Quebec Meal Plan: Eat for $7.19/Day with This Budget Menu

Key Facts

• The total grocery cost for this five-day Quebec family meal plan is $201.36. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• For a family of four, this plan breaks down to approximately $7.19 per person, per day. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• The most affordable meal in the plan is the Red Lentil Veggie Burgers, costing only $2.20 per serving. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• By cross-referencing prices, you can find Lean Ground Beef for $10.00 at Maxi for your Bunless Burgers. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Key ingredients for the week's meals are cheapest at a mix of stores, including Maxi, Metro, and IGA. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• The Vegetarian Chili recipe serves six, providing ample leftovers for lunches and reducing food waste. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• A large bottle of olive oil, a staple for many recipes, is priced at $19.99 at Metro this week. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)

This guide provides a complete five-day dinner plan, a corresponding grocery list with precise costs and store locations for the best deals, and practical tips for meal preparation. By planning your meals and shopping strategically, you can bring your daily food cost down to an impressive $7.19 per person, demonstrating that eating well on a budget is achievable for Quebec families.

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Your $7.19/Day Quebec Meal Plan for June 2026

Managing your household budget in the face of fluctuating grocery prices requires a clear strategy. This weekly meal plan is designed to do just that, offering a roadmap to affordable and delicious eating for a family of four in Quebec. The total cost for all necessary ingredients comes to $201.36, a figure achieved by using price comparison data to select the most economical option for each item on your list. This breaks down to $50.34 per person for the week, or just $7.19 per person, per day.

The foundation of this plan is variety and efficiency. It includes a mix of meat-based and vegetarian dishes, ensuring a balanced diet. Recipes were chosen not only for their low cost per serving but also for their generous portion sizes. Meals like the Vegetarian Chili and Red Lentil Veggie Burgers serve six and fifteen, respectively, providing more than enough for a family of four's dinner plus leftovers for the next day's lunches. This approach maximizes the value of every dollar spent and minimizes food waste, two critical components of smart grocery spending.

This isn't just a list of recipes; it's a complete system. Below, you will find the daily meal schedule, a detailed shopping list pinpointing where to buy each ingredient for the lowest price, and actionable prep tips. By following this plan, you can take control of your grocery spending, reduce the stress of last-minute meal decisions, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a well-managed budget.

This Week's Dinner Menu: A Day-by-Day Breakdown

This five-day dinner plan is structured to provide variety and make the most of your ingredients. Many recipes yield leftovers, which are perfect for the following day's lunch, further stretching your food budget. The cost per serving is calculated based on real-time prices from Quebec grocery stores, giving you a precise understanding of your daily expenses.

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

Monday: Bunless Burgers

Start the week with a simple and satisfying classic. These Bunless Burgers are served on a bed of crisp Boston lettuce, topped with cheese, tomatoes, and pickles. At $6.44 per serving, it's a low-carb, family-friendly meal that comes together in about 20 minutes. The recipe serves four, making it a perfect single-night dinner without excessive leftovers. The key to its affordability is sourcing the lean ground beef from Maxi, where it's priced at $10.00 this week.

Tuesday: Vegetarian Chili

Tuesday is for a hearty, flavour-packed Vegetarian Chili. This recipe is a budget powerhouse, using inexpensive staples like black beans, corn, and a blend of spices to create a deeply flavourful dish. While the cost per serving is slightly higher at $8.17, the recipe yields six large portions. For a family of four, this means you have two extra servings ready for lunches the next day, effectively giving you two meals for the price of one. This chili is also a great candidate for batch cooking and freezes exceptionally well.

Wednesday: Homemade Chicken Tenders

A guaranteed hit with all ages, these homemade Chicken Tenders are a healthier and more affordable alternative to takeout. The recipe, which costs $6.09 per serving, uses cooked chicken breast, which you can find for $3.99 at Metro, and a simple coating of seasoned croutons and olive oil. This meal is quick to prepare, taking under an hour from start to finish. You can pair it with a simple side salad using some of the leftover Boston lettuce from Monday to complete the meal.

