10 tips for planning balanced, budget-friendly family meals

Setting a monthly food budget for your family will first and foremost help you plan your meals based on the financial resources you have. Would you like some sound advice on creating a realistic budget that will truly suit your family's needs? Check out the “Consumer” section of our Magazine now!

Plan meals ahead of time

Setting aside a few minutes each week to plan the coming week's meals will let you not only buy only the ingredients you need and avoid impulse buys, but also save time and energy day to day! Use our weekly planner to write down the chosen meals so every family member can easily pitch in.

Favour seasonal foods

Of course, seasonal foods are often cheaper and fresher. Work them into your meals to save money, naturally, but also to enjoy the optimal flavours of foods grown in Quebec.

Use budget-friendly proteins

When possible, try to favour less expensive proteins such as legumes, eggs, chicken, tofu or canned fish. As well as being nutritious and affordable, they often do more to protect the environment.

Reduce food waste

Planning your meals around leftovers from other dishes and including foods that can be used in several dishes will help you reduce food waste, as well as letting you make some nice savings.

Buy in bulk

When possible, try to buy your food in bulk, which will let you cut your long-term food costs and more easily control the amount of food you buy.  

Cook in large quantities

To save time and money, nothing beats cooking in bulk! Whether it's with our recipes made as batch cooking or with your grandmother's spaghetti sauce or stew recipe, cooking in large quantities lets you freeze the extra portions, perfect for evenings when you don't feel like cooking. 

Add vegetarian meals to the menu

Just as tasty and nutritious as their meat-eater versions, meatless meals are often cheaper, and they also concretely help protect our planet and add nice variety to your menus.

Keep it simple

Be sure to keep a list of recipes for quick, easy-to-make meals within reach, perfect for evenings when you're short on time or energy to make dinner. 

Get the whole family involved

Encouraging your kids to help with planning and preparing meals will let you spend quality time as a family, as well as helping them become more independent and letting you gradually delegate some of the meal prep tasks to them.

For more practical tips and tricks on meal planning, check out our Meal Survival Kit now, a complete tool for simpler meal planning, less chaotic moments at the table and kids who learn to taste everything!

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