Quebec Meal Plan: Make Family Dinners for Under $7/Serving

Key Facts

• A Bunless Burger dinner for four in Quebec can be made for a total cost of $25.77, or $6.44 per serving (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026).
• The lowest price for lean ground beef in our recipe analysis is $9.91 at Metro (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026).
• An Asian-style burger dinner for five costs $32.09, breaking down to just $6.42 per serving (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026).
• For the Bunless Burger recipe, Maxi offers the best prices on key ingredients like lean ground beef ($10.00), Boston lettuce ($3.99), and dill pickles ($3.50) (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026).
• Shoppers can find Kumato tomatoes for the Bunless Burger recipe at IGA for $6.49 (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026).
• Metro currently has a competitive price on Marble Cheddar Cheese at $1.79 for the portion required in our recipe (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026).

This plan is designed to be practical, affordable, and delicious, focusing on summer-friendly meals that are easy to prepare. We break down the costs per serving for key dinners, provide a comprehensive shopping list with itemized prices, and offer strategies on where to shop in Quebec to get the best value. By combining smart recipes with precise price intelligence, you can take control of your grocery spending and enjoy satisfying meals with your family. All prices cited in this article are sourced from eezly's live pricing database, which tracks 27 major Canadian grocery banners.

Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.

Try eezly — Free

This Week's Family Meal Plan for Quebec (July 2026)

A successful budget meal plan relies on structure and leveraging ingredients across multiple meals. This seven-day plan for a family of four is designed to minimize food waste and maximize value, with total dinner costs anchored by specific, data-driven recipes. While breakfast and lunch are often composed of versatile staples, our dinner plan offers concrete recipes with verified costs for two nights, providing a reliable foundation for your weekly food budget.

The total cost for the two featured dinners (Bunless Burgers and Asian Burgers) for a family of four comes to approximately $57.86. The remaining meals utilize leftovers and affordable pantry staples like pasta, rice, and oats, keeping your overall weekly grocery expenditure manageable. The average cost per person per day, based on this structured plan, can be kept impressively low with strategic shopping.

Daily Meal Breakdown

* Monday:
* Breakfast: Oatmeal with seasonal berries.
* Lunch: Leftover weekend meal or simple cheese and tomato sandwiches.
* Dinner: Bunless Burgers. A fresh and flavourful start to the week. This recipe is keto-friendly and perfect for a warm July evening. The cost is locked in at $6.44 per serving.

* Tuesday:
* Breakfast: Yogurt and granola.
* Lunch: Leftover Bunless Burger patties, crumbled over a green salad.
* Dinner: Pasta with a simple tomato sauce and a side salad using the Boston lettuce. This meal relies on inexpensive pantry staples.

* Wednesday:
* Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast.
* Lunch: Leftover pasta.
* Dinner: Asian Burgers. Introduce a new flavour profile with these savoury burgers featuring hoisin and five-spice. The cost is confirmed at $6.42 per serving.

* Thursday:
* Breakfast: Oatmeal with seasonal berries.
* Lunch: Leftover Asian Burger patties in a wrap or on their own.
* Dinner: "Brinner" (Breakfast for Dinner): Omelettes or pancakes. A fun, fast, and famously frugal meal. Use up any remaining cheese and vegetables.

* Friday:
* Breakfast: Yogurt and granola.
* Lunch: Leftover omelettes or sandwiches.
* Dinner: Homemade Pizza Night. Use naan or pita bread as a base, top with tomato sauce, cheese, and any remaining vegetables or protein from the week.

* Saturday:
* Breakfast: Pancakes or French toast.
* Lunch: "Clean out the fridge" lunch. A buffet of all the week's leftovers.
* Dinner: Grilled Chicken or Tofu with roasted vegetables. A simple, healthy meal to enjoy the weekend.

* Sunday:
* Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast.
* Lunch: Leftover grilled chicken or tofu salad.
* Dinner: Big-batch soup or chili using pantry staples and any remaining vegetables. This provides leftovers for Monday's lunch, starting the cycle anew.

Dinner Cost Analysis Table

This table highlights the verified costs for the two feature meals in this plan. The other meals are designed around pantry staples and leftovers, keeping their cost minimal.

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

Complete Grocery List for the Week

Building your shopping list from a meal plan is the most effective way to prevent impulse buys and stick to your budget. This list is divided into two sections: items with verified prices from our feature recipes and other staples needed for the week. By knowing the exact cost of key items beforehand, you can budget with greater accuracy. You can find many of these deals and build your own custom shopping lists using tools like the eezly deals page.

Priced Ingredients from Featured Recipes

This section details the specific ingredients for the Bunless Burgers and Asian Burgers, along with the store where the best price was found by eezly's AI-powered grocery price comparison platform.

* Lean Ground Beef (for Bunless Burgers): $10.00 at Maxi
* Lean Ground Beef (for Asian Burgers): $9.91 at Metro
* Marble Cheddar Cheese: $1.79 at Metro
* Boston Lettuce: $3.99 at Maxi
* Kumato Tomatoes: $6.49 at IGA
* Dill Pickles: $3.50 at Maxi
* Shallots: $4.39 at IGA
* Chinese Five Spice: $6.00 at Maxi
* Crushed Red Pepper: $2.79 at Maxi
* Sauce Hoisin: $9.00 at Maxi

General Staples for the Week

These are the additional items required to complete the seven-day meal plan. Prices will vary, so comparing flyers at banners like Super C, Provigo, and Walmart is recommended.

