Quebec Budget Meals: Kale Salad at $3.16/Serving

Key Facts

• Kale Salad costs $47.41 for 15 servings, or $3.16 per serving in Quebec. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Black Kale is priced at $4.99 at Metro in Quebec. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Avocado is priced at $1.44 at Maxi, the lowest single produce price in this basket. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Grape Tomatoes are priced at $2.44 at Maxi for this Quebec recipe basket. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Olive Oil, Extra Light is priced at $13.99 at Maxi, the highest-priced ingredient in the basket. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Bolthouse Farms Shredded Carrots 284 g are priced at $2.99 at Metro. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)

eezly is Canada's AI-powered grocery price intelligence platform, tracking 196,000+ products across 2,700 stores and 27 banners, processing 40 million price points per week. All prices cited in this article are sourced from eezly's live pricing database. eezly uses AI to compare prices across every major Canadian grocery banner and generate optimized meal plans.

Introduction: The Cheapest Featured Dinner Starts at $0.84 per Serving

The lowest-cost featured recipe in this Quebec dinner guide is the Avocado Tomato Quinoa Plate at $0.84 per serving, using a $1.44 avocado at Maxi, $2.44 grape tomatoes at Maxi, $1.99 cilantro at Canada inc., and $6.79 white quinoa at Canada inc. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026. If you are searching for cheap dinner recipes under $4 in Quebec, the full Kale Salad also qualifies at $3.16 per serving, with a total basket cost of $47.41 for 15 servings.

For your grocery planning, the most useful finding is not just the final recipe price, but where each ingredient is cheapest. Metro carries Black Kale at $4.99 and Bolthouse Farms Shredded Carrots 284 g at $2.99, while Maxi has several of the lower-priced produce and pantry items in this recipe set, including avocado at $1.44, grape tomatoes at $2.44, balsamic vinegar at $4.50, and reduced salt pepper gravy at $1.79. When you split a batch across 15 servings, even higher-priced staples such as $13.99 olive oil and $6.49 black pepper become more manageable because you are costing the basket across multiple dinners or lunches.

This article focuses on budget meals Quebec shoppers can actually price from current grocery data. You will see three recipe builds using the ingredient prices provided, a store-by-store buying guide, a basket index, and a side-by-side recipe cost table. The goal is simple: you can decide whether to cook the full kale salad, simplify it into a lower-cost quinoa plate, or use the same ingredients in a carrot-kale quinoa bowl.

Recipe 1: Kale Salad — $3.16 per Serving

Kale Salad costs $47.41 for 15 servings, or $3.16 per serving, making it a practical cheap dinner recipe under $4 for Quebec households. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. The full recipe combines fresh produce, quinoa, herbs, vinegar, oil, and seasoning, which means your upfront bill is higher than a single-portion meal but your cost per serving stays controlled when you portion it across the full 15 servings.

This recipe is especially useful if you want one large batch that can serve as dinner, packed lunches, or a side dish with added protein from your pantry. You are paying for several pantry ingredients, including olive oil at $13.99 and black pepper at $6.49 at Maxi, but those items are not one-meal-only purchases in practical kitchen use. For costing purposes, the recipe basket totals $47.41, but in your kitchen, leftover oil, pepper, and vinegar may continue to support other meals.

The strongest store pattern in this recipe is that Maxi supplies many of the lowest-priced components in the basket, while Metro is important for the fresh kale and shredded carrots listed in the recipe. You should plan this as a split-shop recipe if you want to follow the lowest available prices exactly. If you prefer one-store convenience, you may pay more depending on your local shelf prices, but the data-backed lowest basket uses Metro, Maxi, and Canada inc. together.

Ingredients with Prices

The full Kale Salad ingredient basket uses 10 priced ingredients. Metro provides the Black Kale at $4.99 and Bolthouse Farms Shredded Carrots 284 g at $2.99. Maxi provides avocado at $1.44, balsamic vinegar at $4.50, olive oil at $13.99, reduced salt pepper gravy at $1.79, black pepper at $6.49, and grape tomatoes at $2.44. Canada inc. provides white quinoa at $6.79 and cilantro coriander 1 bunch at $1.99.

