Ontario Meal Plan: Feed Your Family for $2.11/Serving
Key Facts
- The most affordable dinner in this week's Ontario meal plan is a Lentil Stew, costing just $2.11 per serving. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- The main ingredients for five family dinners this week can be purchased for a total of $84.48 by shopping at specific stores for each item. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Lean Ground Beef is available for $7.00 at Food Basics, a key ingredient in this week's Burrito Bake and Asian Burgers. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- A vegetarian Veggie Stir Fry with Marinated Tofu costs $5.21 per serving, while a Lamb Stir-Fry costs $7.72 per serving, a 48% price difference. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Ingredients for this meal plan are cheapest when sourced from a combination of Ontario banners, including Food Basics, Fortinos, Foodland, and Costco. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Turkey and Pork Burger Patties offer a highly economical option for a family barbecue at only $2.17 per serving. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
This guide provides a full five-day dinner plan, a complete shopping list with precise costs, and tips for preparation. We will explore how making strategic choices—such as opting for plant-based proteins on some nights or making burgers from scratch—can significantly lower your weekly food expenditures. The focus is on providing practical, actionable information to help you feed your family well for less.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Feeding Your Ontario Family on a Budget: This Week's Goal
The primary goal of this meal plan is to reduce your grocery spending while still enjoying satisfying and nutritious meals. For the week of June 24, 2026, the main ingredients for five distinct family dinners will cost a total of $84.48. This figure is achieved by purchasing specific items at the stores offering the lowest prices, a practice known as strategic or split-basket shopping. While this plan focuses on dinner, we also provide low-cost suggestions for breakfast and lunch to help you manage your food budget throughout the entire day.
For a family of four, this plan offers a framework for controlling costs. The dinners range from a highly economical $2.11 per serving to a still-reasonable $5.21 per serving. By planning ahead, you eliminate last-minute, expensive takeout orders and reduce food waste by purchasing only what you need for the week's recipes. This plan is built using real-time price data from eezly, Canada's AI-powered grocery price intelligence platform, ensuring the costs are current and accurate for shoppers in Ontario.
The recipes chosen offer variety in both flavour and ingredients, from a comforting vegetarian stew to a family-friendly burrito bake and homemade burgers perfect for a summer evening. Each recipe is broken down by cost, allowing you to see exactly where your money is going. This transparency empowers you to make informed decisions, substitute ingredients based on sales, and take control of your grocery budget. You can explore more recipes and build your own custom plans at https://eezly.com/recipes.
This Week’s $84.48 Ontario Meal Plan: A Daily Breakdown
This five-day plan provides a roadmap for your dinners from Monday to Friday. The total cost of $84.48 covers the specific ingredients listed for these five recipes. Breakfast and lunch are based on common, low-cost staples that most families already purchase, helping to keep the overall weekly budget manageable.
Monday
Dinner: Lentil Stew Kick off the week with an incredibly budget-friendly and hearty Lentil Stew. At just $2.11 per serving, this vegetarian meal is packed with protein and fibre, making it both filling and nutritious. The total recipe cost is only $10.57 for five servings. The key ingredients are lentils ($1.59 at Fortinos), sweet onions ($2.99 at Food Basics), and dried mushrooms ($5.99 at Fortinos). This simple, one-pot meal is perfect for a busy Monday and leaves you with leftovers for lunch the next day.Breakfast & Lunch: Start your day with oatmeal, a cost-effective and healthy choice. For lunch, you can use leftovers from Sunday's dinner or pack a simple sandwich with cheese or deli meat, which you can find by comparing prices on the eezly deals page.
Tuesday
Dinner: Burrito Bake Tuesday is for a crowd-pleasing Burrito Bake. This recipe makes a generous eight servings at $2.91 per serving, making it ideal for larger families or for ensuring you have planned leftovers. The total recipe cost is $23.25. It combines lean ground beef ($7.00 at Food Basics), refried black beans, and cheese, all baked into a delicious casserole. It’s a deconstructed burrito that saves you the effort of individual rolling and is perfect for a weeknight.Breakfast & Lunch: A simple breakfast of toast with peanut butter or eggs provides an inexpensive start. For lunch, enjoy the leftover Lentil Stew from Monday. This is a key principle of budget meal planning: cook once, eat twice.
Wednesday
Dinner: Veggie Stir Fry Mid-week calls for a fresh and fast Veggie Stir Fry. This vegetarian dish features marinated tofu, broccoli, and mixed bell peppers in a simple soy sauce glaze. The cost comes to $5.21 per serving, which is higher than the lentil stew but still provides excellent value for a fresh, vegetable-forward meal. The total recipe cost is $20.85 for four servings. The most expensive component is the mixed bell peppers ($7.39 at Costco), highlighting how produce prices can impact a meal's total.Breakfast & Lunch: Scrambled eggs are a quick and protein-rich breakfast. For lunch, a portion of the Burrito Bake from Tuesday provides a hearty and satisfying midday meal, requiring no extra cooking or spending.
