Quebec Weekly Meal Plan: Feed Your Family for $78.09
Key Facts
- A full week's grocery basket for a family meal plan in Quebec can be purchased for as little as $78.09 at Provigo. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026)
- Shopping strategically at one store (Provigo) versus the most expensive combination of stores can save you up to $67.88 on the same weekly grocery list. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026)
- The cost per serving for a homemade Bunless Burger meal is approximately $6.44, with lean ground beef priced at $10.00 at Maxi. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026)
- A vegetarian Thai Green Curry with Tofu can be made for around $5.40 per serving, using ingredients sourced from multiple banners for the best price. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026)
- By splitting your shopping trip between just two stores, Metro and Provigo, your total weekly grocery cost is $84.53, demonstrating a significant savings of $61.44 over the highest possible price. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026)
- A large, versatile Salad Mix recipe, yielding 14 servings, costs just $1.94 per serving, making it an economical side for multiple meals. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, July 2026)
This guide provides a comprehensive, cost-optimized weekly meal plan designed specifically for Quebec families. We break down the meals, provide a complete grocery list with the lowest available prices for each item, and show you exactly where to shop to achieve these savings. By planning your meals and purchases, you can combat food inflation and ensure you are getting the most value for every dollar you spend. This plan focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients perfect for a Quebec summer, balancing cost, nutrition, and flavour.
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This Week’s Summer Meal Plan: Delicious and Budget-Friendly
A successful weekly meal plan is the cornerstone of any grocery budget. It eliminates last-minute, expensive takeout orders and reduces food waste by ensuring every item you buy has a purpose. This week's plan is designed around affordable proteins, fresh summer produce, and versatile staples that can be used across multiple meals. The total grocery cost for this entire plan can be as low as $78.09. Assuming a family of four, this breaks down to an impressive $2.79 per person, per day.
Daily Meal Structure
While our cost analysis focuses on seven distinct dinner recipes, a realistic family budget must also account for breakfast and lunch. To keep your total grocery bill low, we recommend simple, low-cost options for these meals.
* Breakfast: Options like oatmeal, eggs, or yogurt with fruit are nutritious and inexpensive. These items are often available in large formats at stores like Costco or on sale at banners like Maxi and Super C, further reducing their per-serving cost.
* Lunch: The most budget-friendly lunch is always leftovers from the previous night's dinner. This strategy maximizes your food budget and minimizes waste. For other days, sandwiches, homemade soup, or a large batch of the Salad Mix recipe (costing only $1.94 per serving) are excellent, affordable choices.
Sample Dinner Rotation
This plan incorporates a variety of cuisines and proteins to keep meals interesting. Here are some of the cost-effective dinners you can create using this week's grocery list, with per-serving costs calculated by eezly's AI-powered price database.
* Monday: Bunless Burgers on Lettuce Wraps. Start the week with a classic summer BBQ favourite. These Bunless Burgers are a healthy, low-carb option that doesn't skimp on flavour. Using lean ground beef found for $10.00 at Maxi and fresh Boston lettuce, this meal comes in at only $6.44 per serving. Served with a side of the versatile homemade salad, it's a satisfying and economical dinner.
* Tuesday: Flavourful Thai Green Curry. This vegetarian meal is both quick and incredibly affordable. Using extra-firm tofu, a jar of green curry paste, and light coconut milk, you can have a restaurant-quality dish on the table in under 30 minutes. The total cost per serving is just $5.40. This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight and is easily customized with any vegetables you have on hand.
* Wednesday: Asian-Inspired Burgers. To add some variety to your burger night, these Asian Burgers use ingredients like hoisin sauce and Chinese five-spice powder for a unique flavour profile. While the total recipe cost is slightly higher at $32.09, it yields five servings, bringing the cost per serving to an affordable $6.42. This is a great way to use up the ground beef from earlier in the week.
* Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: The rest of your week can be filled with other meals from your optimized grocery list, which includes ingredients for a variety of cuisines from Italian to Mediterranean. The key is flexibility. The 27 items on your shopping list are versatile enough to create numerous combinations, ensuring you can adapt to your family's preferences without breaking the bank.
Complete Grocery List & Price Breakdown
To achieve the target cost of $78.09, you need a precise shopping list. The table below outlines the 27 items in this week's meal plan, with the lowest price for each item identified by eezly's real-time price tracking across Quebec grocery stores, including Maxi, Super C, Metro, IGA, and Provigo.
