Savvy Dinner Plan: Smart supermarket food swaps to save money

These easy ideas will shave dollars off your grocery bill when you get to the checkout.

I’m always on the lookout for ingredients that can help me reduce my grocery bill without having to make compromises in the flavour department.

Making a few simple switch-ups can shave dollars off at the checkout – and these savings can really add up over time.

Here are a few simple swaps I often make without impacting the flavour or quality of my meals.

Simple swaps can cut your food bill.

Pork mince vs beef mince

For a lot of recipes, I like to substitute beef mince for pork mince. Of course, there are some recipes where I won’t make this swap, but for a lot of weekly meal preps and dinners, such as pasta and tacos, this swap works really well.

The last time I compared prices, 500g of regular pork mince cost me $5.50, whereas 500g of beef mince ranged from $6.50 (for 3 star) to $10 (for 5 star). I’m happy to make this swap in dishes like bolognese or Mexican meals with tomato-based sauces as the flavours still work really well together.

Swap beef mince for pork to save money.

Beef sausages vs beef mince

If you’re not a fan of pork mince, you can also swap beef mince for beef sausages.

In my last shop, I bought Coles beef garlic and herb sausages, which were $4.50 for 550g. In comparison, 500g of beef mince ranges from $6.50 to $10. I already made a minimum saving of $2, and the meat is already nicely seasoned, which can help save on other ingredients like herbs and spices. I like to pan-fry the sausages, cut them up and serve them with pasta. You can also remove the beef from the sausage cases, and you’ve got beef mince, which can be turned into meatballs!

Sausages are a savvy little budget ingredient for when you want to shorten your ingredients list, and they’re surprisingly versatile. You can use them in everything from stir fries – like this beef sausage stir fry – to curries.

Use beef sausages in stir-fry.

Coles pesto sauce vs other brands vs homemade pesto

Don’t get me wrong: I love a good home-made pesto sauce. However, during the week I don’t have the time to blitz up my own pesto, nor do I want to spend that extra money when I can get almost the same thing from Coles for under $2.

To compare, Coles pesto sauce cost me $1.95 for 190g, whereas some of the other brands cost $5, and to make it from scratch would cost me at least $10. Pesto pasta is so quick and delicious, and by using the Coles pesto sauce I can make a whole meal for under $10!

Pre-made dips can save you money and time.

Fresh vs frozen broccoli

Broccoli is one of those vegetables I eat with almost any meal as it’s super versatile. You can roast it, boil it, steam it, pan-fry it – you name it! You can even add it to pasta, rice or quiches and pies. Frozen broccoli is cheaper than fresh, it lasts longer and is ready to use for those times when the crisper is empty. To compare, Coles Frozen Broccoli Florets 500g cost me $2.99 in a recent shop, versus pre-packaged fresh broccoli florets, which would have cost me more than double for the same amount. My favourite ways to cook and eat broccoli include oven roasting it alongside other vegetables and chicken, or stir-frying it with hokkien noodles in a peanut sauce.

Fresh vs minced garlic

Coles minced garlic 250g is $1.25 and this lasts me 1-2 months. If you compare this to fresh garlic, four bulbs cost around $3.60, but the shelf life is much shorter for fresh garlic bulbs. I use minced garlic in a lot of recipes. Not only is it so much cheaper and long-lasting – it’s so much easier as you don’t need to peel and chop each garlic clove!

Frozen broccoli is cheaper.

Dips vs pasta sauce

This may be a bit of a controversial one, but sometimes when I’m short on time, I use a pre-made dip instead of making my own pasta sauce. Not every sauce works (hummus is a no-no!), but one I love using is Coles spicy capsicum dip. I use this dip when making pasta bake because it bakes really well with vegetables, red onion and garlic. Plus it’s super creamy and smoky!

The Coles spicy capsicum dip cost me $2.40, whereas to make it from scratch using tomatoes and fresh herbs would cost significantly more – not to mention take a lot more time to cook.

Making these simple swaps has saved me around $15-20 each week on my groceries!

Need more ideas to help stretch your grocery shop further? The taste + Coles Savvy Dinner Plan is a great place to start. It’s got four weeks of budget-friendly dinners all planned out for you.

*I costed my shopping list at Coles East Village, Zetland, NSW, on 24/01/2023. Prices and savings may vary store to store.

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Savvy Dinner Plan: Smart supermarket food swaps to save money