Alberta Cheap Dinners: Rice $8.79 at Independent

Key Facts

• Rice is priced at $8.79 at Independent in Alberta. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables is $5.00 at Loblaw. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Chicken Broth is $2.29 at Loblaw in Alberta. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Chicken with Rice costs $16.08 total for 4 servings. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Chicken with Rice costs $4.02 per serving in Alberta. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• The cheapest priced recipe variation in this basket is $2.77 per serving. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)

Introduction: The Cheapest Alberta Dinner Is $2.77 Per Serving

The cheapest recipe in this Alberta budget meal costing is Brothy Rice Supper at $2.77 per serving. That figure comes from an $11.08 ingredient basket made with Rice at $8.79 at Independent and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw, divided across 4 servings. If you are searching for cheap dinner recipes under $5, this simple rice-and-broth meal is the lowest-cost option among the priced recipes in this May 2026 Alberta comparison. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

You can also make a fuller four-serving dinner, Chicken with Rice, for $16.08 total, or $4.02 per serving, using the priced Alberta basket. That basket includes Rice at $8.79 at Independent, California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at $5.00 at Loblaw, and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw. For your weekly planning, the important takeaway is that each recipe in this article stays below $5 per serving based on the provided Alberta prices, which makes them practical budget meals Alberta households can compare before shopping.

Recipe 1: Chicken with Rice — $4.02 per serving

Chicken with Rice costs $16.08 total, or $4.02 per serving, for 4 servings in Alberta. The priced basket is built from Rice at $8.79 at Independent, California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at $5.00 at Loblaw, and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If you want the most complete meal in this comparison, this is the recipe that uses all three priced ingredients and gives you the broadest dinner base from the Alberta data.

This recipe is a strong option when you want a filling dinner that still fits the “cheap dinner recipes under $5” search category. At $4.02 per serving, it remains under the $5 threshold while using a vegetable component and broth for flavour. Your highest-cost item is Rice at $8.79 at Independent, which represents about 54.7% of the $16.08 recipe basket. The vegetable blend accounts for about 31.1% of the total, while Chicken Broth accounts for about 14.2%.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The ingredient mix shows why rice-based dinners are often among the cheapest recipes for Alberta meal planning. You are paying the most for the pantry base, but that base supports four servings and pairs with lower-priced add-ins. The $2.29 Chicken Broth at Loblaw is the lowest-priced item in the basket, so it adds flavour without pushing the recipe above $5 per serving. You can use this structure when comparing other rice dinners because the cost driver is usually the staple grain, not the broth.

Where to Buy Cheapest

For this specific priced basket, you should buy Rice at Independent for $8.79 and the two remaining ingredients at Loblaw: California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables for $5.00 and Chicken Broth for $2.29. The resulting Alberta recipe total is $16.08, which is exactly $4.02 per serving across 4 servings. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

Your shopping route depends on how much you value a single-store trip versus the lowest itemized basket. If you are already near both Independent and Loblaw, splitting the basket gives you the ingredient prices used in this costing. If you prefer fewer stops, use the itemized table as your benchmark before deciding whether convenience is worth any difference you see in-store. In Alberta, active grocery banners include Costco, FreshCo, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Safeway, Sobeys, Walmart, Wholesale Club, Your Independent Grocer, Loblaws, Superstore, and Independent-style banners, so your best local option may depend on which stores are closest to your neighbourhood.

Recipe 2: Vegetable Rice Skillet — $3.45 per serving

Vegetable Rice Skillet costs $13.79 total, or $3.45 per serving, using Rice at $8.79 at Independent and California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at $5.00 at Loblaw. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This is the best mid-cost recipe in the comparison if you want a vegetable-forward dinner without using the $2.29 Chicken Broth line item.

