$100/Week Grocery Budget for a Family (Canada)
If you’ve been to a grocery store lately in Canada, you know how painful it is.
Prices are up. Portions are smaller. And feeding a family - especially with picky eaters/kids - can feel almost impossible on a tight budget.
But here’s the truth:
👉 You can feed a family of 4 on $100/week in Canada. Not perfectly. Not Pinterest-pretty. But realistically, nutritiously, and in a way your kids will actually eat.
This is exactly how.
What This Budget Includes
This is a real-life grocery plan for:
2 adults
2 young (slightly picky) kids under the age of 10
And yes, it includes:
Meat
Eggs
Dairy
Carbs
Fruits & vegetables
👉 No specialty foods. No expensive “health” items. Just simple, affordable staples.
The $100 Grocery List (Canada)
Prices will vary slightly by region (these are prices that I typically see in my grocery stores in Ontario), but this always stays very close to $100. Check flyers every week! It can make a massive difference…
Protein
Eggs (30 pack) – $8
Whole chicken – $10
Ground beef (1 kg) – $10
Dry lentils – $3
Peanut butter – $4
Milk (4L) – $6
Plain yogurt (1L tub) – $4
Subtotal: ~$45
Carbs & Staples
Rice (2 kg) – $5
Oats – $4
Pasta – $3
Bread (2 loaves) – $5
Potatoes (10 lb bag) – $6
Subtotal: ~$23
Fruits & Vegetables
Bananas – $3
Apples (bag) – $5
Carrots – $3
Onions – $3
Frozen mixed vegetables – $5
Cabbage – $3
Subtotal: ~$22
Total: ~$90–$100
👉 Leaves a little room for:
Butter
Cheese (optional if on sale)
Seasonal produce
How This Meets Nutritional Needs
This plan covers:
Protein: eggs, chicken, beef, lentils, yogurt
Carbs: rice, oats, potatoes, bread
Fats: peanut butter, dairy, meat
Fiber & vitamins: vegetables, fruit, lentils
👉 It’s not trendy by any means, but it’s balanced, filling, and enough for growing kids.
7-Day Meal Plan (Family of 4)
These meals I’ve planned out are:
Simple
Kid-friendly
Repeatable
Cheap!
Breakfasts (Rotate Daily)
Oatmeal + stewed apples (add cinnamon if you can!)
Toast + peanut butter + banana
Yogurt + oats (bake them with honey to make granola!) + shredded apple
Eggs + toast + banana
Lunches
Egg salad sandwiches
Leftovers
Peanut butter sandwiches + apple or banana
Rice + lentils
*Remember, it’s all in how you cook it. Rice and lentils/beans can be elite, as long as you learn to prepare it right. When cooking savory meals on a budget, I find the trick is alllll in the sauces and seasonings. This can take trial and error to see what your family prefers!
Dinners
Day 1
Roast chicken + potatoes + carrots (check out my viral dutch oven roast chicken recipe here)
Tip: take all the meat off the carcus of the chicken this night and store in a container in the fridge. Then, prep the carcus by soaking in filtered water + 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar overnight in the fridge - to make a gelatinous and nutritious broth, just bring to a boil and then simmer for several hours the next day)
Day 2
Chicken (shredded leftovers from Day 1) and rice bowls + frozen vegetables
Day 3
Spaghetti with ground beef + tomato sauce (tip: roast some of the carrot & onion and then puree into the tomato sauce to add extra fiber and nutrition in a way that picky kids won’t notice)
Day 4
Lentil soup (just dice up onion & carrot, sauté until fragrant, throw in the lentils and add some broth you made on Day 2 - bonus if you can throw in a can of seasoned diced tomatoes!) + bread
Day 5
Chicken stir fry + rice + sautéed thinly sliced cabbage & onion (picky eaters trick: caramelize onions and cabbage in a pan before pureeing into a sauce that kids can dip their chicken pieces in, or drizzle on top - it is surprisingly yummy!)
Day 6
Fried rice with eggs + frozen vegetables
Day 7
“Use it up” meal (leftovers)
How to Stretch the Food (THIS is the key)
This is where the budget actually works.
1. Use the Whole Chicken
Dinner: roast chicken
Next meals: sandwiches, rice bowls
Bones: make broth
👉 One chicken = 3–4 meals
2. Mix Meat With Fillers
Stretch expensive protein by combining:
Ground beef + lentils
Chicken + rice + vegetables
3. Lean on Cheap Staples
Rice, potatoes, oats = filling and affordable.
These keep everyone full without blowing the budget.
4. Cook Once, Eat Twice
Every dinner should create leftovers.
👉 This reduces both time AND grocery costs
Tips for Feeding Picky Kids on a Budget
This is where most plans fail.
Keep Meals Simple
Kids don’t need variety—they need familiarity.
Stick to:
Pasta
Rice
Potatoes
Simple proteins
Deconstruct Meals
Serve foods separately:
Chicken
Rice
Veggies
👉 Less resistance, more eating
Always Have “Safe Foods”
Bread
Bananas
Yogurt
What This Budget Does NOT Include
To keep costs down, this plan avoids:
Pre-packaged snacks
Juice/pop
Convenience foods
Specialty ingredients
These are the biggest budget killers.
How This Connects to a Bigger System
This isn’t just about one week, it’s about building a system where:
You know what to buy
You know what to cook
You stop overspending
Final Thoughts: Is $100/Week Realistic?
Absolutely, just with the right strategy. It’s not glamorous and it’s definitely not perfect. But it works like a charm. ;)
And in a time where grocery prices feel out of control, having a simple, repeatable system like this can make a huge difference for your family.
You Might Also Like
Cheap Meal Plan for a Family of 4
How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
What I Eat in a Day as a Busy Mom (Trying to Hit a Protein Goal)
Pantry Meals You Can Make When You’re Broke
