A savvy shopper has revealed how she manages to stretch $75 (£60) into ten meals when carrying out her weekly grocery shop. Jenn Lueke, who lives in Boston, America, has been teaching TikTok users how to get the most out of their money and reduce food waste.
In her new 'Budget Groceries Series', she takes her followers along on a trip to Trader Joe's where she picks out enough ingredients to make 10 healthy meals packed full of protein and vegetables. She said: "If you feel like the cost of groceries has gotten completely crazy lately, I have a brand new series that's here to make grocery shopping on a budget a little bit easier.
"I'm going to show you how I made five healthy meals for two people - not to mention I always had extra leftovers - from one $75 (£60) trip to the grocery store.
"That's 10 meals made with fresh, healthy ingredients for less than $7.50 (£6.07) each. I'm going to show you how to work smarter when it comes to your grocery shopping and meal prep time."
The 24-year-old went on to explain how she writes up a list of the meals she wants to eat before heading out to the grocery store, saying this prevents her from overbuying.
For most meals, her key ingredients include chicken breasts, chicken sausages, frozen shrimp, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and kale.
When it comes to herbs and spices, she makes sure to pick up garlic, honey or maple syrup, salt and pepper, smoked paprika, curry powder, turmeric powder, as well as some other flavourings.
She told Buzzfeed: "My goal is to use up everything I buy so there is no food waste and so I save money.
"That's why each meal features similar produce, spices, oils, and proteins. Like many people, I don’t want to eat the same thing every day, but I still want to meal prep and save money."
After paying for her groceries and returning home, she makes sure to wash them before chopping them up into manageable sizes, claiming this helps her save time in the week when putting the meals together.
She usually stores her chopped veggies in Tupperware boxes and makes sauces ahead of time when she gets a free moment on a weekend.
But Trader Joe's isn't the only store she uses to keep her costs down, as she buys her meat in bulk from Costco and visits Aldi for alternative options.
To help people start out, Jenn has been sharing gluten and dairy free recipes for people to try out in their own kitchens - putting out a new video every day for five days.
Recipe for ginger, sweet potato and kale chicken soup
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1.5-2 Ibs boneless chicken breast
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 + 1/2 inch ginger root piece, minced
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
1 tsp salt (+ more to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups fresh chopped kale
1/2 15oz can light coconut milk
Explaining the method, Jenn said: "Start by heating 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat.
"Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper generously and add to the pot.
"Let cook on each side for five to seven minutes, or until completely cooked through, and remove from pot.
"Shred the chicken (I like to use an electric mixer) and set aside).
"In the same pot, add another tbsp of oil and the chopped onion. sauté for about five minutes, then add in the garlic and ginger.
"Cook for a few minutes until aromatic, then add the sweet potato, salt, pepper, and turmeric. cook on medium heat for five minutes, then cover with the broth and put a lid on the pot.
"Let the soup boil for 20 minutes, at which point the sweet potato should be tender to a fork.
"Add in the coconut milk and kale, give it a stir, and let the kale wilt for about five minutes.
"Simmer on low until serving and store in the fridge for up to four days.
"This makes about four servings and is perfect for freezing too! I hope you love it!"
Commenting on her recipes, one user said: "I've never followed an account so fast."
Another user said: "I literally need to go to the grocery store tomorrow and my budget is $75 (£60)."
A third user said: "I think $75 for 10 meals is amazing considering how expensive everything is."
One more user added: "$7.50 (£6.07) is definitely budget friendly for LA folks!"
However, other users believe there's cheaper stores out there than Trader Joe's, claiming they've managed to fill up their trolley with more goods for less.
One user said: "Wait that’s expensive— $75 for 10 meals is half the number of meals my partner and I need and I typically grocery shop for just about $125 (£101)."
Another user added: "I never want to hear someone tell me how to shop on a budget and then go to Trader Joe's."
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