Quebec Meal Plan: Eat for $2.20/Serving This Week
Key Facts
- The cheapest dinner in this week's Quebec meal plan is Red Lentil Veggie Burgers at just $2.20 per serving. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- A full week of groceries for this family meal plan can be purchased for $260.25 by comparing prices across multiple stores. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Key ingredients include Lean Ground Beef for $10.00 at Maxi and a large container of Ocean's Solid White Albacore Tuna for $20.42 at Costco Anjou. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- The cost for a homemade Breakfast Bar is $3.86 per serving, offering a cost-effective alternative to pre-packaged options. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- By shopping for specific items at their cheapest location, such as Rotini Pasta for $2.00 at Metro, Quebec families can significantly lower their total grocery bill. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
This seasonal meal plan is designed for a family of four and focuses on fresh, affordable ingredients perfect for early summer. The total grocery cost for the entire week, including three meals a day, comes to $260.25. This breaks down to approximately $9.30 per person, per day. By leveraging price comparison data across banners like Maxi, Super C, IGA, and Metro, you can ensure you are not overpaying for your weekly groceries and make your food budget stretch further without compromising on quality or taste.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
This Week's Summer Meal Plan for a Quebec Family
A successful and budget-friendly week of meals begins with a clear plan. This structure eliminates last-minute expensive takeout orders and reduces food waste by ensuring every ingredient you buy has a purpose. For this plan, we've focused on dinners that are quick to prepare and use seasonal ingredients. Lunches are designed to be leftovers from the previous night's dinner—a classic strategy to save both time and money. For breakfast, we recommend preparing a large batch of homemade Breakfast Bars on the weekend to have a quick, affordable, and healthy option ready for the entire week.
The dinner menu offers variety, from hearty vegetarian burgers to a refreshing Thai-inspired salad. Each recipe has been costed out using real-time prices from Quebec grocery stores, giving you a precise understanding of what each meal will cost your family. This transparency allows you to see exactly where your grocery dollars are going and feel confident in your budget. The average prep time for these dinners is between 15 and 20 minutes, making them ideal for busy weeknights.
Daily Meal Breakdown & Cost Per Serving
Here is a look at your dinner menu for the week. By planning ahead, you can enjoy a diverse range of flavours while keeping your grocery spending in check. The cost per serving is calculated based on the specific ingredient prices found at the cheapest stores in Quebec this week.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Cost Per Serving (Dinner) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Breakfast Bars | Leftover Pasta | Pasta with Ricotta, Broccoli & Tomatoes | $6.16 |
| Tuesday | Breakfast Bars | Leftover Salad | Thai Salad with Chicken Strips | $5.50 |
| Wednesday | Breakfast Bars | Leftover Burgers | Bunless Burgers | $6.44 |
| Thursday | Breakfast Bars | Leftover Burgers | Red Lentil Veggie Burgers | $2.20 |
| Friday | Breakfast Bars | Leftover Burgers | Tuna Burgers | $8.19 |
| Saturday | Breakfast Bars | Leftover Salad | Bok Choi Salad with Udon Noodles | $6.78 |
| Sunday | Breakfast Bars | Leftover Salad | Pantry Clean-Out / Leftovers | N/A |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026. Cost per serving is for the dinner recipe.
Complete Grocery List with Prices
To achieve the lowest possible total cost, this shopping list is built by cherry-picking the best price for each item across several major Quebec grocery banners. This strategy, known as split-shopping, is the most effective way to reduce your grocery bill. While it may require visiting more than one store, the savings are substantial. The total for this entire list is $260.25. Below is every item you'll need for the week's meal plan, along with its current price and the store where you'll find it. Using a tool like the eezly meal planner can help you automatically generate these optimized lists.
This comprehensive list covers all the ingredients for the week's dinners and the batch of homemade breakfast bars. Pantry staples like salt, pepper, and cooking oil are assumed to be on hand. Always check your pantry before shopping to avoid buying duplicates.