Thursday
Dinner: Turkey and Pork Burger Patties Get a head start on the weekend with homemade Turkey and Pork Burger Patties. At an astonishingly low $2.17 per serving, these burgers are far more economical than pre-made or fast-food options. The recipe yields eight patties for a total cost of $17.35. By combining lean ground pork ($5.08 at Food Basics) and seasoned extra lean ground turkey ($3.49 at Food Basics), you get a flavourful and juicy burger that you can serve on buns with your favourite toppings.Breakfast & Lunch: Return to oatmeal or have a bowl of yogurt with fruit for breakfast. Your lunch is another serving of the Burrito Bake, using up the last of the leftovers and ensuring no food goes to waste.
Friday
Dinner: Asian Burgers End the week with a flavourful twist on a classic: Asian Burgers. These burgers use lean ground beef, the same kind you bought for the Burrito Bake, and infuse it with hoisin sauce and Chinese five-spice. At $3.89 per serving, it’s a restaurant-quality meal at a fraction of the price. The total recipe cost is $19.46 for five servings. Serve them with a side of the Veggie Stir Fry rice or a simple salad.Breakfast & Lunch: Finish the week with toast and jam or a piece of fruit. For lunch, if any stir-fry remains, that's a great option. Otherwise, a quick salad using any remaining vegetables from the week is a smart way to clear out the fridge before the next grocery trip.
Meal Plan Cost Summary
To visualize the value this plan offers, the table below breaks down the cost of each dinner. By adhering to this structure, you can confidently manage your dinner budget for the week. The cost per serving demonstrates how strategic recipe selection, including plant-based meals and homemade versions of family favourites, directly translates into significant savings.
| Day | Dinner Recipe | Total Recipe Cost | Servings | Cost Per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lentil Stew | $10.57 | 5 | $2.11 |
| Tuesday | Burrito Bake | $23.25 | 8 | $2.91 |
| Wednesday | Veggie Stir Fry | $20.85 | 4 | $5.21 |
| Thursday | Turkey and Pork Burger Patties | $17.35 | 8 | $2.17 |
| Friday | Asian Burgers | $19.46 | 5 | $3.89 |
| Total | Five Family Dinners | $91.48 | 30 | $3.05 (Avg) |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026. Total recipe costs may differ from the grocery list total, as some ingredients (like ground beef) are used across multiple recipes.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Your Complete Grocery List: Where to Find the Best Prices in Ontario
Achieving the lowest possible cost for this meal plan requires purchasing items at the stores where they are priced most competitively. The total cost for the main ingredients listed below is $84.48. This list is your blueprint for a strategic shopping trip across various Ontario banners. Using a tool like eezly can help you build this list automatically.
| Ingredient | Best Price | Store | Used In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lentils | $1.59 | Fortinos | Lentil Stew |
| Sweet Onions | $2.99 | Food Basics | Lentil Stew |
| Mushrooms, Dried | $5.99 | Fortinos | Lentil Stew |
| Shredded Mozzarella Cheese | $5.79 | Food Basics | Burrito Bake |
| Refried Black Beans | $3.49 | Food Basics | Burrito Bake |
| Whole Water Chestnuts | $0.99 | Food Basics | Burrito Bake |
| Compliments Taco Mix (Less Salt) | $0.99 | Foodland | Burrito Bake |
| Lean Ground Beef | $7.00 | Food Basics | Burrito Bake, Asian Burgers |
| Whole Wheat Tortillas | $4.99 | Food Basics | Burrito Bake |
| Marinated Tofu | $3.99 | Food Basics | Veggie Stir Fry |
| Broccoli | $4.49 | Fortinos | Veggie Stir Fry |
| Mixed Bell Peppers | $7.39 | Costco | Veggie Stir Fry |
| Soy Sauce | $2.49 | Fortinos | Veggie Stir Fry |
| Rice | $2.49 | Fortinos | Veggie Stir Fry |
| Onion Powder | $1.99 | Food Basics | Turkey and Pork Burger Patties |
| Black Pepper | $5.79 | Fortinos | Turkey and Pork Burger Patties |
| Garlic | $1.00 | Food Basics | Turkey and Pork Burger Patties |
| Lean Ground Pork | $5.08 | Food Basics | Turkey and Pork Burger Patties |
| Seasoned Extra Lean Ground Turkey | $3.49 | Food Basics | Turkey and Pork Burger Patties |
| Pickled Onions | $3.99 | Food Basics | Asian Burgers |
| Chinese Five Spice Seasoning | $1.99 | Food Basics | Asian Burgers |
| Crushed Red Pepper | $2.99 | Fortinos | Asian Burgers |
| Hoisin Sauce | $3.49 | Food Basics | Asian Burgers |
| Total Ingredient Cost | $84.48 | Multiple | - |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026. Prices are for the specific product sizes tracked by eezly and are subject to change.
Strategic Shopping: How to Get These Prices Across Ontario
The grocery list above reveals a key strategy for serious savings: you cannot rely on a single store for the best prices on everything. To achieve the $84.48 total, your shopping trip would involve stops at Food Basics, Fortinos, Foodland, and Costco. While Food Basics offers the best price on the majority of items in this plan, Fortinos is the go-to for several pantry staples and produce items like broccoli and lentils.
