NL Family Meal Plan: Feed Four for $9/Day in June 2026
Key Facts
- A 7-day grocery plan for a family of four in Newfoundland & Labrador can cost approximately $252, or $9.00 per person per day. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- The Lentil Stew recipe in this plan costs only $5.46 per serving, with ingredients sourced from Dominion and Independent. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Maple Lodge Farms Chicken Sticks are on sale for $5.99 (regularly $11.49) at Foodland, a 48% saving. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Lean Ground Beef is available for $10.32 at Dominion, a key ingredient in the Asian Burgers recipe. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Shopping for this meal plan involves sourcing ingredients from multiple banners, including Dominion, Foodland, and Independent, to maximize savings. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- The total cost for the seven featured dinner recipes in this plan is approximately $213 for a family of four. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
- Key ingredients for the Pasta Salad recipe, including Elbow Macaroni ($2.00) and Celery Sticks ($5.00), are priced lowest at Independent. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
This budget-conscious plan is designed to be both nutritious and appealing, utilizing fresh ingredients and taking advantage of current sales. By leveraging data from eezly, Canada's AI-powered grocery price intelligence platform, we have identified the lowest current prices for every ingredient on the list. The plan balances flavourful, home-cooked dinners with simple, low-cost breakfasts and lunches that make extensive use of leftovers to minimize waste and maximize value. This approach demonstrates that with careful planning, you can navigate the high cost of food and provide your family with delicious meals.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
This Week's Meal Plan for a Family of Four
This seven-day meal plan is designed to feed a family of four in Newfoundland and Labrador for approximately $252. The cost per person averages out to just $9.00 per day. The plan emphasizes using leftovers for lunches to reduce food waste and lower your overall grocery bill. Dinners are hearty and varied, while breakfasts and remaining lunches are built from affordable staples.
Monday
* Breakfast: Oatmeal. A simple, cost-effective, and filling start to the week.
* Lunch: Sandwiches using staples from your grocery list.
* Dinner: Lentil Stew. This vegetarian meal is incredibly budget-friendly at only $5.46 per serving. It makes five servings, so you'll have one portion leftover for Tuesday's lunch.
Tuesday
* Breakfast: Quaker Harvest Crunch Cereal, on sale this week at Dominion.
* Lunch: Leftover Lentil Stew from Monday's dinner.
* Dinner: Turkey Burgers. A leaner alternative to beef burgers, this recipe costs $5.88 per serving and makes six burgers, providing two extra patties for Wednesday's lunches.
Wednesday
* Breakfast: Yogurt and a piece of fruit.
* Lunch: Leftover Turkey Burger patties.
* Dinner: Pasta Salad with Chicken Sticks. The pasta salad recipe makes eight servings, so it's a great base for a meal. To make it more substantial for dinner, we're adding Maple Lodge Farms Chicken Sticks, which are currently on a deep discount at Foodland.
Thursday
* Breakfast: Oatmeal.
* Lunch: Leftover Pasta Salad from Wednesday. This recipe is delicious served cold.
* Dinner: Asian Burgers. At $6.30 per serving, these burgers introduce a different flavour profile with hoisin and Chinese five-spice. The recipe makes five burgers, leaving one for Friday's lunch.
Friday
* Breakfast: Cereal.
* Lunch: Leftover Asian Burger patty.
* Dinner: Pasta with Tomato Sauce. A classic and comforting meal for Friday night. This simple recipe comes in at $8.53 per serving, using high-quality pasta and fresh tomatoes from Costco.
Saturday
* Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast.
* Lunch: Leftover Pasta Salad. You'll still have four servings left to cover lunches for the whole family.
* Dinner: Bunless Burgers. To switch things up, this recipe serves flavourful beef patties with cheese, lettuce, and tomato, perfect for a lower-carb option. The cost is $8.17 per serving.
Sunday
* Breakfast: Pancakes made from a pantry-staple mix.
* Lunch: Sandwiches or clear out any remaining small leftovers from the week.
* Dinner: Sausages on a Bun. A simple and satisfying end to the week. Use the President's Choice Classic Street Cart Sausages on sale at Dominion for $6.50, served on buns with your favourite condiments.
