Eating well on a budget: How Aussie families can reduce their grocery costs and improve their health
Only 55% of Australians believe it’s easy to access affordable, healthy food, according to a recent survey. Meanwhile, a new study revealed that nearly 40% of our grocery budget goes toward chips, soft drinks, and biscuits.
Equipped with a shopping list of healthier food staples and a meal plan, read on to learn how to feed a family of 4 on a budget of under $200, including recipes!
According to the latest Living Healthy Report 20251, the average Australian household spends $242 a week on groceries, yet we’re still struggling to meet national dietary guidelines2, with 37% of this going on discretionary foods such as chocolate, chips, soft drinks, and biscuits.
When comparing cost per serve for these discretionary items (versus fruits and vegetables), fruits and veggies are more affordable than many processed meals and snacks. So, with a bit of planning and cooking in the kitchen, here’s how a family of 4 could eat healthily for under $200. *
The family food shop to help meet dietary requirements
When it comes to reducing the cost of your weekly food shop, it pays to get back to basics with some simple trolley swaps that could save money and contribute to your long-term health. As the Living Healthy Report 2025 shows, we’re loading our trolleys with packaged chips, cakes, and biscuits, which can cost $0.70 per serve. By prioritising fruits and vegetables, you can halve that amount, and turn them into tasty dishes and snacks that are much better for you and your family’s budget and health.
Even frozen or canned options are a great choice as they’re affordable and have a longer shelf life, choose canned products with low or no added salt for veg, and fruit in natural juices rather than syrup. Heading to your local farmers’ markets can be a great morning out to stock up on fresh, seasonal produce at reasonable prices as well.
To save further money at the checkout, meal planning and a shopping list are key. Writing a meal plan for the week that reuses ingredients, or looking out for specials and cooking in bulk, can all save money. Legumes (which currently only make up 3% of the average Australian’s weekly shop) are an ideal addition to the shopping trolley, thanks to their versatility, low price and high dietary fibre.
The recipe for success
Below is an example shopping list and meal plan created by Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s team of dietitians with family-friendly dinners: like a veggie-packed spaghetti bolognese, a warm curry, and a fun ‘fake-away’ beef burger and chips. For lunches, there is fresh salad and chicken, along with simple breakfast options like wholegrain cereal, eggs, and toast. This meal plan will even leave you with leftovers that could be popped in the freezer, saving you time, effort, and money mid-week.
Example meal plan for a family of 4* (2 adults, 2 kids) to help meet dietary requirements:
| Dinners | Serves | Ingredients |
| Ginger chicken stir fry | 4 serves | Chicken thigh, ginger, red capsicum, broccoli, pak choy, onion. |
| Veggie loaded bolognese | 10 serves | Spaghetti, lean beef mince, onion, carrot, zucchini, tomato, celery |
| Fried rice | 4 serves | Brown rice, eggs, frozen veggies and chicken instead of prawns and ham. |
| Minestrone soup | 10 serves | Carrot, celery, onion, zucchini, tomato, frozen spinach or vegetables. |
| Leftovers | Spaghetti bolognese or minestrone soup. | |
| Pumpkin, chickpea and coconut curry | 4 serves | Onion, pumpkin, carrot, red capsicum, coconut milk, chickpeas. |
| Homemade beef burgers with sweet potato chips | 4 serves | Lean beef mince, onion, truss tomatoes, lettuce, bread rolls, sweet potato. |
Example grocery shopping list for a family of 4* (2 adults, 2 kids) to help meet dietary requirements:
| Fresh produce | Protein | Dairy |
| Red capsicum x2 Brown onion, 1kg bag Kent pumpkin quarter x2 Half rockmelon 5x Pears 5x Bananas 7x Mandarins 7x Apples 1x Avocado 1x Fresh broccoli Whole celery Coriander Cucumber Ginger Cos lettuce (2 pack) Mushrooms 200g 2x Sweet potato Pak Choy bunch 1x Truss tomatoes 2x Zucchini Carrots (bag) | Chicken thigh fillet 400g Lean beef mince 1kg Eggs (a dozen) Chickpeas Cooked roast chicken (rotisserie) | Tasty cheese block (500g) 3x Long life milk 1L Greek yoghurt 1kg |
| Bakery/pantry | Frozen/snacks | |
| 2x Multigrain bread Jumbo soft rolls (6 pack) Ciabatta loaf Spaghetti pasta Coconut milk Rolled oats Brown rice Long grain rice Risoni pasta Tomato paste Crushed garlic (jar) Natural peanut butter Crushed tomatoes Mayonnaise Soy sauce | Frozen mixed vegetables Frozen chopped spinach 500g Corn thins 250g or wholegrain crackers Sea salt popcorn 80g Hummus 200g Tzatziki 200g |
What about snacks and beverages?
For snacks, vegetable sticks (such as sliced carrots, celery, and capsicum) dipped in hummus or tzatziki, cheese and wholegrain crackers, popcorn, and corn thins with peanut butter, or sliced tomatoes can be a great way to get your veggie intake up and don’t forget to eat the fruit for a sweet and refreshing snack, try adding it to Greek-style yoghurt, topped with some oats.
When it comes to drinks, making tap water your household’s go-to drink throughout the day not only saves money but can reduce excess sugars, which can affect our energy and oral health. Daily water needs vary from person to person, with general guidelines2 being:
- Adults: 8-10 cups (2.1L to 2.6L) each day (Add another 1-2 cups if pregnant or breastfeeding)
- Teenagers: 6-8 cups (1.4 to 1.6L) each day
- Children: 4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.4L) each day (1 to 1.4L).
By following these shopping tips and returning to basics in the kitchen, it’s possible to stay on budget while enjoying tasty and nutritious meals for your family’s health and wellbeing.
* $200 grocery shop based on a Metro-Queensland grocery store shop in August 2025. Excludes some pantry staples required for the recipes, like olive oil, dried herbs and spices and vinegar.
Sources:
- HealthyLife and Woolworths Group. Living Healthy Report 2025. https://www.healthylife.com.au/health-report-2025
- Australian Government. (n.d). Eat for Health: Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating
Acknowledgement
This content has been developed by Ms Rebecca Farletti, Dietitian at Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s team of expert nutritionists, dietitians, and exercise physiologists. Always visit your healthcare professional for dietary advice tailored to your circumstances.
