your wallet and your fridge will thank you.