Shopping and Meal Planning Tips
Food costs a lot of money; here are some tips on how to plan meals and shop for groceries on a budget:
Tips for a well-stocked kitchen
A well-stocked kitchen is the best way to cook fast, healthy meals. Keep your pantry and fridge stocked with healthy foods that are lower in sodium and fat.
Vegetables and fruit
Grain products
Milk and alternatives
Meat and alternatives
Spices and other flavour boosters
A well-stocked kitchen is the best way to cook fast, healthy meals. Keep your pantry and fridge stocked with healthy foods that are lower in sodium and fat.
Vegetables and fruit
- Fresh fruit and vegetables - keep a colourful variety on hand
- Frozen vegetables (without sauce) - peas, carrots, leafy greens (spinach, kale), broccoli, cauliflower
- Frozen fruit - berries, mango
- Canned vegetables - buy ones with less sodium and rinse well with water
- Canned tomatoes - choose ones without added salt, or compare labels to find cans with the least amount of sodium
- Jarred pasta sauce - look for sauces that are tomato-based with less than 15% DV of sodium per serving
- Canned fruit (packed in juice, not syrup) - mandarin oranges, pears, peaches, pumpkin puree, pineapple
- Dried fruit (without added sugar) - apples, raisins, dates, prunes, figs, cranberries, apricots
Grain products
- Whole grains - pasta, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, bulgur, oatmeal, pot barley
- Whole grain bread - tortillas, sliced loaf, buns, pita
- Cereal - choose ones that are whole grain with at least 4 grams of fibre per serving
Milk and alternatives
- Milk - lower fat milk (skim, 1% or 2%) or fortified soy beverage
- Yogurt - Choose lower fat yogurt (2% or less) or Greek yogurt, which has double the amount of protein
- Cheese - choose ones that are less than 20% milk fat
Meat and alternatives
- Canned or dry lentils and beans - buy different kinds to add to soups, stews and chili, and rinse canned varieties to reduce the sodium
- Canned fish (packed in water, not oil) - salmon, sardines, tuna
- Nuts and seeds (unsalted) - almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- Hummus - great as a dip or sandwich spread
- Nut butters - buy natural nut butters with no added salt or sugar
- Eggs - they can be hard-boiled and kept with their shells on for up to one week in the fridge
- Tofu - buy calcium-set tofu for bone-building benefits
- Fish and shellfish - buy it plain, without breading
- Ground beef, turkey, or chicken - keep for up to one month in the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge
- Meat and poultry - freeze in small portions for easy defrosting
- Edamame - delicious soybeans that can be eaten as a snack or added to soups and stirfrys for extra protein
Spices and other flavour boosters
- Broth - select no salt added, or reduced sodium varieties
- Oil - canola, olive, vegetable
- Herbs, spices, and seasonings - basil, cayenne, chili powder, coriander, cumin, curry powder, oregano, paprika, rosemary, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, onion powder, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, sodium-reduced soy sauce
- Condiments/flavour enhancers - Dijon mustard, fresh salsa