Thursday: Burgundy Beef Tips

As the week winds down, treat your family to rich and savoury Burgundy Beef Tips. This dish feels indulgent but remains budget-conscious at just $5.72 per serving. Tender beef top sirloin steak, which you can find for $11.50 at Maxi, is slow-simmered in a flavourful sauce and served over egg noodles. The recipe serves eight, making it another fantastic meal for generating planned leftovers. Your family can enjoy a hearty dinner on Thursday, and you'll have a ready-made lunch for four people on Friday.

Friday: Red Lentil Veggie Burgers

End the week with the most economical meal of all: Red Lentil Veggie Burgers. At an incredible $2.20 per serving, this recipe demonstrates the power of plant-based proteins for saving money. The recipe makes a large batch of 15 patties, providing more than enough for Friday's dinner. You can freeze the remaining uncooked patties for a quick and easy meal in the weeks to come, locking in the savings. This is a perfect example of how a little prep work on the weekend can pay significant dividends for your food budget.

The Complete Grocery List: Your Path to a $201.36 Weekly Shop

To achieve the savings outlined in this meal plan, strategic shopping is essential. This means purchasing specific items at the stores where they are currently priced the lowest. The following comprehensive grocery list details every ingredient needed for the week's five dinners. It specifies the best price found by eezly's AI-powered price database and the Quebec grocery store offering that price. By following this list, your total grocery bill will be approximately $201.36.

Note that some ingredients, like the "Belle Colour, 46 Burgundy Auburn" listed in the original Burgundy Beef Tips recipe data, are clearly data errors. This item is hair dye, not a food product. It has been omitted from the total cost, and you can substitute it with a splash of red wine or simply leave it out.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026. The Asian Burgers recipe is not in the weekly plan but its ingredients are included for those wishing to substitute.*

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Strategic Shopping: Where to Find the Best Prices in Quebec

A close look at the grocery list reveals a key principle of saving money: no single store is the cheapest for everything. Your path to a $201.36 grocery bill involves visiting a few different banners to capitalize on their specific strengths. For this particular meal plan, Maxi emerges as a frequent winner for pantry staples and some proteins, while Metro and IGA offer competitive prices on other key items.

Based on this week's data, Maxi is your destination for the highest number of low-priced items on this list. You will find the best deals there for ground beef, black beans, corn starch, and a wide array of spices like cumin, black pepper, and chili powder. This reinforces Maxi's reputation as a discount banner where you can stock up on pantry essentials. However, relying solely on one store would mean missing out on significant savings elsewhere.

For instance, Metro offers better pricing this week on crucial ingredients like another package of lean ground beef, fresh garlic, lentils, and a large bottle of olive oil. Meanwhile, IGA is the go-to for shallots and the specific oat flour needed for the veggie burgers. This "multi-store" strategy might require a bit more planning, but the savings are substantial. You can organize your trip by proximity, visiting stores that are located near each other to save time and fuel. Using a tool like the eezly app can help you build your multi-store shopping list before you even leave the house.

While this plan highlights deals at Maxi, Metro, and IGA, always remember to keep an eye on flyers and prices at other major Quebec banners like Super C, Provigo, and Walmart. Prices change weekly, and another store could easily have the best price on chicken or produce next week. The core lesson is to remain flexible and let real-time data guide your purchasing decisions.

Meal Prep and Time-Saving Strategies

A successful and stress-free week of cooking starts with a little preparation. Investing an hour or two over the weekend can streamline your weeknight cooking process, turning 45-minute recipes into 20-minute affairs. This practice, often called "meal prep," is your best tool for staying on track with your meal plan.

Batch Cooking and Ingredient Prep

Before the week begins, look over your recipes and identify common ingredients and tasks.
* Chop Your Aromatics: The Vegetarian Chili, Burgundy Beef Tips, and Red Lentil Veggie Burgers all use garlic and shallots. You can chop all the onions and mince all the garlic you'll need for the entire week at once. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. This single step saves you time and cleanup on multiple nights.
* Wash and Prep Produce: Wash and dry your Boston lettuce and store it wrapped in paper towels in a reusable bag to keep it crisp. You can also pre-wash the Kumato tomatoes.
* Make and Freeze: The Red Lentil Veggie Burger recipe makes 15 patties. You'll only need four for Friday's dinner. Prepare the entire batch on Sunday, cook what you need for Friday, and freeze the rest. Lay the uncooked patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze until solid, and then transfer them to a freezer bag. You now have a quick, healthy, and virtually free meal ready for a future busy night.

