Groceries {Week 3} - Grocery resources + Prices and total cost

I'm always trying to find ways to improve the way I grocery shop. Every time I go grocery shopping I want to spend less while maximizing my meal options and minimizing food wastage.

In each grocery post I include what I bought the previous week, the individual item prices, the total cost (in Canadian dollars), and a few of the meals I made that week.

If you have any questions about planning your own grocery list, be sure to check out my grocery related resources:

• Building a Healthy Vegan Grocery List
• Vegan Lifestyle on a Budget
• Garden of Vegan's Essential Grocery List

Previous grocery posts:

• Groceries 04/23/14 – Includes prices + My flexible menu for the week + Shopping FAQ
• Groceries {Week 2} With Prices + What I Ate Last Week + Featured Products

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What I Ate Last Week

Here are some of the meals that I ate last week using some of the ingredients from below. Some of the meals include ingredients other than those in this shopping trip (such as leftover items from the previous week and/or pantry items.)

{1.} Coconut yogurt & smoothie bowl with cherries & blueberries.

{2.} Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with walnuts and peanut butter.

{3.} Ritter Sport Marzipan chocolate bar, blueberries, and apricots.

{4.} Flax Plus cereal with blueberries & apricots + coffee with soy milk.

{5.} Chocolate Cherry Almond oatmeal with coffee.

{6.} Flax Plus cereal with blueberries & apricots + a berry smoothie.

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Fruits

I choose a wide selection of fresh fruit that I can use in a variety of different ways. In addition to fresh fruit, frozen and dried fruits are also a great option that won’t spoil. Frozen fruit is perfect for smoothies and baking, thawed fruit is great for topping oatmeal or non-dairy yogurts. Dried fruit is a good choice for taking on the go, with nuts or trail mix, as a topping for breakfast cereal, and in baking.

Bananas (8) - $3.72
Blueberries (510g/18 oz.) - $4.98
Pomegranate (2) - $3.00
Red plums (3) - $1.68
Granny smith apples (2) - $1.79
Seedless watermelon (1) - $4.86
Nectarines (3) - $2.18
Cherries (125g) - $1.65
Apricots (5) - $1.25
Mangoes (2 lbs) - $1.72

= $26.83

 

Vegetables

I buy a few vegetables to eat raw in salads, sandwiches, or with dips. I pick up at least 1-2 leafy greens for salad bases and sandwiches.

I make sure to have a few different fresh or frozen vegetables that are good for steaming, sautéing, stir-frying, and baking. Frozen vegetables are a great staple and are very versatile. You can pick up extra when they’re on sale without worrying about spoilage, they’re easy to prepare in hurry, and can be a great healthy backup option if you miss a grocery shopping trip.

Carrot (2 lbs) - $1.97
Baby spinach (283g/10 oz.) - $2.98
Stoplight peppers (3) - $2.97
Zucchini (2) - $1.80
Green onion (1 bunch) - $0.57
Mushrooms (300g) - $2.01
Tomatoes (6) - $1.41
Kale (1 bunch) - $1.24
Broccoli (2 bunches) - $3.54

= $18.49

 

Tofu, Beans, Legumes, and Vegan "Dairy"

I keep 2-3 whole grains/starches and a few different types of beans, legumes, and soy products on hand. Mix and match them and add a vegetable side dish for a complete meal.

Choose whichever plant-based milk you enjoy the flavour of most. Soy milk is great because it’s high in protein, look for one that’s labeled non-GMO. Consider choosing an unsweetened variety, they offer the most flexibility because they can be sweetened or used in savory dishes. Vanilla, chocolate or other flavours are great for sweetening and flavouring coffee.

Sunrise Soya Extra-Firm Tofu (2 pkgs 350g ea) - $4.54
Chickpeas - dried (440g) - $1.66
Black beans - dried (440g) - $1.72
Daiya cheddar style shreds (227 g/8 oz) - $4.99
Natura unsweetened soy milk (946 ml) - $2.59
Yoso cultured coconut yogurt - unsweetened  (440g) - $3.89

= $11.47

 

Costco Purchases

Paying for a membership at a wholesaler such as Costco can be very worth it, even a single person or small family can save a lot of money. Before purchasing a membership, try to find someone who already has one and go in with them, this will give you a good idea of whether or not it will be worth it for you. If you’re shopping for only 1 or 2 people, focus on buying non-perishable and far-dated items to prevent wastage. Costco memberships are around $50 Canadian for one year but you will save well over that amount if you’re organized with your shopping. From Costco I usually buy things like chia seeds, hemp hearts, coffee, granola, brown rice, hummus, orange juice, organic tortilla chips, frozen fruit, and parchment paper.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts (800g) - $9.99
Fontaine Sante roasted garlic hummus (2 pk - 454g each) - $5.99
Frozen mixed berries (2 kg) - $12.48
Nature's Path Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch (1kg) - $5.99

= $34.45

 

Other (canned goods, spices, condiments, etc.)