Meal Plan Cost Breakdown
The following table summarizes the cost of each dinner in this seven-day plan. Note that costs are based on specific ingredient prices sourced by eezly's AI-powered price database from various stores across Newfoundland and Labrador to achieve the lowest possible total.
| Day | Dinner Recipe | Total Recipe Cost | Cost Per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lentil Stew | $27.29 | $5.46 |
| Tuesday | Turkey Burgers | $35.25 | $5.88 |
| Wednesday | Pasta Salad w/ Chicken Sticks | $37.45 | $4.68 |
| Thursday | Asian Burgers | $31.48 | $6.30 |
| Friday | Pasta with Tomato Sauce | $34.12 | $8.53 |
| Saturday | Bunless Burgers | $32.67 | $8.17 |
| Sunday | Sausages on a Bun | $15.00 (est.) | $3.75 (est.) |
| Total | Weekly Dinners | $213.26 | $6.12 (avg.) |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026. Costs are for the full recipe, which may yield leftovers.
Complete Grocery List with Prices
To follow this meal plan, you will need to purchase the following items. This comprehensive list aggregates every ingredient from the seven days of meals, including breakfasts and lunches. The prices and store names listed represent the lowest available cost for that specific item in Newfoundland and Labrador as identified by eezly's real-time price tracking in June 2026. Strategic shopping at these specific stores is key to achieving the target weekly budget of approximately $252.
Produce
* Romaine Lettuce: $3.99 at Independent * Kumato Tomato (for burgers & pasta): $7.99 at Costco * Shallots Onions (for burgers & salad): $7.69 at Foodland * Garlic: $11.34 at Costco (bulk purchase) * Broccoli: $4.99 at Independent * Savoy Cabbage: $4.28 at Independent * Red Carrots: $1.32 at Dominion * Celery Sticks: $5.00 at Independent * English Cucumber: $2.69 at Ross' Your Independent Grocer Lewisporte * Organic Sweet Onions: $6.50 at Independent * Shiitake Mushrooms: $19.00 at Dominion (Note: This is a high-cost item for the Lentil Stew; substituting with a more common mushroom like cremini could offer significant savings)Meat & Protein
* Medium Ground Beef (for Bunless Burgers): $9.91 at Dominion * Lean Ground Beef (for Asian Burgers): $10.32 at Dominion * Extra Lean Ground Turkey: $6.00 at Dominion * President's Choice Classic Street Cart Sausages: $6.50 at Dominion (On sale from $8.49) * Maple Lodge Farms Chicken Sticks: $5.99 at Foodland (On sale from $11.49) * Egg Whites: $10.78 at Independent * Eggs (dozen, staple): ~$4.00 (estimated generic price)Dairy & Deli
* Medium Cheddar Cheese Slices: $5.79 at Dominion * Milk (2L, staple): ~$4.00 (estimated generic price) * Yogurt (large tub, staple): ~$7.00 (estimated generic price)Pantry & Dry Goods
* Dill Pickles: $4.99 at Dominion * Spice Barn Chinese Five Spice 36 g: $2.49 at Foodland * Crushed Red Pepper: $7.49 at Dominion * Hoisin Squeeze Sauce: $3.49 at Dominion * Deci’Ova Pasta Di Campofilone Pasta (for Tomato Sauce): $14.79 at Costco (premium item) * Elbow Macaroni: $2.00 at Independent * Italian Dressing: $3.49 at Dominion * Black Pepper: $8.99 at Dominion * Taco Seasoning Mild: $4.49 at Dominion * Plain Bread Crumbs, Panko: $4.99 at Dominion * Lentils: $1.79 at Dominion * Oatmeal (canister, staple): ~$5.00 (estimated generic price) * Quaker Harvest Crunch Apple Crumble Granola Cereal: $5.25 at Dominion (On sale from $5.99) * Sandwich Bread (staple): ~$4.00 (estimated generic price) * Burger/Sausage Buns (staple): ~$4.00 (estimated generic price) * Pancake Mix (staple): ~$4.00 (estimated generic price)This detailed list forms the foundation of your shopping trip. For more ways to find the best prices on these items and more, you can explore current flyers and deals on platforms like https://eezly.com/deals.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Where to Shop for the Best Prices
Achieving a weekly grocery total of around $252 in Newfoundland and Labrador requires a targeted shopping strategy. Rather than committing to a single store for all your needs, you can unlock significant savings by visiting a few different banners for their specific deals and lowest regular prices. Our analysis for this meal plan shows a mix of Dominion, Independent, Foodland, and Costco offering the best value on different items.
