New Brunswick Budget Meals: Salad Mix at $1.64

Key Facts

• Salad Mix costs $22.95 for 14 servings, or $1.64 per serving. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Romaine Lettuce is priced at $3.99 at Co-op Beaubear. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Green Onions are priced at $7.99 at Costco. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Radishes are priced at $2.99 at Independent in New Brunswick. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Red Cabbage is priced at $4.99 at IGA in New Brunswick. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Savoy Lettuce is priced at $2.99 at IGA in New Brunswick. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)

Introduction: The Cheapest Recipe Starts at $0.86 Per Serving

The cheapest recipe in this New Brunswick budget-meal guide is the Romaine and Green Onion Salad Plate at $0.86 per serving. It uses $3.99 Romaine Lettuce from Co-op Beaubear and $7.99 Green Onions from Costco, for a $11.98 basket spread across 14 servings. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

If you want a fuller dinner salad with more vegetables, the complete Salad Mix costs $22.95 and serves 14, bringing your cost to $1.64 per serving. That makes it one of the most practical cheap dinner recipes under $2 per serving when you are shopping in New Brunswick and want something fresh, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. The full basket combines Romaine Lettuce, Green Onions, Radishes, Red Cabbage and Savoy Lettuce across Co-op Beaubear, Costco, Independent and IGA.

For your planning, the key point is that the ingredient basket is not tied to a single store. Co-op Beaubear has the Romaine Lettuce at $3.99, Costco has the Green Onions at $7.99, Independent has the Radishes at $2.99, and IGA has both Red Cabbage at $4.99 and Savoy Lettuce at $2.99. If you already plan to visit more than one banner in New Brunswick, you can use the lowest available ingredient price at each store to keep the total basket at $22.95.

This article focuses on budget meals in New Brunswick using only the ingredient prices available from eezly’s real-time price tracking as of May 2026. You will see three recipe formats built from the same priced vegetable basket, so you can choose the lowest-cost version, the more complete version, or a middle option that balances price and variety. The recipes are salad-based dinners, but you can pair them with pantry staples you already own if you want a heartier plate without adding new grocery costs to this price comparison.

Recipe 1: Salad Mix — $1.64 Per Serving

Salad Mix costs $22.95 for 14 servings in New Brunswick, or $1.64 per serving. The lowest priced basket uses Romaine Lettuce at Co-op Beaubear, Green Onions at Costco, Radishes at Independent, and Red Cabbage plus Savoy Lettuce at IGA. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

This is the most complete recipe in the guide because it uses all five priced ingredients. You get the structure of Romaine Lettuce, the softer texture of Savoy Lettuce, the colour and crunch of Red Cabbage, the sharpness of Green Onions and the peppery bite of Radishes. For a household trying to keep dinner costs predictable, the advantage is that the full recipe has a known total: $22.95 for 14 servings.

At $1.64 per serving, this Salad Mix fits squarely into the search category of cheap dinner recipes under $2. The price is especially useful if you are meal-prepping lunches and dinners, because a 14-serving yield gives you flexibility across several days. You can serve it as a main salad, divide it into side portions, or use it as a base for leftovers without changing the priced grocery basket.

Ingredients with Prices

The full Salad Mix basket totals exactly $22.95 using the five listed New Brunswick ingredient prices. The arithmetic is straightforward: $3.99 for Romaine Lettuce, plus $7.99 for Green Onions, plus $2.99 for Radishes, plus $4.99 for Red Cabbage, plus $2.99 for Savoy Lettuce. That gives you a complete produce basket priced across four store names.

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

You can prepare this recipe by washing and chopping the lettuces, slicing the radishes thinly, shredding the red cabbage and cutting the green onions across the stalk. Because the pricing does not include dressing, the most budget-conscious approach is to use pantry vinegar, oil, salt, pepper or any dressing you already have at home. That keeps your out-of-pocket grocery spend aligned with the $22.95 basket instead of adding another item.

Where to Buy Cheapest

For this full Salad Mix, your cheapest path is a split-store basket: Co-op Beaubear for Romaine Lettuce at $3.99, Costco for Green Onions at $7.99, Independent for Radishes at $2.99, and IGA for Red Cabbage at $4.99 and Savoy Lettuce at $2.99. If you are already shopping near these banners, the split basket lets you take advantage of each store’s lowest listed ingredient.

Co-op Beaubear offers Romaine Lettuce at $3.99, while IGA offers Savoy Lettuce at $2.99 — a $1.00 difference between the two lettuce items, based on eezly data for May 2026. Costco offers Green Onions at $7.99, while Independent offers Radishes at $2.99 — a $5.00 difference between those two produce items. These are not like-for-like substitutions, but they show why your final basket cost depends heavily on which vegetables you choose.

If you do not want to visit four stores, you can still use the price list as a benchmark. When you see Romaine Lettuce above $3.99, Radishes above $2.99 or Savoy Lettuce above $2.99, you know the price is higher than the listed New Brunswick benchmark in this basket. That is the practical value of eezly’s real-time tracking for your weekly dinner planning: you can compare the current shelf price against a known May 2026 reference point before you build your meal plan.

