The secret to eating well on a budget isn't willpower — it's infrastructure. When your pantry is stocked with the right staples, you can throw together a cheap, satisfying meal in 20 minutes without a grocery run.
Here are 10 items worth keeping in stock at all times. These are cheap, shelf-stable, versatile, and available on sale regularly at every major Canadian grocery chain.
1. Dried lentils
Lentils are the best value protein in the grocery store. A $2.50 bag of red or green lentils contains 10+ servings of protein-packed food. They cook in 20–25 minutes with no soaking required.
Red lentils disappear into soups and curries. Green and brown lentils hold their shape for salads, bowls, and stews.
2. Canned tomatoes (diced and crushed)
The base of pasta sauces, curries, soups, and chili. Buy the 796mL cans when they go on sale — they're usually $1.49-1.99 at No Frills or FreshCo.
A can of tomatoes + lentils + some spices = a complete meal for a family of four for under $4.
3. Dried pasta
Pasta is one of the cheapest carbohydrate sources per gram in Canada. A 900g bag costs $2-3 and provides 8+ servings. Buy whatever shape is on sale — the shape matters less than people think.
4. Rice (long grain or basmati)
A 10kg bag of rice at Costco or an Asian grocery store costs $12-18 and lasts a family months. Rice is the foundation of an enormous number of cuisines and pairs with almost anything.
If you cook rice regularly, a rice cooker is one of the best $25 kitchen investments you can make. Set it, forget it, perfect rice every time.
5. Canned chickpeas and kidney beans
High in protein and fibre, canned legumes are a near-instant protein source. Add them to curries, soups, or salads. Drain and roast them in the oven with spices for a crunchy snack.
Watch for 4-for-$5 or 5-for-$5 sales — that's when to stock up with a dozen cans.
6. Oats (rolled or quick)
Oats are arguably the best breakfast value in the store. A 2kg bag of rolled oats costs around $5 and provides 25+ breakfasts. They're filling, nutritious, and versatile — oatmeal, overnight oats, granola, smoothies, baked goods.
7. Olive oil or vegetable oil
Every savory meal starts with fat in a pan. Don't let yourself run out. Olive oil is the most versatile; vegetable or canola oil is cheaper for high-heat cooking. Buy a larger bottle when it's on sale — oil keeps for a long time.
8. Eggs
Eggs are one of the cheapest complete proteins available. Scrambled, fried, poached, in a frittata, hard-boiled for meal prep — eggs are an endlessly flexible ingredient. A dozen eggs for $4-5 gives you 12 servings of high-quality protein.
9. Onions and garlic
Fresh onions and garlic keep for weeks in a cool, dry spot and add depth to virtually every savory dish. A 3kg bag of yellow onions costs $3-4. A full head of garlic is usually $0.99 and lasts two weeks easily.
These two ingredients make cheap food taste good. Never skip them.
10. Spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder, turmeric)
The difference between boring rice-and-lentils and a satisfying meal is seasoning. A basic spice collection costs $15-20 upfront but makes hundreds of meals taste distinctly different.
Buy spices from bulk bins or Indian/South Asian grocery stores where possible — the same spices cost 5-10x less than branded jars at mainstream chains.
Putting it together
With these 10 staples on hand, you can make:
- Red lentil soup (lentils + canned tomato + onion + cumin)
- Pasta e fagioli (pasta + canned beans + canned tomato + garlic)
- Chickpea curry (chickpeas + canned tomato + onion + spices + rice)
- Fried rice (rice + eggs + onion + any vegetable)
- Overnight oats (oats + any fruit or nut topping)
The goal is to never face an empty kitchen with no cheap meal options. When you have these 10 items stocked, you always have something — and that's what keeps you from ordering delivery at $60 a pop.
Tools like MealDeal can alert you when these staples hit a sale price so you can stock up at the right time without paying full price.