Your Multi-Store Shopping Strategy
Your primary stops for this meal plan would be Dominion and Independent. Dominion offers the best prices on several key protein items this week, including the Extra Lean Ground Turkey ($6.00), Medium Ground Beef ($9.91), and the on-sale President's Choice sausages ($6.50). It's also the go-to for pantry staples like lentils ($1.79) and Italian dressing ($3.49).Meanwhile, Independent is your destination for several produce items, such as broccoli ($4.99) and celery ($5.00), as well as the remarkably cheap elbow macaroni ($2.00). Foodland makes the list for a standout deal on Maple Lodge Farms Chicken Sticks ($5.99, a 48% saving) and the niche Chinese five-spice. Finally, if you have a membership, Costco is the best source for bulk items like garlic and specific products like the Kumato tomatoes and high-quality pasta, though you'll be buying larger quantities.
By splitting your shopping trip, you are actively practicing what financial experts call "strategic shopping." You are unbundling your grocery list from a single store and sourcing each item from the retailer that offers the best price, a core principle that AI-powered tools like eezly use to find savings.
This Week's Top Grocery Deals in NL
Beyond the ingredients in our meal plan, there are other notable deals across Newfoundland and Labrador this week. Building a flexible meal plan allows you to substitute ingredients or stock up on pantry items when they are at a deep discount. Here are some of the top deals identified by eezly's real-time price tracking:
| Product Name | Store | Price | Regular Price | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Lodge Farms Chicken Sticks 300 g | Foodland | $5.99 | $11.49 | 48% |
| Applesnax Gluten-Free Fruit Snack 678 g | Foodland | $2.99 | $4.49 | 33% |
| Del Monte Guava Nectar | Dominion | $1.50 | $2.00 | 25% |
| President's Choice Classic Street Cart Sausages™ | Dominion | $6.50 | $8.49 | 23% |
| Tostitos Tortilla Chips Hint Of Zesty Cheddar 245 g | Dominion | $4.00 | $5.00 | 20% |
| Quaker Harvest Crunch Apple Crumble Granola Cereal | Dominion | $5.25 | $5.99 | 12% |
| Kiju Organic Juice Lemon 1 L | Dominion | $4.09 | $4.59 | 11% |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026.
These deals represent excellent opportunities. The Applesnax could be a great addition to lunches, and the Tostitos chips could make for a fun weekend snack. Being aware of these sales allows you to make informed decisions at the shelf.
Prep Tips & Time Savers
A successful week of budget-friendly meals isn't just about shopping—it's also about efficient preparation. A little work upfront can save you significant time and stress during the busy week. This meal plan is designed to be prep-friendly.
Embrace Batch Prepping
On Sunday, before the week begins, dedicate an hour to "batch prepping." This is your single most effective time-saving strategy. For this specific meal plan, you could: * Wash and Chop Vegetables: Wash the romaine lettuce, chop the celery, broccoli, and onions. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When you need a handful of chopped celery for the Pasta Salad, it's ready to go. * Make the Pasta Salad: The Pasta Salad recipe is an ideal make-ahead dish. It serves eight, and the flavours meld and improve overnight. Prepare the full batch on Sunday, and you'll have a ready-made dinner for Wednesday and four grab-and-go lunches for the family. * Form Burger Patties: You have three different burger recipes this week. You can prepare all the patties (Turkey, Asian, and Beef) at once. Mix the ingredients for each, form the patties, and stack them in a container separated by wax paper. This turns a 20-minute dinner prep into a 5-minute task.Cook Once, Eat Twice (or Thrice)
This meal plan is built around the concept of leftovers. Don't think of them as boring repeats; reframe them as "zero-effort future meals." The Lentil Stew, Turkey Burgers, and Asian Burgers all provide at least one leftover lunch. This not only saves you money but also eliminates the need to cook or prepare a separate lunch each day. When you're making dinner, always consider if you can double the recipe. Cooking for eight takes only marginally more effort than cooking for four, but it buys you an entire extra meal.Use Your Freezer