This recipe is useful when you want a simple Alberta budget meal built around shelf-stable rice and frozen or mixed vegetables. At $3.45 per serving, it comes in $0.57 per serving below the Chicken with Rice basket. Across 4 servings, that difference equals $2.29, which is the exact price of the Chicken Broth item omitted from this variation. You can use that arithmetic to decide whether broth is worth adding for flavour, texture, or leftovers.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The pricing shows that your two-item skillet is still anchored by the rice purchase. Rice represents about 63.7% of the $13.79 basket, while the vegetable blend represents about 36.3%. That split matters because if you already have rice at home, your out-of-pocket cost for this meal could be much lower on the day you cook. For a fair grocery comparison, however, the full basket cost is the better measure because it tells you what you would pay to buy the priced ingredients in Alberta in May 2026.

Where to Buy Cheapest

You should buy Rice at Independent for $8.79 and California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at Loblaw for $5.00 to reproduce this $13.79 recipe basket. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. The resulting $3.45 per serving makes Vegetable Rice Skillet one of the cheapest recipes in this Alberta dinner comparison while still including a vegetable component.

This is also the cleanest two-store comparison in the article. Independent supplies the higher-cost pantry staple, while Loblaw supplies the lower-cost vegetable item. If you are planning several budget meals Alberta households can repeat during the week, you can treat this as a base recipe and compare it against the $4.02 Chicken with Rice basket. Your decision is straightforward: pay $3.45 per serving for rice and vegetables, or add broth and move to the fuller $4.02-per-serving version.

Recipe 3: Brothy Rice Supper — $2.77 per serving

Brothy Rice Supper costs $11.08 total, or $2.77 per serving, using Rice at $8.79 at Independent and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This is the cheapest recipe in the Alberta comparison and the strongest fit for searches such as “cheapest recipes” or “cheap dinner recipes under $3” based on the available May 2026 prices.

The low per-serving cost comes from using only two priced ingredients while still producing a warm, filling rice-based dinner. Rice supplies the bulk of the meal, and Chicken Broth adds seasoning and cooking liquid at a relatively low price. At $2.29, the broth is the least expensive item in the Alberta basket, and it accounts for about 20.7% of the $11.08 recipe total. Rice accounts for the remaining 79.3%, so your price sensitivity should focus mainly on the rice purchase.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

This meal works best when you need a very low-cost dinner base rather than a fully loaded plate. You can keep it as a simple broth-cooked rice supper, or you can use it as the foundation for leftovers already in your kitchen. The important price point is that the full priced basket remains $11.08 for 4 servings, which is $5.00 less than the full Chicken with Rice recipe. That $5.00 difference is exactly the price of the California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at Loblaw.

Where to Buy Cheapest

You should buy Rice at Independent for $8.79 and Chicken Broth at Loblaw for $2.29 to make Brothy Rice Supper at $2.77 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If your goal is the lowest possible dinner cost among the priced Alberta recipes, this is the option to put first on your meal plan.

For your grocery list, this recipe is also the easiest to execute because it uses only two items from the priced basket. You can check your pantry before shopping and decide whether you need both ingredients or only the broth. If you already have rice, the itemized Alberta price still helps you understand the market cost of the meal, but the full recipe costing remains based on buying both Rice at $8.79 and Chicken Broth at $2.29.

Alberta Recipe Basket Index: Which Ingredients Drive the Cost?

Rice is the main cost driver in this Alberta recipe basket at $8.79, while Chicken Broth is the lowest-priced item at $2.29. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. When you are building cheap dinner recipes under $5, the fastest way to control your total is to understand which ingredient carries the most weight in the basket.

The basket index below compares all priced items used in the three recipes. It is not a national average or a promotional flyer estimate; it is an itemized Alberta recipe-costing view based on the provided store prices. You should use it as a practical shopping benchmark when deciding whether to buy the full Chicken with Rice basket or one of the lower-cost variations.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The table makes the meal-planning trade-off clear. If you buy all three priced ingredients, you spend $16.08 and get the most complete recipe in this comparison. If you remove the broth, your basket drops to $13.79 and your cost per serving falls to $3.45. If you remove the vegetables instead, your basket drops to $11.08 and your cost per serving falls to $2.77.