Recipe-Specific Tips

* Vegetarian Chili: This chili is a perfect make-ahead meal. The flavours actually deepen and improve overnight. You can cook the entire batch on Sunday or Monday and simply reheat it for a quick and delicious dinner on Tuesday.
* Burgundy Beef Tips: While this dish requires some simmering time, the active prep is minimal. You can even prepare the beef and sauce mixture in the morning and let it marinate in the fridge all day, which will make the beef even more tender.
* Chicken Tenders: The "breading" for the chicken tenders is made from crushed croutons. You can crush these ahead of time and mix them with the Italian seasoning. Store the mixture in an airtight container. When you're ready to cook, all you'll have to do is coat the chicken and bake.

By front-loading the work of chopping and batch cooking, you transform your weeknight cooking from a chore into a simple process of assembly and heating. This makes sticking to your meal plan significantly easier and reduces the temptation to opt for expensive takeout. Explore more time-saving recipes on eezly.com to build your repertoire.

FAQ: Your Quebec Grocery Savings Questions Answered

Q: What is the cheapest grocery store in Quebec?
A: There is no single "cheapest" grocery store for every item. As this meal plan demonstrates, the lowest price for groceries is typically found by shopping at multiple stores. Discount banners like Maxi and Super C often have the best prices on pantry staples and packaged goods. However, traditional supermarkets like Metro, IGA, and Provigo may have better sales on fresh produce, meat, and dairy in any given week. The best strategy is to use a price comparison tool like eezly to see which store has the lowest price for the specific items on your list.

Q: How much should a family of 4 spend on groceries per month in Quebec?
A: According to Statistics Canada, the average family of four was projected to spend over $16,000 on food in 2024, which is roughly $1,333 per month. However, your actual spending can be significantly lower with strategic planning. This meal plan shows that a week's worth of dinners can cost about $201.36. If you apply similar strategies to breakfast and lunch, a monthly budget of $900 to $1,100 for a family of four in Quebec is a realistic goal.

Q: How can AI help me save money on groceries?
A: AI-powered platforms like eezly automate the process of price comparison, which used to require manually checking multiple flyers. eezly's AI tracks prices for over 196,000 products across 2,700 stores in Canada, including all major Quebec banners. It can instantly show you which local store has the best price for your favourite pasta, cheese, or coffee. It can also generate optimized meal plans based on the lowest-priced ingredients available that week, maximizing your savings automatically.

Q: Can I substitute ingredients in this meal plan to save more money?
A: Absolutely. The prices in this plan are based on specific products at a specific time. If you see another brand of black beans on sale for less, feel free to make the swap. If pork is on deep discount, you could substitute it for the beef in the burgers. The key is to be flexible. Always check the price per 100g or 100ml to ensure you're getting a true deal when comparing different package sizes.

Q: Are Maxi and Provigo part of the same company?
A: Yes, both Maxi and Provigo are owned by Loblaw Companies Limited. Similarly, Super C and Metro are both owned by Metro Inc. Despite being part of the same parent company, these banners operate under different pricing models. Maxi and Super C are their respective discount banners, generally offering lower everyday prices, while Provigo and Metro are conventional supermarkets with a wider selection and more service departments.

Q: Where can I find the most reliable grocery deals in Montreal?
A: For residents of Montreal, the strategy remains the same: compare prices across different banners. You have access to a high density of stores, including Maxi, Super C, Metro, IGA, Walmart, and often specialty stores. For this week's meal plan, you would find deals at the Costco in Anjou, the Maxi at 555 Rue de l'Église, and various Metro and IGA locations across the city. Using an app that aggregates flyer and price data is the most efficient way to find the best deals near you.

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