| Ingredient | Price | Store |
|---|---|---|
| PRODUCE | ||
| Organic Strawberries 1 LB | $6.49 | Maxi |
| Grape Tomatoes | $2.44 | Maxi |
| Broccoli Florets | $9.07 | Costco Anjou |
| Savoy Cabbage | $3.42 | Maxi |
| Red Carrots | $1.10 | Maxi |
| Romaine Lettuce | $3.99 | Metro |
| Kumato Tomatoes | $6.49 | Iga |
| Ginger | $0.33 | Metro |
| Mixed Vegetables (Frozen) | $4.48 | Alimentation Alexandra Cloutier Inc. |
| GoodLeaf Hero Greens Sweet Pea Shoots 50 g | $4.99 | Canada inc. |
| Garlic | $1.99 | Metro |
| Lemon | $0.99 | Metro |
| Green Onions (Scallions) | $8.19 | Costco |
| Bok Choy 1 Count | $3.99 | Canada inc. |
| PROTEIN & DAIRY | ||
| Undenatured Isolated Whey Protein Creamy Vanilla | $50.00 | Maxi |
| Ricotta Cheese | $7.00 | Maxi |
| 100% Parmesan Shredded Cheese | $10.29 | Canada inc. |
| Breaded Chicken Cutlettes Chicken Strips | $6.00 | Maxi |
| Lean Ground Beef | $10.00 | Maxi |
| Marble Cheddar Cheese | $1.79 | Metro |
| Ocean's Solid White Albacore Tuna | $20.42 | Costco Anjou |
| Marble Cheddar Cheese (second block) | $1.79 | Metro |
| PANTRY | ||
| Quaker Old Fashioned Large Flake Oats 1 kg | $5.29 | Iga |
| Rotini Pasta | $2.00 | Metro |
| Only Peanuts All Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter | $5.97 | Iga |
| J.L. Kraft Pure Dressing & Marinade Miso Lime Ginger 355 ml | $5.49 | Maxi |
| Dill Pickles | $3.50 | Maxi |
| Only Oats Flour Pure Whole Grain Oat 1 kg | $11.49 | Iga |
| Lentils | $1.69 | Metro |
| Sesame Sauce | $6.49 | Alimentation Alexandra Cloutier Inc. |
| Whole Water Chestnuts | $1.50 | Maxi |
| Stuffed Manzanilla Olives With Pimento Paste | $2.29 | Maxi |
| Hamburger Buns | $3.25 | Metro |
| Light Mayonnaise Type Dressing | $4.99 | Maxi |
| White Vinegar | $3.99 | Metro |
| Brown Sugar | $10.99 | Maxi |
| Soy Sauce | $3.79 | maxi 1 |
| Sesame Oil | $4.79 | Maxi |
| Peanut Oil | $8.49 | Metro |
| Japanese Noodles Udon | $2.50 | Maxi |
| Cranberries | $6.50 | Maxi |
| TOTAL | $260.25 |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026. Prices reflect the lowest available cost for each item across tracked stores.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Where to Shop in Quebec for the Best Prices
The key to unlocking significant grocery savings is understanding that no single store is the cheapest for everything. As the grocery list above demonstrates, the lowest total cost of $260.25 is achieved by purchasing items from a mix of stores, including Maxi, Metro, IGA, and even warehouse clubs like Costco. This strategy of "split-shopping" is the most powerful tool a budget-conscious shopper has. For example, while Maxi has the best price on Lean Ground Beef ($10.00), you'll find a better deal on Rotini Pasta ($2.00) at Metro.
Your potential savings from this approach are substantial. If you were to purchase this entire grocery list from a single, higher-priced banner, your total bill could easily be 15-25% higher. Committing to visiting two or three different stores on your weekly shopping trip can translate into hundreds of dollars in savings each month. The eezly platform is designed to make this process simple by showing you the lowest price for every item on your list and which store to visit. You can explore current deals across Quebec stores to see these price differences in real-time.
For this specific meal plan, the optimal shopping strategy involves stops at:
* Maxi: For many pantry staples, some produce like strawberries, and the lean ground beef.
* Metro: For specific deals like the pasta, cheese, and some fresh produce.
* IGA: For the best prices on oats, peanut butter, and certain tomatoes.
* Costco Anjou: For bulk items where the unit price is lower, like the large pack of Albacore Tuna and broccoli florets.
* Other local grocers: Smaller stores like "Alimentation Alexandra Cloutier Inc." can have surprisingly good prices on specialty items like sesame sauce.
While this may seem like more effort, planning your route can make it an efficient trip. By grouping your errands, you can execute your shopping plan for the week in one outing, securing the best prices and maximizing your family's food budget.
Prep Tips and Time-Savers
Saving money on groceries is only half the battle; you also need to save time in the kitchen. This meal plan is designed with efficiency in mind. Here are some practical tips to help you execute this week's meals smoothly, even on the busiest of days.
