When sticking to a budget, it can be hard to figure out your grocery store needs without breaking the bank. I find it easier to follow these steps to not overspend or stray from the almighty grocery list.
Here are some steps I take before heading to the grocery store:
Assess what you already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer and plan to use it!
There are many times when we have cans of beans, pasta, rice, etc. stocked in our pantry, yet when it comes time to go grocery shopping, we buy all new ingredients without even using up what we already have.
Plan out your meals and incorporate ingredients you will be buying into as many of your meals as possible.
When I plan out my meals, I try to think about what I can eat throughout the week with as few ingredients as possible. This helps me minimize my spending and maximize the use out of vegetables and other fresh ingredients.
Make a list of only what you NEED and know you’ll eat.
Don’t think up a list of 4 different recipes to make that week that serve 6 when you only need to feed 2. If you buy too much to cook, you’ll likely end up with way too many leftovers and an abundance of food for that week. I used to struggle with making all of these different meals during the week and then I would end up with way too many leftovers and wasted food. Stick to what you know you’ll be able to use up.
With these tips incorporated, here is an example meal plan that will provide fifteen meals with the grocery list below.
Breakfast: oats with banana, peanut butter, chia seeds, cinnamon, (and vegan chocolate chips if you’re wanting extra sweetness!)
Lunch MWF – baked potato with black beans, broccoli, avocado, vegan shredded cheese, onion, and beefless crumbles.
Dinner MWF – vegetable pasta -pasta, sauce, beefless crumbles, broccoli, zucchini, and squash.
Lunch T/TH -sliced potato fries, roasted broccoli, zucchini, squash, and onion.
Dinner T/TH – vegan nachos – tortilla chips, black beans, avocado, beefless crumbles, onion, cilantro, and vegan cheese.
Most of you might already have some of those staples in your pantry (pasta, beans, sauce, etc), and if you do, you could make fifteen meals for about $1.33 each.
GROCERY LIST
- bananas = $0.48/lb.
- 5 potatoes $0.68/lb.
- 2 heads of broccoli $1.48/lb.
- 2 zucchini $0.98/lb.
- 2 yellow squash $0.98/lb.
- 1 bag tortilla chips $1.98.
- 2-3 avocados $0.77/ea. (most stores have cheap bundle deals on avocados if you buy multiple)
- 1 onion $0.88/lb.
- 1 bunch of cilantro $0.55/bunch
- vegan shredded cheese $3.87
- pasta $0.98/bag
- sauce $1.89/jar
- oatmeal $2.29
- peanut butter $1.47
- cinnamon $1.19
- black beans $0.58/can
- beefless crumbles $3.97
- chia seeds (optional) $3.88
These ingredients will provide your breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week, and you STILL could end up with leftovers for the weekend. Eating plant-based is relatively cheap (minus the splurges I like to make on vegan cheese and vegan meat of course!)