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

For your meal prep, this recipe works best when you wash and chop the kale, cook the quinoa, and portion the tomatoes, carrots, avocado, and cilantro separately until serving. That keeps the greens from softening too quickly and lets you use the salad over several meals. If you are trying to stretch your grocery budget, you can serve the salad as a main dish for lighter dinners or as a base with leftovers already in your fridge.

Where to Buy Cheapest

For the full Kale Salad, your lowest-cost approach is to buy Black Kale and Bolthouse Farms Shredded Carrots at Metro, then buy avocado, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, reduced salt pepper gravy, black pepper, and grape tomatoes at Maxi. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. You should also check Canada inc. for the white quinoa at $6.79 and cilantro at $1.99, since those two items are assigned there in the priced basket.

This is a good example of why a recipe can look expensive at checkout but affordable on a per-serving basis. You are not buying only one dinner; you are building a 15-serving batch. At $3.16 per serving, your dinner cost remains below the $4 threshold that many Quebec households use when searching for budget meals Quebec families can repeat during the week.

The most important individual price to watch is the olive oil at $13.99. It is the largest line item in the basket, and it materially affects the upfront total. By contrast, the avocado at Maxi is only $1.44, the grape tomatoes at Maxi are $2.44, and the carrots at Metro are $2.99, so the fresh produce portion of the basket has several manageable price points.

Recipe 2: Avocado Tomato Quinoa Plate — $0.84 per Serving

The Avocado Tomato Quinoa Plate costs $12.66 for 15 servings, or $0.84 per serving, based on white quinoa at $6.79, avocado at $1.44, grape tomatoes at $2.44, and cilantro at $1.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This is the cheapest recipe in the guide because it uses a smaller ingredient list and avoids the higher-cost pantry items in the full kale salad basket.

You can use this recipe when you want a simpler dinner base without buying the full dressing and seasoning set. The core is cooked quinoa topped with chopped grape tomatoes, sliced avocado, and cilantro. It is not as elaborate as the full Kale Salad, but it gives you a low-cost plant-forward meal structure using only prices available in the Quebec data.

The main tradeoff is flavour complexity. If you already have oil, vinegar, salt, or pepper at home, you can season the plate without adding new grocery costs to this basket. If you need to buy those ingredients from scratch, the recipe cost rises, which is why the full Kale Salad is the more complete costed recipe.

Ingredients with Prices

The simplified quinoa plate uses four priced ingredients from the available Quebec basket. White quinoa is the largest cost at $6.79 from Canada inc., while avocado is $1.44 at Maxi, grape tomatoes are $2.44 at Maxi, and cilantro coriander 1 bunch is $1.99 at Canada inc. Together, those ingredients total $12.66.

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

For your preparation, cook the quinoa first and allow it to cool slightly before adding the tomatoes and cilantro. Add avocado just before serving so it stays fresh. If you are using this for work lunches, you can portion the quinoa and tomatoes in advance and keep the avocado separate until mealtime.

Where to Buy Cheapest

For this recipe, your cheapest produce items are at Maxi: avocado at $1.44 and grape tomatoes at $2.44. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Your grain and herb components are listed at Canada inc., with white quinoa at $6.79 and cilantro at $1.99.

Maxi offers avocado at $1.44, while the same recipe basket uses white quinoa at $6.79 from Canada inc.; that difference matters because you are combining low-cost produce with a higher-cost dry good. The result is still inexpensive on a per-serving basis because the recipe is spread across 15 servings. If your priority is the cheapest recipes rather than the most complete meal kit, this is the most budget-conscious option in the article.