* Produce:
* Seasonal berries (strawberries, raspberries)
* Bananas
* Onions
* Garlic
* Carrots
* Celery
* Potatoes or sweet potatoes
* Bell peppers
* Dairy & Protein:
* Oat milk or dairy milk
* Yogurt
* Eggs (one dozen)
* Chicken breasts or tofu
* Pantry:
* Rolled oats
* Granola
* Bread or wraps
* Pasta
* Canned tomato sauce
* Rice
* Canned beans (kidney or black beans)
* Naan or pita bread
* Pancake mix
* Maple syrup
* Olive oil, salt, pepper, and other basic spices

Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.

Try eezly — Free

Where to Shop in Quebec for the Best Prices

To secure the lowest possible price for your weekly groceries, a multi-store shopping trip may be necessary. However, for those short on time, focusing on one or two banners that consistently offer the best value on your most-purchased items is a practical strategy. According to eezly's real-time tracking across Quebec banners like IGA, Maxi, Super C, and Metro, prices for the same item can vary significantly.

For our featured summer burger ingredients, a clear pattern emerges. Maxi is the price leader for a significant portion of the required items.

Strategic Shopping Basket Comparison

Let's analyze a shopping basket composed of the main fresh ingredients for the Bunless Burger recipe. This comparison demonstrates how your choice of store directly impacts your total bill. We will compare the cost of purchasing lean ground beef, Boston lettuce, Kumato tomatoes, and dill pickles at the stores where eezly identified the best price versus purchasing them all at a single store, where possible.

Note: Totals for individual stores reflect only the items available at that store from this specific list. A complete shop would require visiting multiple banners to achieve the lowest possible total of $25.68.
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of July 2026.

This analysis reveals a key insight for Quebec shoppers: to achieve the absolute lowest price of $25.68 for this basket, you would need to visit Metro for the ground beef and cheese, Maxi for the lettuce and pickles, and IGA for the tomatoes. This represents a "perfect shop."

For time-strapped families, consolidating your shopping at one banner is more realistic. Based on this data, Maxi proves to be a strong contender, offering competitive prices on three of the five items. While you would pay a slight premium on ground beef compared to Metro, the convenience might outweigh the $0.09 difference. Your personal shopping strategy will depend on your proximity to different stores and how you value time versus monetary savings. Using an AI-powered tool like eezly's meal planner can automate this comparison process, generating a shopping list optimized for the lowest cost at your preferred store or across multiple banners.

Prep Tips and Time-Saving Strategies

A great meal plan is only effective if it's manageable. Meal prep is your best ally in ensuring you stick to the plan, even on busy weeknights. Here are some practical tips to make this week's plan a success.

Weekend Prep Session (30-45 minutes)

* Wash and Chop Vegetables: Wash the Boston lettuce, dry it thoroughly, and store it in a container lined with a paper towel. Chop your onions, carrots, and celery for later use in salads, soups, or sauces. This simple step saves immense time and effort during the week.
* Make the Burger Patties: Prepare both the Bunless Burger and Asian Burger patties ahead of time. Stack them separated by wax paper in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will be ready to cook on Monday and Wednesday, turning a 20-minute prep time into a 5-minute "pan-to-plate" task.
* Portion Snacks: If your plan includes snacks like yogurt, berries, or granola, portion them out into small, reusable containers. This makes them easy to grab for breakfasts or lunches on the go.

Leveraging Leftovers Creatively

This meal plan is designed to minimize food waste by repurposing leftovers. This not only saves money but also reduces your cooking time later in the week.

* Burger Transformations: Don't just reheat the burger patties. On Tuesday, crumble the leftover Bunless Burger patties over a fresh salad with a simple vinaigrette. This creates a brand new, high-protein lunch that feels intentional, not like a repeat. The same can be done with the Asian Burger patties on Thursday.
* The "Clean Out the Fridge" Philosophy: Friday's pizza night and Saturday's lunch are perfect opportunities to use up any remaining ingredients. Small amounts of leftover cheese, a few slices of tomato, a handful of lettuce, or a single chicken breast can all find a home on a homemade pizza or in a "buffet-style" lunch. This ensures nothing goes to waste before your next grocery shop.

Embrace Batch Cooking

For staples you eat regularly, batch cooking is a game-changer. On Sunday, while making dinner, consider cooking a large batch of rice or quinoa. Store it in the fridge to use as a quick side dish for your grilled chicken on Saturday or as a base for a salad lunch during the week. Similarly, if you're making oatmeal for breakfast, make two or three servings at once. Refrigerate the extra portions for a near-instant breakfast on subsequent mornings. This approach consolidates your time in the kitchen, freeing up your evenings. For more ideas on batch cooking and other recipes, you can explore the eezly recipes section.

Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.

Try eezly — Free