Want to make lists before you go grocery shopping? Here are some tips suggested by experts in the field.
Recognize the real discounts
The nutritionist and author of the book Cook with what we have Jessika Langlois recommends always checking the price per 100 g or per 100 ml, because that’s how you can see if you have a good discount. And remember: “Just because it’s in the flyer doesn’t mean it’s a good discount,” says Marja Monette-Millette, author of the book Perfect planning for imperfect families.
Take advantage of deals
Some foods are worth buying in quantity when they’re on sale. But watch out for expiry dates! “With pasta, you can’t go wrong because they can easily be half price,” says Jessika Langlois. The same goes for rice, canned fish protein (whose price has risen a lot, she notes), canned tomatoes and legumes. The nutritionist also likes to buy salt-free broths and tortillas at a discount (which keep for quite a long time in the pantry or can be frozen).
Don’t be influenced
No matter the price of a food, you should never buy more than what you consume, insists Jessika Langlois. “Do I eat it? That’s the question we have to ask ourselves because it may be discounted and cheap, if our family doesn’t eat that much of it, it will end up going out of date at some point. »
Vary without complicating life
Marja Monette-Millette believes that too much emphasis is placed on diversifying menus and ingredients. “Are we eating chicken three times this week?” It’s correct ; I took advantage of a special that was well worth it and declined it in three menus – quesadillas, a club sandwich and roast chicken. It’s still three dinners with a single base. »
Substitute so as not to exceed your budget
“Cauliflower isn’t on special, but broccoli is?” So it will be broccoli this week, it does not matter, says Eve-Lyne Auger, author of the book Devour the legumes. We are able to substitute foods in recipes; you have to trust yourself about that. »
Freeze methodically
When the meat is at a good price, Marja Monette-Millette does not hesitate to buy it to freeze it. “The mistake not to make is to put it directly in the freezer in the packaging of the grocery store, because that’s where it will burn, change texture or taste. As it is often the family sizes that are on special, I vacuum seal them in sizes of about a pound – which is often the quantity requested for recipes –, and I will write a date so as not to keep them too much long time. »
Stock your pantry
Eve-Lyne Auger always has a wide variety of dry cereals – quinoa, rice, whole wheat pasta, millet, barley… – in her pantry, and a good choice of spices – Mexican flavor or curries… She makes sure she has a good base to which she adds vegetables from the freezer and legumes, for tasty last-minute meals.
Focus on eggs
In addition to being nutritious, eggs can be prepared in a host of ways. “Me, two dozen eggs, I’m not embarrassed to buy that when it’s on special,” says Jessika Langlois. When you’re vegetarian, it’s also a quick and economical protein to prepare, adds Eve-Lyne Auger. “If we have eggs and we don’t know what to cook, we are in a hurry, we can make two scrambled eggs with vegetables on the side or even a fried rice with edamame beans and sprouted mung beans, and we have a meal complete. »
Target cheese
To save money, Marja Monette-Millette notably stopped buying grated cheese. “It’s crazy when you look at the price difference,” she notes. Like Jessika Langlois, she buys lots of bricks of cheese at a discount; these can stay in the fridge for a long time or even be frozen, grated or cubed. Eve-Lyne Auger, she always likes to have feta on hand because in addition to keeping for a long time, it is easy to add to many recipes to give flavor.
Tame legumes
When you have a little time, Eve-Lyne Auger suggests trying dried legumes, which are much more economical than canned. “And in terms of taste, it’s really different; herbs can be added to the cooking water to give it an interesting flavor, such as bay leaves with chickpeas. » To plan: overnight soaking and, the next day, a maximum of 2 h 30 min of cooking (depending on the size of the legume). Do you cook a large quantity? They are frozen individually on a plate before bagging them. “It thaws super quickly, like green peas, then you blanch it a bit and add it to any recipe. »