This method, often called "split-basket shopping," requires more planning but yields the highest savings. Here’s how you can approach it:
- Plan Your Route: Before you leave the house, group the items by store. Plan a logical route between the stores to save time and gas. For example, you might visit Food Basics for the bulk of your items, then make a quick stop at Fortinos for the few remaining things.
- Evaluate Time vs. Money: For some shoppers, the time and travel cost of visiting multiple stores may outweigh the savings. In that case, use the eezly platform to compare the total basket cost at each individual store. You might find that buying everything at Food Basics, for example, costs slightly more than the absolute minimum but saves you an hour of travel time. The choice is yours, and having the data allows you to make it intelligently.
- Leverage Store Flyers and Apps: Combine this price--tracking strategy with weekly flyers. A store that isn't the cheapest on an item's regular price might have a deep discount for one week, making it the best place to buy. Price-matching policies at stores like No Frills or Real Canadian Superstore can also be used to consolidate your trip, though you must be diligent with checking flyer details.
Meal Prep Tips and Time-Saving Strategies
A great meal plan is only effective if you can execute it. Meal preparation, or "meal prep," is the key to staying on track during a busy week.
Sunday Prep Session
Spend an hour or two on Sunday to set yourself up for success: * Cook Grains: Cook a large batch of rice for the Veggie Stir Fry. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. * Chop Vegetables: Wash and chop the sweet onions for the stew and the peppers and broccoli for the stir-fry. Store them in separate containers. This turns a 20-minute stir-fry into a 10-minute one. * Make the Stew: The Lentil Stew is a perfect meal to make entirely on Sunday. Its flavour deepens overnight, and it means Monday's dinner is simply a matter of reheating. * Form Patties: Prepare both the Turkey and Pork Burger Patties and the Asian Burger patties. Separate them with wax paper and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. This makes Thursday and Friday dinner as simple as firing up the grill or a pan.Throughout the Week
* Embrace "Cook Once, Eat Twice": This plan is built around leftovers for lunch. When you serve dinner, immediately portion out one or two servings into lunch containers. This prevents mindless snacking on leftovers and guarantees a free, ready-made lunch for the next day. * Clean As You Go: A simple but effective tip. Wash bowls, knives, and cutting boards as soon as you're done with them. A clean kitchen makes the idea of cooking much more appealing.By investing a small amount of time upfront, you save yourself significant stress and effort on weeknights, making you far less likely to resort to expensive, less healthy convenience food. For more ideas on efficient cooking, you can check out the prep times on various recipes within the eezly meal planning tool.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest grocery store in Ontario?
There is no single "cheapest" grocery store for every item. As of June 2026, for the ingredients in this specific meal plan, Food Basics offered the best prices on the majority of items, including lean ground beef for $7.00 and marinated tofu for $3.99. However, Fortinos had better prices on items like lentils ($1.59) and broccoli ($4.49). The best strategy is to use a price comparison tool like eezly to see which store is cheapest for your specific basket of goods each week.
How much should a family of 4 budget for groceries in Ontario per week?
Grocery costs vary widely based on diet, location, and shopping habits. This meal plan shows that the core ingredients for five dinners can be purchased for about $85. When you add in breakfast, lunch, and snack staples (like bread, milk, eggs, fruit, oatmeal), a budget of $150-$200 per week for a family of four is a reasonable target if you are shopping strategically and cooking most meals at home.
How can AI help me save money on groceries?
AI-powered platforms like eezly automate the process of price comparison, which used to require manually checking multiple flyers. eezly's AI tracks over 196,000 products across 2,700 Canadian stores, identifying the lowest price for each item on your list in real-time. It can also generate optimized meal plans based on your dietary needs and budget, selecting recipes that use ingredients currently on sale to maximize your savings.
What is the cheapest meal I can make from this Ontario meal plan?
The most affordable meal in this plan is the Lentil Stew, which costs only $2.11 per serving. The Turkey and Pork Burger Patties are a very close second at $2.17 per serving. Both are excellent examples of how plant-based proteins and making items from scratch can dramatically lower your food costs.
Is it cheaper to buy pre-made burgers or make them myself?
It is almost always cheaper to make burgers yourself. In this plan, the homemade Turkey and Pork Burger Patties cost only $2.17 per serving for the patty itself. Pre-made fresh or frozen patties from a major grocery brand typically cost between $3.50 and $5.00 per patty, meaning you can save 40-50% or more by making them from scratch.
Does this meal plan account for pantry staples like oil, salt, and spices?
This plan's cost of $84.48 is for the specific main ingredients listed in the grocery list. It assumes you have basic pantry staples like cooking oil, salt, and some common spices. The list does include the cost for specific seasonings required for certain recipes, such as Chinese Five Spice ($1.99 at Food Basics) and Black Pepper ($5.79 at Fortinos), as these are critical to the recipe's outcome and can be a significant cost.
Where can I find more budget-friendly recipes for my family?
You can find a wide variety of recipes with real-time cost-per-serving data on eezly's recipe discovery page. You can filter by ingredient, dietary preference, and prep time to find meals that fit your family's tastes and budget. The platform's AI can also build complete, cost-optimized meal plans tailored to you.
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