Top Alberta Budget Meal Deals from This Basket

The best budget meal deal in this Alberta comparison is Brothy Rice Supper at $2.77 per serving, followed by Vegetable Rice Skillet at $3.45 and Chicken with Rice at $4.02. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. For your weekly meal plan, the best “deal” is not always the cheapest single ingredient; it is the recipe format that gives you the lowest cost per serving while still matching the meal you want to cook.

Because the provided Alberta data is recipe-based, the most useful deal table compares per-serving dinner costs and store combinations rather than flyer-style regular prices. You can use this table to decide whether your priority is lowest cost, more vegetables, or the full recipe basket. Each line uses the real itemized prices above and divides the total by 4 servings.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

Your best choice depends on what you need the dinner to do. If you are trying to minimize spending, Brothy Rice Supper is the clear winner at $2.77 per serving. If you want vegetables included while staying well under $4 per serving, Vegetable Rice Skillet is the stronger balance. If you want the full priced basket, Chicken with Rice still stays under $5 per serving, which keeps it in the practical range for Alberta budget meal planning.

Price Comparison Table: All Recipes Side by Side

All three Alberta recipes in this comparison cost less than $5 per serving, with totals ranging from $11.08 to $16.08 for 4 servings. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If you are comparing cheapest recipes by serving cost, Brothy Rice Supper ranks first, Vegetable Rice Skillet ranks second, and Chicken with Rice ranks third.

This side-by-side view is the simplest way to plan your grocery trip. You can start with the lowest-cost option, then add ingredients if your budget allows. The difference between the cheapest and highest-cost recipe is $5.00 per 4-serving batch, which is the price of the California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at Loblaw. That makes vegetables the key upgrade from the lowest-cost meal to the most complete meal in this basket.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

For your meal plan, this table gives you a practical ladder. Start at $2.77 per serving when you need the cheapest dinner, move to $3.45 when you want vegetables, and choose $4.02 when you want the complete priced Chicken with Rice basket. Since each recipe serves 4, the table also works for family dinner planning or for cooking once and using leftovers for lunches.

How to Shop These Alberta Budget Meals Efficiently

You can shop the lowest-cost Alberta basket by buying Rice at Independent for $8.79 and choosing Loblaw for the $5.00 mixed vegetables and $2.29 chicken broth. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. That store split produces the full $16.08 Chicken with Rice recipe and also supports the two cheaper variations.

Your first step is to decide which recipe you are actually cooking before you enter the store. If you only need Brothy Rice Supper, your list is Rice and Chicken Broth, and your total is $11.08. If you want Vegetable Rice Skillet, your list is Rice and California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables, and your total is $13.79. If you want the full Chicken with Rice basket, your list includes all three priced items and totals $16.08.

You should also compare your local store access before making two stops. Alberta has active grocery banners including Costco, FreshCo, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Safeway, Sobeys, Walmart, Wholesale Club, Your Independent Grocer, Loblaws, No Frills, Superstore, and Walmart. The prices in this article identify Independent and Loblaw as the priced stores for this basket, but your own route, transit cost, and available time still matter. Use the itemized prices as your benchmark so you can quickly recognize whether a nearby store is competitive.

Why Rice-Based Dinners Work for Alberta Grocery Budgets

Rice-based dinners work for Alberta grocery budgets because one staple purchase can support several recipes under $5 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. In this May 2026 basket, the same $8.79 Rice at Independent appears in all three recipes, which lets you compare meal formats without rebuilding your entire grocery list each time.

For your household, that flexibility is valuable. You can buy one rice item and decide later whether the meal should be broth-based, vegetable-based, or the full Chicken with Rice basket. The $2.29 Chicken Broth at Loblaw is the lowest-cost way to add flavour, while the $5.00 California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at Loblaw is the main upgrade if you want vegetables included. That structure keeps your planning simple and helps you avoid buying unrelated ingredients that do not fit multiple meals.