Recipe 2: Cabbage-Lettuce Crunch Bowls — $1.07 Per Serving

Cabbage-Lettuce Crunch Bowls cost $14.96 for 14 servings, or $1.07 per serving, when you use Romaine Lettuce, Radishes, Red Cabbage and Savoy Lettuce from the New Brunswick price list. The cheapest ingredient sources are Co-op Beaubear, Independent and IGA. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

This version removes the $7.99 Green Onions from Costco and keeps the lower-priced greens and crunchy vegetables. Your basket becomes $3.99 for Romaine Lettuce, $2.99 for Radishes, $4.99 for Red Cabbage and $2.99 for Savoy Lettuce. The exact total is $14.96, and across 14 servings that comes to $1.07 per serving when rounded to the nearest cent.

You might choose this recipe when you want a cheap dinner recipe under $1.25 per serving but still want more variety than a two-ingredient salad. Red Cabbage provides bulk and colour, while Radishes add a stronger flavour that helps the bowl feel less plain. Savoy Lettuce softens the texture, and Romaine gives the recipe a crisp backbone.

Ingredients with Prices

The Cabbage-Lettuce Crunch Bowls use four of the five priced ingredients. Because Green Onions are the highest single item in the full Salad Mix basket at $7.99, removing them lowers the total by that same $7.99. Your basket falls from $22.95 to $14.96 while still keeping four vegetables in the recipe.

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

For preparation, slice the Romaine and Savoy Lettuce into ribbons, shred the Red Cabbage finely and cut the Radishes as thin as possible. The thinner the cabbage and radishes, the easier it is to distribute stronger flavours across all 14 servings. If you already have vinegar, mustard, lemon juice or oil in your kitchen, you can turn the bowl into a dressed dinner salad without changing the grocery prices shown here.

Where to Buy Cheapest

The cheapest buying plan for Recipe 2 is Co-op Beaubear for the $3.99 Romaine Lettuce, Independent for the $2.99 Radishes, and IGA for the $4.99 Red Cabbage and $2.99 Savoy Lettuce. This store combination keeps the priced basket at $14.96. You do not need the Costco Green Onions for this version, which is why the per-serving cost drops to $1.07.

IGA offers Savoy Lettuce at $2.99, while IGA also lists Red Cabbage at $4.99 — a $2.00 difference within the same banner for two different vegetables. Independent offers Radishes at $2.99, matching the $2.99 Savoy Lettuce price at IGA. For your budget, those two $2.99 items are the lowest listed ingredients in this New Brunswick recipe set.

If you are trying to keep a weekly meal plan under control, this recipe is the best balance between cost and variety. It is not the absolute cheapest recipe in the guide, but it gives you four vegetables for $14.96. That makes it useful when you want budget meals in New Brunswick that still feel substantial enough for dinner.

Recipe 3: Romaine and Green Onion Salad Plates — $0.86 Per Serving

Romaine and Green Onion Salad Plates cost $11.98 for 14 servings, or $0.86 per serving, using $3.99 Romaine Lettuce from Co-op Beaubear and $7.99 Green Onions from Costco. It is the lowest-cost recipe in this guide. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

This recipe is intentionally simple. You are using the Romaine Lettuce as the main base and the Green Onions as the flavouring ingredient, which keeps the grocery basket to two items. The total is $11.98, calculated from $3.99 plus $7.99, and the cost per serving is $0.86 when divided across 14 servings.

The trade-off is that this recipe has less variety than the full Salad Mix. You do not get the Radishes, Red Cabbage or Savoy Lettuce unless you add them back to the basket. However, if your priority is one of the cheapest recipes you can prepare from the listed New Brunswick prices, this is the lowest per-serving option in this article.

Ingredients with Prices

The two-ingredient recipe works best when you cut the Romaine Lettuce into large pieces and slice the Green Onions thinly. Because Green Onions have a stronger flavour, you do not need to use them heavily in every serving. That helps stretch the ingredient across the full 14-serving yield.

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

This recipe is best for you if you already have a pantry dressing or if you are serving the salad alongside leftovers from another meal. It does not try to be a complete produce basket. Instead, it gives you a low-cost fresh side or light dinner base that can be repeated across multiple servings.

Where to Buy Cheapest

The cheapest buying plan is Co-op Beaubear for Romaine Lettuce at $3.99 and Costco for Green Onions at $7.99. Together, those two items cost $11.98. When you divide that total by 14 servings, your cost per serving comes to $0.86.

Co-op Beaubear offers Romaine Lettuce at $3.99, while Costco offers Green Onions at $7.99 — a $4.00 difference between the two items in this recipe basket. Because the Green Onions are the higher-cost item, you should use them as a flavour accent rather than as the bulk of the plate. That keeps the practical serving size aligned with the 14-serving costing.

If you are building cheap dinner recipes under $1 per serving, this is the option to start with. You can later add the $2.99 Radishes from Independent or the $2.99 Savoy Lettuce from IGA if your budget allows. Adding either one would increase the basket by $2.99, so you can make that decision with a clear price impact before you shop.

