From the price-hiking egg shortage to plain old inflation, it seems grocery shopping has never taken up a bigger portion of our budgets. If you’re trying to make ends meet and keep your kitchen stocked without breaking the bank, you may find yourself opting for those dollar packets of Ramen and other less-than-nutritious options. However, one TikTok user, Massachusetts resident Jenn Lueke, is showing the internet that it is possible to cook yourself healthy, balanced meals on a budget. And it’s all through the power of Trader Joe’s!
Jenn, aka @jenneatsgood on TikTok and Instagram, has broken down her Trader Joe’s grocery shopping and cooking process in a six-part TikTok series. Believe it or not, she was able to get 10 whole servings (5 meals for 2 people) out of just $75 worth of groceries. “That’s 10 meals made with fresh, healthy ingredients for just $7.50 each,” she emphasizes in the first video. And luckily, she’s telling us exactly how it’s done.
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@jenneatsgoood new series!!! i’m turning $75 of groceries into 10 (+) easy, healthy meals packed with veggies & protein & i hope you follow along this week & get some inspo for your shopping strategy or try the recipes I share!! here is the full grocery list that I used for all 5 recipes! groceries: – 1.5-2 Ibs chicken breast – 1 package italian chicken sausage (5 sausages) – 1 1b ground chicken – 1 lb frozen shrimp – 115oz can chickpeas – 32oz chicken broth – 1jar creamy tahini – 15oz can light coconut milk – 1 jar tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce – 1 package raw cashews – 1 lb frozen cauliflower rice – 1 large bag chopped kale – 1 bag shredded carrots – 1 jalapeño pepper – 1 large cucumber – 4 large sweet potatoes – 2 broccoli heads – 2 large yellow onions – 1 garlic bulb – 1~4-inch piece ginger root (can sub for ground ginger) – 6-8 green onions (1 bunch) – 1 package baby bella mushrooms (~14 mushrooms) – 2 red bell peppers household spices/sauces I had on hand: – olive or avocado oil – sesame ol – rice vinegar – honey or maple syrup – salt & pepper – garlic powder – Italian seasoning – smoked paprika – curry powder – turmeric powder – cumin – ground ginger – red pepper flakes #budgetshopping #groceriesonabudget #groceryshopping #groceryshop #groceryhaul #mealprep #mealprepping #mealprepideas #grocerylist #mealsonabudget #healthyonabudget #easyhealthyrecipes Flowers – Miley Cyrus
$75 Trader Joe’s Shopping List
The first part of Jenn’s TikTok tutorial lays down the groundwork with her full shopping list. “I truly believe if you can plan and use grocery strategically you can save a lot of money and reduce food waste,” she tells viewers.
Here’s her shopping list:
1.5-2 Ibs chicken breast
1 package italian chicken sausage (5 sausages)
1 1b ground chicken
1 lb frozen shrimp
115oz can chickpeas
32oz chicken broth
1jar creamy tahini
15oz can light coconut milk
1 jar tamari
coconut aminos, or soy sauce
1 package raw cashews
1 lb frozen cauliflower rice
1 large bag chopped kale
1 bag shredded carrots
1 jalapeño pepper
1 large cucumber
4 large sweet potatoes
2 broccoli heads
2 large yellow onions
1 garlic bulb
1~4-inch piece ginger root (can sub for ground ginger)
6-8 green onions (1 bunch)
1 package baby bella mushrooms (~14 mushrooms)
2 red bell peppers household
And here are the spices and sauces she already had on hand that you might need to stock up on to start:
-olive or avocado oil
-sesame oil
-rice vinegar
-honey or maple syrup
-salt & pepper
-garlic powder
-Italian seasoning
-smoked paprika
-curry powder
-turmeric powder
-cumin
-ground ginger
-red pepper flakes
@jenneatsgoood making 10 healthy meals with a $75 grocery haul – recipe 1! this ginger, sweet potato, & kale chicken soup is so cozy and perfect for a chilly winter day (or flu szn!!) 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 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 5-7 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 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and ginger. cook for a few minutes until aromatic, then add the sweet potato, salt, pepper, & turmeric. cook on medium heat for 5 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 5 minutes. simmer on low until serving and store in the fridge for up to 4 days! this makes about 4 servings and is perfect for freezing too! i hope you love it!! #groceryshopping #groceryshop #groceryhaul #groceriesonabudget #grocerybudget #healthygroceries #mealplan #mealprepping #mealprepideas #easyhealthymeals #chickensoup Miss You – Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz
Healthy Recipes on a Budget
The following videos break down 5 different recipes that perfectly incorporate all of these ingredients. These include ginger, sweet potato, and kale chicken soup; curry chicken meatballs; cauliflower shrimp fried rice; a one-pan veggie dinner; and crispy chickpea tahini kale salad. They all look delicious, and they’re all gluten free and dairy free. Score!
Jenn also shares meal prep advice to save yourself time and effort throughout the week. She notes that one major key to making the cooking process so much easier is chopping up all of your vegetables when you get home from the grocery store. That way, when it’s time to cook, all you have to do is throw the ingredients together.
You can find all of these healthy recipes on Jenn’s TikTok–we know we’ll be trying out a few!