This is also where AI-powered grocery price comparison can help. Instead of checking each banner manually, you can compare item-level prices across major Canadian grocery banners and build a basket around the cheapest practical combination. For recipe planning, the most useful approach is not just finding one low price; it is identifying which combination of store prices produces a low per-serving dinner. In this case, that combination is Independent for Rice and Loblaw for the other priced ingredients.

How to Use These Recipes in a Weekly Alberta Meal Plan

You can use this Alberta basket to plan three dinners from one compact set of ingredients, with recipe costs ranging from $2.77 to $4.02 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If your goal is budget control, assign the cheapest recipe to the night when you need to spend least, then use the fuller recipe when you want more variety.

A simple weekly plan could start with Brothy Rice Supper at $2.77 per serving, move to Vegetable Rice Skillet at $3.45 per serving, and finish with Chicken with Rice at $4.02 per serving. Because all three recipes rely on Rice at $8.79 at Independent, your core shopping decision is made once. The remaining choice is whether to add the $2.29 Chicken Broth, the $5.00 mixed vegetables, or both. This makes your list easier to manage and your per-serving cost easier to predict.

For more Alberta-friendly meal planning, you can compare current grocery deals at https://eezly.com/deals, browse recipe ideas at https://eezly.com/recipes, and build planned dinners through https://eezly.com/meal-plans. If you want broader grocery coverage and shopping analysis, you can also follow the latest posts at https://eezly.com/blog. These links are most useful when you already know your target meal cost, such as keeping dinner under $5 per serving.

FAQ

What are the cheapest dinner recipes under $5 in Alberta in May 2026?

The cheapest dinner recipes under $5 in this Alberta costing are Brothy Rice Supper at $2.77 per serving, Vegetable Rice Skillet at $3.45 per serving, and Chicken with Rice at $4.02 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Each recipe serves 4 and is built from real Alberta prices: Rice at $8.79 at Independent, California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at $5.00 at Loblaw, and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw.

What is the cheapest grocery store in Alberta for this recipe basket?

For this specific Alberta recipe basket, the cheapest store combination is Independent for Rice at $8.79 and Loblaw for California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at $5.00 and Chicken Broth at $2.29. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. The full Chicken with Rice basket totals $16.08, or $4.02 per serving, when you use those itemized store prices.

How can AI help save on groceries in Alberta?

AI can help you save on groceries by comparing item-level prices across grocery banners and turning those prices into practical meal plans. In this Alberta example, eezly’s AI-powered grocery price comparison identifies Rice at $8.79 at Independent, mixed vegetables at $5.00 at Loblaw, and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw, then shows how those ingredients create dinners from $2.77 to $4.02 per serving. That helps you plan by recipe cost instead of relying only on individual shelf prices.

Is Chicken with Rice a good budget meal in Alberta?

Yes, Chicken with Rice is a good Alberta budget meal because it costs $16.08 total for 4 servings, or $4.02 per serving, based on the priced May 2026 basket. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. The ingredient list uses Rice at $8.79 at Independent, California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at $5.00 at Loblaw, and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw.

Which ingredient matters most for keeping these recipes cheap?

Rice matters most because it is the highest-priced ingredient in the basket at $8.79 at Independent. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. In the full $16.08 Chicken with Rice recipe, Rice accounts for about 54.7% of the total cost, while mixed vegetables account for about 31.1% and Chicken Broth accounts for about 14.2%.

Can I make a dinner under $3 per serving with these Alberta prices?

Yes, Brothy Rice Supper costs $2.77 per serving using Rice at $8.79 at Independent and Chicken Broth at $2.29 at Loblaw. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. The total basket is $11.08 for 4 servings, making it the only recipe in this comparison under $3 per serving.

What is the best recipe if I want vegetables included?

Vegetable Rice Skillet is the best lower-cost option if you want vegetables included because it costs $13.79 total, or $3.45 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. It uses Rice at $8.79 at Independent and California Vegetable Blend Mixed Vegetables at $5.00 at Loblaw, making it cheaper than the full $4.02-per-serving Chicken with Rice basket while still including a vegetable component.