Cheap and healthy shopping list: weekly template
A cheap and healthy shopping list is built on pulses, eggs, seasonal fruit and veg, grains, frozen veg and some fish and meat, with a fixed weekly meal plan that reuses ingredients. Here is the template by category and a sample week.
Template by category
Store cupboard (lasts for weeks)
- Tinned or dried pulses: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, baked beans
- Rice, pasta and porridge oats
- Tinned tomatoes, oil, stock cubes and spices
- Tinned tuna, sardines or mackerel
Fresh and frozen this week
- Eggs
- Seasonal vegetables: onions, carrots, cabbage, leeks, swede…
- Frozen vegetables (peas, spinach, mixed veg): no waste
- Seasonal fruit and bananas
- Potatoes
- A whole chicken or chicken thighs (often cheaper per kg than breasts)
- Frozen fish fillets
Dairy and breakfast
- Milk or a plant drink
- Large pot of natural yoghurt
- Bread (it freezes well)
Sample budget meal plan
| Day | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lentil and vegetable soup | Omelette with potatoes and salad |
| Tuesday | Chicken and vegetable rice | Leftover soup and eggs on toast |
| Wednesday | Chickpea and spinach curry | Baked fish with potatoes and peas |
| Thursday | Tuna and tomato pasta | Vegetable stir-fry |
| Friday | Roast chicken with potatoes | Soup made with the chicken stock |
| Saturday | Bean chilli with rice | Homemade pizza with what is left |
| Sunday | Baked potatoes with beans and cheese | Leftovers from the week |
How to adapt it to your household
- Write down what you already have before making the list.
- Multiply quantities by the people at home and drop what you do not like.
- Check where your list is cheapest. It may pay to buy fresh food in one supermarket and basics in another. More in which is the cheapest supermarket.
- After shopping, keep the receipt to know what the week cost and compare with the next one.
Frequently asked questions
What are the cheapest healthy foods to buy?
Pulses, eggs, rice, oats, potatoes, frozen vegetables and seasonal fruit and veg usually give a lot of food for little money. Always compare them by unit price.
How much does a cheap weekly shop cost?
It depends on how many people you are, where you live and the supermarket. The reliable way to know is to keep or scan your receipts for a few weeks and look at your real average.