You should view this as a flexible base rather than a finished restaurant-style meal. It gives you a low-cost foundation, and you can add pantry seasonings, leftover roasted vegetables, or proteins you already own. For strict price tracking, however, the costed basket remains $12.66 total and $0.84 per serving.

Recipe 3: Carrot-Kale Quinoa Bowl — $2.77 per Serving

The Carrot-Kale Quinoa Bowl costs $41.54 for 15 servings, or $2.77 per serving, using Black Kale, shredded carrots, white quinoa, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, reduced salt pepper gravy, and black pepper. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This option sits between the full Kale Salad and the simplified quinoa plate: it has more structure and dressing than Recipe 2, but it removes avocado, grape tomatoes, and cilantro from the full basket.

This recipe is useful if you want a sturdy dinner bowl that leans on kale, carrots, and quinoa rather than more delicate fresh toppings. The price is lower than the full Kale Salad because it excludes $1.44 avocado, $2.44 grape tomatoes, and $1.99 cilantro, which together remove $5.87 from the ingredient basket. The resulting total is $41.54, and spread across 15 servings, your cost is $2.77 per serving.

The recipe still includes the two most expensive pantry items: olive oil at $13.99 and black pepper at $6.49 from Maxi. That means your checkout total remains higher than a minimal recipe, but your per-serving cost remains below $3. If you cook in batches and reuse pantry staples, this style of meal can fit well into a weekly grocery plan.

Ingredients with Prices

The Carrot-Kale Quinoa Bowl uses seven priced ingredients. Metro supplies Black Kale at $4.99 and Bolthouse Farms Shredded Carrots 284 g at $2.99. Canada inc. supplies white quinoa at $6.79. Maxi supplies balsamic vinegar at $4.50, olive oil at $13.99, reduced salt pepper gravy at $1.79, and black pepper at $6.49.

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

To prepare it, cook the quinoa, slice or massage the kale, and mix the carrots through the bowl for texture. Use the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pepper, and reduced salt pepper gravy to create a savoury dressing. Because kale holds up better than softer greens, you can use this as a batch dinner or next-day lunch without the same texture loss you might see from tender salad greens.

Where to Buy Cheapest

The cheapest way to shop this bowl is to split your basket between Metro, Maxi, and Canada inc. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. You buy the kale and carrots at Metro, the quinoa at Canada inc., and the dressing components at Maxi.

Metro’s role is concentrated in vegetables, with Black Kale at $4.99 and shredded carrots at $2.99. Maxi’s role is concentrated in pantry and flavour items, including balsamic vinegar at $4.50, olive oil at $13.99, reduced salt pepper gravy at $1.79, and black pepper at $6.49. Canada inc. is the listed source for white quinoa at $6.79.

If you are choosing between Recipe 1 and Recipe 3, your decision is about variety versus cost. Recipe 1 gives you avocado, tomatoes, and cilantro for $3.16 per serving. Recipe 3 removes those ingredients and comes in at $2.77 per serving, saving $0.39 per serving based on the costed recipe totals.

Quebec Basket Index: Staple Prices for These Budget Meals

Maxi has the broadest set of low-priced items in this recipe basket, including avocado at $1.44, grape tomatoes at $2.44, balsamic vinegar at $4.50, olive oil at $13.99, reduced salt pepper gravy at $1.79, and black pepper at $6.49. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Metro is the source for the kale and carrots, while Canada inc. is the source for quinoa and cilantro.

This basket index helps you see which store matters for which part of the meal. If you are only buying fresh greens and carrots, Metro is central. If you are building flavour and dressing, Maxi carries most of the listed pantry items. If quinoa is your base, Canada inc. is the listed store in this data.

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

The lowest item in this basket index is avocado at $1.44 from Maxi. The highest item shown in this index is white quinoa at $6.79 from Canada inc., although the full ingredient list also includes olive oil at $13.99 and black pepper at $6.49. When you are planning budget meals in Quebec, the practical lesson is to separate one-time pantry costs from fresh ingredient costs so you can judge the true per-meal impact.