The single-store total at Provigo is $78.09. However, if you are willing to visit multiple stores—a strategy known as "strategic shopping"—you can often find even lower prices on individual items, though your total basket cost may change depending on the specific combination of stores. This list represents the foundational ingredients for a week of varied and affordable meals.
| Item | Best Price | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Lean Ground Beef | $10.00 | Maxi |
| Marble Cheddar Cheese | $1.79 | Metro |
| Boston Lettuce | $3.99 | Maxi |
| Kumato Tomatoes | $6.49 | Iga |
| Dill Pickles | $3.50 | Maxi |
| Shallots Onions | $4.39 | Iga |
| Chinese Five Spice | $6.00 | Maxi |
| Crushed Red Pepper | $2.79 | Maxi |
| Sauce Hoisin | $9.00 | Maxi |
| Romaine Lettuce Hearts | $7.99 | Alimentation Alexandra Cloutier Inc. |
| Green Onions (Scallions) | $8.19 | Costco |
| Radishes | $1.99 | Maxi |
| Red Cabbage | $4.99 | Iga |
| Regular Extra Firm Tofu | $3.99 | Canada inc. |
| Green Curry Paste | $4.29 | Maxi |
| Fish Sauce | $3.79 | Maxi |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | $4.49 | Iga |
| Squeezed Lime Juice | $2.25 | Maxi |
| Light Coconut Milk | $2.79 | Metro |
| (Plus 8 other staple items) | ... | ... |
| Total (at Provigo) | $78.09 | Provigo |
Note: This table highlights key ingredients from featured recipes. The total cost of $78.09 is for a complete 27-item cart when purchased at Provigo. Individual item prices may be lower at other stores.
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of July 2026
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Where to Shop in Quebec for the Best Prices
Knowing what to buy is only half the battle; knowing where to buy is how you maximize your savings. According to eezly's analysis of this specific 27-item grocery basket across major banners in Quebec, your choice of store has a significant impact on your final bill. The price for the exact same cart of goods can vary by as much as $67.88.
The Strategic Shopping Decision
You have a few options, each with a trade-off between convenience and cost:
- The One-Stop Shop (Lowest Cost): Provigo. For ultimate convenience and the lowest possible total this week, purchasing all 27 items at Provigo will result in a bill of $78.09. This is the most efficient option if your time is limited. You save a remarkable $67.88 compared to the most expensive shopping scenario.
- The Two-Store Strategy (Balanced): Metro & Provigo. If you are willing to make two stops, you can optimize further. By splitting your purchases between Metro and Provigo, your total cost comes to $84.53. While slightly more expensive than the Provigo-only option, this strategy might be necessary if certain key items are on a deeper discount at Metro. Your savings are still substantial at $61.44.
- The Multi-Store Approach (Maximum Flexibility): 5 Stores. For shoppers who enjoy the hunt for deals or live conveniently near multiple banners, a five-store trip to Maxi, Metro, Provigo, Super C, and Valu-Mart results in a total of $85.36. This offers the most flexibility to cherry-pick the absolute best deal on every single item but comes at a slightly higher total cost and requires more time and travel.
Recipe Cost Comparison
To understand the economics of your meals, it's helpful to see the cost breakdown for each recipe. This demonstrates how you can create delicious, family-sized meals for a fraction of the cost of dining out.
| Recipe | Total Cost | Servings | Cost Per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunless Burgers | $25.77 | 4 | $6.44 |
| Thai Green Curry (Tofu) | $21.60 | 4 | $5.40 |
| Asian Burgers | $32.09 | 5 | $6.42 |
| Versatile Salad Mix | $27.15 | 14 | $1.94 |
Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of July 2026
As the table shows, even the most "expensive" recipe, the Asian Burgers, costs only $6.42 per person. The Thai Green Curry is a standout value at just $5.40 per serving. The Salad Mix, at a mere $1.94 per serving, is an incredibly economical way to add fresh vegetables to any meal throughout the week.
Prep Tips and Time-Saving Strategies
A great meal plan can fall apart if the execution is too time-consuming for a busy week. Here are some practical tips to make your week in the kitchen smoother and more efficient.
Embrace Batch Prepping
Set aside an hour or two on Sunday to prepare ingredients for the week ahead. This "mise en place" approach will drastically cut down your daily cooking time.
* Wash and Chop Vegetables: Wash your lettuces, chop onions, and slice radishes and cabbage for the Salad Mix. Store them in airtight containers. Your salad base will be ready to go for several days.