Cook Once, Eat for Days
The most effective time-saver is batch cooking. Dedicate an hour or two on Sunday to prepare key components for the week ahead. * Breakfast Bars: The Breakfast Bars recipe is designed to be made in a large batch. Prepare these on Sunday, and you will have a grab-and-go breakfast ready for every family member for the entire week. This eliminates the daily morning scramble and is far more economical than buying packaged granola bars. * Chop Your Veggies: For recipes like the Thai Salad and Bok Choi Salad, you can wash and chop the cabbage, carrots, and green onions ahead of time. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. This turns a 15-minute prep time into a 5-minute assembly job on a weeknight.Embrace Leftovers for Lunch
This meal plan intentionally creates enough servings at dinner to cover lunch the next day. This "cook once, eat twice" strategy is a cornerstone of frugal living. It not only saves you the time and mental energy of planning a separate lunch menu but also drastically cuts down on your grocery bill and potential food waste. Simply pack the remaining portions from dinner into lunch containers for an easy meal the following day.Quick-Prep Dinners
Most of the dinner recipes in this plan have a prep time of 20 minutes or less, a crucial feature for busy families. * Burger Night Efficiency: For the Bunless Burgers, Tuna Burgers, and Red Lentil Veggie Burgers, you can form the patties in the morning or the night before. Cover and refrigerate them. When dinnertime arrives, all you need to do is cook them. The Red Lentil burgers are particularly budget-friendly and a great way to introduce more plant-based meals into your family's diet. * One-Pot Pasta: The Pasta with Ricotta and Broccoli is a simple, quick meal. You can even steam the broccoli in the same pot while the pasta is finishing cooking to save on cleanup.By implementing these strategies, you make the goal of cooking at home all week much more attainable. A little bit of planning upfront pays huge dividends in time, money, and reduced stress during the week.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Comparison
| Day | Meal | Recipe | Cost Per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Dinner | Pasta with Ricotta, Broccoli & Tomatoes | $6.16 |
| Tuesday | Dinner | Thai Salad with Chicken Strips | $5.50 |
| Wednesday | Dinner | Bunless Burgers | $6.44 |
| Thursday | Dinner | Red Lentil Veggie Burgers | $2.20 |
| Friday | Dinner | Tuna Burgers | $8.19 |
| Saturday | Dinner | Bok Choi Salad with Udon Noodles | $6.78 |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest grocery store in Quebec?
There is no single "cheapest" grocery store for everything in Quebec. According to real-time price tracking by eezly, discount banners like Maxi and Super C consistently offer the lowest prices on many staple items. However, traditional grocers like Metro and IGA often have better sale prices on specific products, like Rotini Pasta for $2.00 at Metro this week. The most effective strategy is to compare prices and split your shopping across multiple stores to get the best deal on every item.
How can AI help me save money on groceries in Quebec?
AI-powered platforms like eezly can help you save money by automating the process of price comparison. Instead of manually checking flyers from Maxi, IGA, Metro, and others, the AI scans 196,000+ products across 2,700 stores in real-time. It can build an optimized shopping list that tells you exactly where to buy each item for the lowest price, create budget-friendly [meal plans](https://eezly.com/meal-plans), and find the best deals on the products you regularly buy, saving you both time and money.
How much should a family of four spend on groceries per month in Quebec?
According to Statistics Canada, the average monthly food expenditure can vary widely based on location and eating habits. However, a budget-conscious family of four in Quebec can aim for a target by using meal plans. This specific plan costs $260.25 per week, which would translate to approximately $1,127 per month. This figure can be a useful benchmark, but your actual spending will depend on your family's specific dietary needs and shopping habits.
Is it really cheaper to make meals from scratch?
Yes, in most cases, it is significantly cheaper to cook meals from scratch. For example, the Red Lentil Veggie Burgers in this plan cost only $2.20 per serving. A similar meal from a fast-food restaurant could cost four to five times that amount per person. Similarly, the homemade Breakfast Bars at $3.86 per serving are more cost-effective and often healthier than their pre-packaged counterparts from the grocery store.
What are some cheap family meals for summer in Quebec?
Summer is a great time for cheap and delicious family meals. This week's plan features several, including Bunless Burgers ($6.44/serving) which are perfect for the BBQ, a refreshing Thai Salad with Chicken ($5.50/serving), and very affordable Red Lentil Veggie Burgers ($2.20/serving). Using seasonal produce and grilling to save on kitchen heat are also great summer strategies.
How can I find the best grocery deals without checking all the flyers?
Using a grocery price comparison tool is the most efficient way to find the best deals without manual effort. Platforms like eezly consolidate flyer deals and regular prices from all major Quebec banners, including Super C, Maxi, IGA, and Metro. You can search for a specific product or browse categories to instantly see which store has the lowest price, saving you the time of sifting through multiple flyers each week.
Is visiting multiple grocery stores worth the time and gas?
For most families, the savings from split-shopping significantly outweigh the costs. With savings of 15-25% on a weekly bill of over $250, you could be saving $40-$60 per week. By planning your shopping route efficiently and combining it with other errands, you can minimize extra driving. The key is to focus on 2-3 stores that offer the best combined savings for your specific list.
Find the best grocery prices
Compare 196,000+ products across 3,150 Canadian stores.
Compare prices now