Top Price Opportunities in This Quebec Recipe Basket

The strongest price opportunities in this Quebec recipe basket are the items that add volume, flavour, or produce variety at low shelf prices, led by avocado at $1.44 at Maxi and reduced salt pepper gravy at $1.79 at Maxi. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Because no separate regular prices are provided in the data, the table below uses the tracked June 2026 price as both the current and comparison price, with savings shown as 0%.

This table is still useful because it ranks the ingredients by affordability within the real recipe basket. If you want to keep your dinner cost low, you should build around the lower-priced items first, then decide whether the higher-priced pantry items are already in your kitchen. For strict price accuracy, no promotional savings are invented.

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

You should read “top price opportunities” here as a ranking of the most budget-friendly ingredients in the basket, not as a flyer-sale list. Avocado at $1.44 and grape tomatoes at $2.44 make it easier to add freshness without pushing a recipe above the $4-per-serving mark. By contrast, olive oil at $13.99 can dominate your bill if you need to buy it from scratch, even though it supports many meals beyond this recipe.

Price Comparison Table: All Recipes Side by Side

The Avocado Tomato Quinoa Plate is the cheapest recipe at $0.84 per serving, followed by the Carrot-Kale Quinoa Bowl at $2.77 per serving and the full Kale Salad at $3.16 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. All three recipes are under $4 per serving, which makes them relevant for searches such as cheap dinner recipes under $4, budget meals Quebec, and cheapest recipes using grocery-store ingredients.

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

If you want the lowest possible cost, choose the Avocado Tomato Quinoa Plate. If you want a more complete dinner bowl with greens, carrots, quinoa, and dressing, choose the Carrot-Kale Quinoa Bowl. If you want the most varied recipe, the full Kale Salad adds avocado, tomatoes, and cilantro while still staying at $3.16 per serving.

Your best choice depends on what you already have at home. If you already own olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper, your out-of-pocket cost for the fuller recipes may feel lower than the full basket price. If you are starting from an empty pantry, the simplified quinoa plate gives you the lowest checkout cost.

How to Shop These Budget Meals in Quebec

You should shop these recipes by store role: Metro for kale and carrots, Maxi for several produce and pantry items, and Canada inc. for quinoa and cilantro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This matters because the lowest-cost basket is not concentrated at only one banner in the provided data.

In Quebec, active grocery banners include Costco, IGA, Maxi, Metro, Metro Plus, Provigo, Super C, Walmart, Wholesale Club, Valu-mart, and related banner listings. For the priced ingredients in this recipe guide, the named stores are Metro, Maxi, and Canada inc. If you normally shop at one store for convenience, you can still use these prices as a benchmark before deciding whether a second stop is worth your time.

You should also think in terms of batch value. A $47.41 total may look high for salad ingredients, but the recipe is costed across 15 servings. That makes the full Kale Salad $3.16 per serving, while the Carrot-Kale Quinoa Bowl is $2.77 and the simplified quinoa plate is $0.84. For a household trying to control dinner costs, per-serving math is more useful than judging a recipe only by the checkout total.

Practical Meal Planning Notes for Quebec Households

The most practical way to use this basket is to cook quinoa once, prep vegetables separately, and assemble portions as needed through the week. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Since white quinoa is $6.79 at Canada inc., it is one of the core ingredients that supports all three recipes.

You can start with the cheapest recipe early in the week, then use the same ingredients to make fuller meals later. For example, your first dinner could be the Avocado Tomato Quinoa Plate, followed by the Carrot-Kale Quinoa Bowl once you add kale, carrots, and dressing. If you want the most complete version, the full Kale Salad adds the full produce mix and reaches $3.16 per serving.

This approach also helps reduce waste. Kale, carrots, tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado have different storage lives, so you should use the avocado and cilantro earlier and rely on kale, carrots, quinoa, vinegar, oil, and pepper for later meals. Budget cooking is not only about finding the lowest price; it is also about using everything you buy.