* Make the Burger Patties: You can form both the regular and Asian-style burger patties ahead of time. Separate them with wax paper and store them in the fridge for up to two days or freeze them for later in the week.
* Prepare the Curry Base: You can pre-mix the green curry paste and coconut milk. When it's time to cook, all you'll need to do is heat the mixture and add your tofu and vegetables.
Cook Once, Eat Twice (or More)
The principle of cooking in larger batches is fundamental to saving both time and money.
* Double the Recipe: When making the Thai Green Curry, consider doubling the ingredients. You'll have instant lunches for two days, saving you from having to cook again. The cost per serving remains the same, but your time savings are immense.
* Versatile Leftovers: Leftover burger patties can be crumbled and used in a stir-fry or a pasta sauce later in the week, creating an entirely new meal from the same core ingredient.
Use Your Freezer Wisely
Your freezer is a powerful tool for preserving food and locking in low prices.
* Freeze Sale Items: If you find ground beef, tofu, or cheese on a significant sale, buy extra and freeze it. This allows you to stock up when prices are at their lowest.
* Portion and Freeze: Before freezing, portion items into the amounts you'll need for specific recipes. This saves you from having to thaw a large block of meat when you only need a small amount.
By integrating these strategies, you not only stick to your budget but also reclaim valuable time during your busy week. For more recipe ideas that are perfect for meal prepping, you can check out eezly's recipe database.
Compare grocery prices in real time across every major Canadian banner with eezly.
Comparison
| Recipe | Total Cost | Servings | Cost Per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunless Burgers | $25.77 | 4 | $6.44 |
| Thai Green Curry (Tofu) | $21.60 | 4 | $5.40 |
| Asian Burgers | $32.09 | 5 | $6.42 |
| Versatile Salad Mix | $27.15 | 14 | $1.94 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest grocery store in Quebec this week?
For the specific 27-item basket in this meal plan, Provigo is the cheapest single store, with a total cost of $78.09 as of July 2026. However, the "cheapest" store can change weekly based on flyer deals. Discount banners like Maxi and Super C consistently offer low prices on many staples, while a store like IGA or Metro might have a superior deal on a specific item. The best strategy is to compare prices for your specific list using a real-time tool.
How can AI help me save money on groceries in Quebec?
AI-powered platforms like eezly automate the process of price comparison. Instead of you manually checking flyers from Maxi, IGA, Metro, and Super C, the AI scans them all simultaneously. It tracks 196,000 products across 2,700 stores, identifying the lowest price for each item on your list. It can then calculate the cheapest total basket at a single store or across multiple stores, and even generate cost-optimized [meal plans](https://eezly.com/meal-plans) based on the week's best deals.
Is it cheaper to shop at one store or multiple stores?
It depends on the specific items on your list and the current sales. This week's analysis shows that a one-stop shop at Provigo for $78.09 is cheaper than a five-store trip costing $85.36. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, visiting two stores (e.g., Maxi for dry goods and Super C for produce) can yield the lowest total. The key is to analyze your full basket cost, not just individual item prices.
How much can I realistically save by meal planning?
The savings are substantial. Based on eezly's data for this meal plan, the difference between the cheapest ($78.09) and most expensive ($145.97) potential cost for the same cart of groceries is $67.88. Over a month, that's over $270 in potential savings. Meal planning also reduces impulse buys and food waste, adding even more to your savings.
What are the most affordable protein sources for a family?
Plant-based proteins like tofu (used in our Thai Curry for $5.40/serving) and legumes are typically the most affordable. For meat, ground beef or chicken thighs are often more budget-friendly than premium cuts like steak or chicken breast. Buying larger "family packs" of meat and portioning them at home is another effective cost-saving technique.
Does this meal plan account for grocery taxes in Quebec?
The prices cited are the shelf prices for basic groceries, most of which are exempt from QST and GST in Quebec. This includes items like fresh meat, produce, and dairy products. Processed foods or "single-serving" items may have tax applied, but this plan focuses on basic ingredients, minimizing tax impact.
Where can I find the best grocery deals in Montreal?
Montreal has a high concentration of grocery banners, including Maxi, Super C, IGA, Metro, Provigo, and Walmart. This competition often leads to great deals. To find the best ones, you should compare weekly flyers or use a price comparison tool. Discount banners like Maxi and Super C are often your best bet for overall low prices, but don't discount a loss-leader deal at a conventional store like Metro or IGA. You can see a list of banners eezly covers, including those in your area, by visiting the [stores page](https://eezly.com/stores/maxi).
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