I like to keep a good selection of condiments, herbs, and spices on hand, they make it easy to diversify the flavour of  your meals. These items tend to last a long time, so wastage isn’t much of an issue. I buy dried herbs or spices that I don’t use very often from the bulk section in small amounts. For fresh herbs, wash and freeze any leftovers that you won’t use right away.

I keep at least 2-3 various sweeteners in my kitchen intended for specific uses, 1 for sweetening hot beverages like coffee and tea, 1 for sweetening oatmeal, topping pancakes and toast, and 1 for baking and general use.

"Generic Store Brand" Pure Maple Syrup (375 ml) - $9.99 (free with store loyalty points)
Kicking Horse fair trade coffee (454g)  - $12.99 (free with store loyalty points)

= $0.00

*Total Cost = $91.24

*This is the total cost (in Canadian dollars) to feed 2 people for 1 week.

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Featured Products

I love finding new vegan products so whenever I go grocery shopping I choose a product to feature in my grocery posts. I like to feature a mix of my favourite vegan products and products that I've never tried before. Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, these featured products are not sponsored, they've been chosen and paid for by me.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts - Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds (800g) - $9.99

Hemp hearts are great for fortifying healthy meals. I like to add them to smoothies for extra staying power and a nice boost of protein. I also use them in oatmeal, cereals, on top of vegan yogurts, and in baking, raw snacks and desserts.

Ingredients: Raw shelled hemp seed.

Hulled hemp seeds contain 10g of protein per 3 tablespoon serving, this makes them a great protein rich foods for vegans, especially those with soy and nut sensitivities. They have a nutty flavour that's similar to pine nuts but a little milder (this makes them a great option for nut-free pesto!) The texture is like finely ground cashews or other soft nuts.

Hemp hearts are available in most grocery stores now, you'll usually find them in the natural/organic food aisle or the produce section. I bought this 800g bag of hemp hearts at Costco when it was on sale for $9.99, they're usually close to $15 which is a pretty good deal already. This size bag of hemp hearts will last me about 2-3 months with regular use. I like to keep about 1 cup worth in a jar in my pantry and then I store the rest in my freezer. Due to their high levels of fat they can go rancid quickly so it's best to store them in the freezer for longer periods of time (this goes for all nuts, seeds, flax seeds, etc.)

Manitoba Harvest carries both natural and organic hemp seeds as well as a variety of hemp proteins and other hemp products.

Visit the Manitoba Harvest website: www.manitobaharvest.com (Learn more about Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts)

Dorset Cereals Simply Delicious Muesli (620g) -  $5.99

Muesli is a great option for breakfast, one that I certainly don't take advantage of enough (especially because it's really easy to make your own too!) Muesli is a mixture of whole grains, oats, dried fruits, nuts and seeds - it's usually served with milk or yogurt and can even be soaked for a cold porridge type dish (similar to overnight oats.) Muesli is similar to granola but much softer and usually lower in fat and sugar.

I liked this muesli. The texture was satisfying with a nice chewiness and a small amount of crunch from toasted wheat flakes. They didn't skimp on the dried fruit or nuts, there was plenty of each in every bite.

Ingredients: Oat flakes, wheat flakes, barley flakes, raisins (13%), sultanas (6%), toasted and malted wheat flakes (wheat, barley malt extract), sunflower seeds (4%), dates (3.5%),  brazil nuts (2.5%), whole roasted hazelnuts (1.5%).

Dorset's Cereals are quite new to me and this is the first of their products that I've tried. They are made with whole grains, no added sugar, high in fibre, and made without preservatives. The 'Simply' variety comes in 3 flavours, simply delicious, simply fruit, and simply nutty. They also have two other lines of muesli, the ultimate range and a toasted range,  in addition to muesli, Dorset also creates porridges, granolas, and bars.

Visit the Dorset Cereals' website: www.dorsetcereals.ca (Learn more about Dorset Cereals Museli)

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Vegan Grocery Resources

Visit my other grocery related resources: Building a Healthy Grocery List and Vegan Lifestyle on a Budget, or Submit a Question to our new Q&A Resource.