Plan smart

• Plan meals around less expensive items like veggies or pasta, instead of focusing on the more expensive items like meat, poultry, and fish as the centre of the plate.²
• Check your grocery store flyer for items that are on sale and then think about how you can use those ingredients for different meals. For example, if ground beef is on sale, consider making tacos, a Shepherd’s pie, and a meat sauce for pasta, all in one week.
• Consider Meatless Monday to start introducing more budget-friendly ingredients like lentils, rice, grains, and beans into your meal rotation. Check out the What’s for Dinner section on http://vegcurious.ca for lots of fast and easy meatless meal ideas.

Shop smart

Rising costs on everyday essentials, including groceries, means that we need to be more creative and savvier when we are shopping. Here are tips to try that can help reduce your overall grocery bill.

• Stock up on items that are on sale and freeze for later use or cook and freeze for quick future heat-and-serve meals.
• Consider signing up for a grocery store loyalty program. Often there are items available to members only which you can take advantage of once you join.
• Always check the store brand for items you are purchasing. Often, these are the same or as good as the national brands.

Cook smart

Cooking once and eating twice…or ever three times is a great way to save money by reducing, or even eliminating, waste.

• Double or triple recipes using in-season produce, or ingredients that are on sale at your grocery store right now
• Give leftovers a new lease on life with just a little creativity! Those leftover veggies can be tossed together into a hearty vegetable soup. Or leftover chicken can be chopped up to become tacos, a stir-fry, or fajitas.
• Gather all your leftovers and some flatbread from the grocery store for a delicious clean-out-the-fridge homemade pizza night.

With just a little thoughtful planning and some creative meal options, you can keep your grocery budget in line and still enjoy delicious and nutritious meals every day.