Your freezer is a powerful tool for saving both time and money. When you see a great deal on an item like ground meat or sausages, buy extra and freeze it. For this plan, the on-sale President's Choice sausages and Maple Lodge Chicken Sticks could be purchased in larger quantities and frozen for future weeks. You can also freeze leftover portions of the Lentil Stew for a quick meal on a night when you don't have time to cook.By combining these prep strategies with the shopping list, you create a powerful system for managing your family's food budget and schedule. For more ideas on quick and easy meals, you can browse thousands of options at https://eezly.com/recipes.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Comparison
| Day | Meal | Recipe | Total Recipe Cost | Cost Per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Dinner | Lentil Stew | $27.29 | $5.46 |
| Tuesday | Dinner | Turkey Burgers | $35.25 | $5.88 |
| Wednesday | Dinner | Pasta Salad w/ Chicken Sticks | $37.45 | $4.68 |
| Thursday | Dinner | Asian Burgers | $31.48 | $6.30 |
| Friday | Dinner | Pasta with Tomato Sauce | $34.12 | $8.53 |
| Saturday | Dinner | Bunless Burgers | $32.67 | $8.17 |
| Sunday | Dinner | Sausages on a Bun | $15.00 (est.) | $3.75 (est.) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest grocery store in Newfoundland and Labrador?
There is no single "cheapest" grocery store in Newfoundland and Labrador for every item, every week. According to eezly's real-time price tracking, the lowest prices are spread across different banners like Dominion, No Frills, Foodland, and Independent. For this specific meal plan in June 2026, Dominion offered the best prices on several meat and pantry items, while Independent was superior for produce. The most effective way to save money is to create a list and check prices across multiple stores rather than staying loyal to just one.
How can I create a budget meal plan for my family in NL?
Start by looking at weekly flyers from stores like Dominion, Sobeys, and Foodland to see what's on sale. Build your meals around discounted proteins and produce. Second, incorporate plant-based, low-cost meals like the Lentil Stew featured in our plan, which costs just $5.46 per serving. Third, plan to use leftovers for lunches to minimize waste. Finally, use a tool like eezly's AI-powered meal planner, which can automatically generate a week of meals based on your budget and the lowest-priced ingredients available in your area. You can learn more at [https://eezly.com/meal-plans](https://eezly.com/meal-plans).
How can AI help me save money on groceries?
AI platforms like eezly automate the process of price comparison on a massive scale. Instead of you manually checking multiple flyers and websites, eezly's AI scans 196,000+ products from 2,700 stores across Canada every day. It identifies the lowest price for each item on your list, highlights deals you might have missed, and can even build an entire shopping cart at the store that gives you the lowest total bill. This saves you both time and money, ensuring you never miss a sale.
What are some cheap and healthy meal ideas for summer?
Summer is a great time for budget-friendly meals. Focus on seasonal produce which is often cheaper. Grilled chicken or turkey burgers, like the ones in this plan, are excellent options. Large salads, like the Pasta Salad recipe, can be a main course when bulked up with beans or a discounted protein. Also, consider meals that don't require an oven, like wraps, sandwiches, and bunless burgers, to save on electricity and keep your kitchen cool.
Where can I find the best grocery deals in St. John's?
In St. John's, you have access to a variety of grocery banners, including Costco, Dominion, Sobeys, and Walmart. The best deals will vary weekly. For example, eezly's data for June 2026 shows Costco is best for certain bulk items like garlic, while Dominion has strong sales on PC brand products and Foodland has deep discounts on specific national brands like Maple Lodge Farms. To find the best deals, your strategy should be to check flyers or use a price comparison app before you shop.
Is it cheaper to shop at Costco in Newfoundland?
Shopping at Costco can be cheaper, but only under specific conditions. You save money if you consistently use the products you buy in bulk before they expire, and if the per-unit price is genuinely lower than the sale price at other grocery stores. For this meal plan, Costco offered the best value on Kumato tomatoes and premium pasta. However, for many other items, sale prices at Dominion or regular prices at Independent were lower. A Costco membership is most valuable for large families or those with significant storage space who can take advantage of bulk savings without creating food waste.
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