New Brunswick Basket Index: Ingredient Prices by Store

The New Brunswick salad basket is anchored by five priced produce items ranging from $2.99 to $7.99. The lowest listed individual prices are Radishes at $2.99 from Independent and Savoy Lettuce at $2.99 from IGA, while the highest listed ingredient is Green Onions at $7.99 from Costco. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

This basket index is useful because it shows you where each ingredient belongs in your meal budget. A $2.99 item can be added to a recipe with less impact than a $7.99 item, especially when you are trying to keep each serving near or below $1.50. For example, adding Radishes to the two-ingredient Romaine and Green Onion recipe raises the basket from $11.98 to $14.97, while adding both Radishes and Red Cabbage raises it to $19.96.

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

You should read this table as a practical shopping index, not as a single-store flyer. The prices come from different stores because the cheapest basket is built across Co-op Beaubear, Costco, Independent and IGA. If you are already visiting one of those stores, the table gives you a quick benchmark for whether adding a specific vegetable still fits your budget.

The basket also shows why small price differences matter. Red Cabbage at $4.99 costs $2.00 more than Radishes at $2.99, and Green Onions at $7.99 cost $5.00 more than Radishes. When your target is budget meals in New Brunswick, choosing a $2.99 add-on instead of a $7.99 add-on can materially change the per-serving math.

Top Priced Ingredients for Budget Dinner Planning

The best-priced ingredients in this New Brunswick recipe set are Radishes at $2.99 from Independent and Savoy Lettuce at $2.99 from IGA. Romaine Lettuce at $3.99 from Co-op Beaubear is the strongest base ingredient, while Green Onions at $7.99 from Costco are the highest-priced flavour ingredient in the basket. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

The table below is structured as a deal-planning table using the verified prices available from eezly’s May 2026 data. Regular prices and savings percentages are not included in the provided price record, so they are marked as not available rather than estimated. That protects your budget from inflated or invented savings claims while still giving you the current price you need to plan dinner.

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

For your shopping list, the most budget-friendly approach is to start with the $3.99 Romaine Lettuce and then decide whether to add one or two $2.99 vegetables. Adding Savoy Lettuce gives you more leafy volume, while adding Radishes gives you more texture and flavour contrast. If you add both, your basket becomes $9.97 before Red Cabbage or Green Onions.

Green Onions are still useful, but they should be treated differently from the lower-priced vegetables. At $7.99, they account for more than one-third of the full $22.95 Salad Mix basket. You get the best value from them when you use a small amount per serving rather than making them a dominant ingredient.

Price Comparison Table: Three Recipes Side by Side

The lowest-cost recipe is the Romaine and Green Onion Salad Plate at $0.86 per serving, while the full Salad Mix costs $1.64 per serving. The middle option, Cabbage-Lettuce Crunch Bowls, costs $1.07 per serving and keeps four vegetables in the basket. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

This comparison helps you choose based on your actual dinner need. If you want the cheapest possible serving, Recipe 3 is the answer. If you want the broadest mix of vegetables, Recipe 1 gives you all five priced ingredients. If you want a balance between cost and variety, Recipe 2 is the most practical compromise.

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

The difference between the cheapest and most complete recipe is $10.97 per basket. That is calculated by subtracting the $11.98 Romaine and Green Onion basket from the $22.95 full Salad Mix basket. On a per-serving basis, the full Salad Mix costs $0.78 more than the cheapest recipe.

For many households, the right answer will change week to week. If you have other dinner components at home, the $0.86 salad plate may be enough. If you are starting from an emptier fridge and want a larger produce mix, the $1.64 full Salad Mix gives you more variety while staying under $2 per serving.

How to Use These Prices for Budget Meals in New Brunswick

You can use these New Brunswick prices as a benchmark for building cheap dinner recipes under $2 per serving. The most important numbers are $2.99 for Radishes at Independent, $2.99 for Savoy Lettuce at IGA, $3.99 for Romaine Lettuce at Co-op Beaubear and $1.64 per serving for the complete Salad Mix. [Source: eezly real-time price tracking].

When you shop, start with the ingredient that carries the recipe. In this guide, that is the $3.99 Romaine Lettuce from Co-op Beaubear because it appears in all three recipe formats. From there, you can add either the $2.99 Radishes from Independent or the $2.99 Savoy Lettuce from IGA if you want to keep the basket low. If you want a more colourful dinner salad, the $4.99 Red Cabbage from IGA is the next logical addition.

You should also think about how many servings you realistically need. The full Salad Mix is priced for 14 servings, which works well for meal prep, side salads or multiple dinners. If your household will not use 14 servings before the produce loses quality, the smaller recipe formats may be more practical even if the full basket has more variety.

For ongoing comparison, you can check related grocery tools and recipe ideas on eezly. The most relevant starting points are the grocery deals page, the meal-planning page and the recipe page, because those help you compare prices and build meals around current store data. When prices change, your best recipe may change too, especially for produce items that move frequently in Canadian grocery stores.