Grocery shopping is a physically and mentally exhausting task, thanks to inflation causing grocery prices to skyrocket. Rising prices have made the ordinary run to the supermarket a stressful ordeal, forcing most people to figure out ways to save on everyday grocery items.
A survey shows that 59% of people experience adverse reactions and emotions when grocery shopping. These could include anger, anxiety, and resignation. Keeping your bill down with climbing food costs while buying nutrition-rich items can be nerve-wracking.
Many people can relate to this feeling, which is perhaps why the viral TikTok 6-to-1 Grocery shopping method has taken the internet by storm. Will Coleman, a chef and social media creator based in New York City, introduced this method, and it can seriously save cash on your usual grocery runs without having to compromise on nutritious meals.
How Does The 6-to-1 Grocery Method Work?
On the surface, this technique is very simple and straightforward: you shop for six vegetables, five fruits, four proteins, three starches, two spreads or sauces, and one fun thing for yourself. The fruits and vegetables can be fresh, canned, or frozen. And the one fun thing just for yourself? Well, that’s to treat yourself to your favorite snack or sweet treat to boost your mood and keep you motivated.
This method has worked for so many people because it provides a very specific structure so you won’t end up shopping aimlessly or buying something you don’t really need. Besides, it’s a lifesaver when it comes to meal planning because you have everything you need to put some great meals together, and it comes with a fair share of options, so it won’t make you feel restricted!
When you allocate the items you need, you can understand how best to blend them into your meals. For instance, you can start with the protein and build your dishes from there. Say you buy four boneless chicken breasts, one pound of ground beef, a salmon filet, and a pack of tofu. Now, you can think about the ideal vegetables, sauces, and starches to pair them with to make a tasty and nutritious meal.
An Example of the 6-to-1 Grocery Method
- Six vegetables: Lettuce, onions, carrot, green beans, garlic, potato
- Five fruits: Tomato, banana, apple, avocado, and lime.
- Four proteins: Chicken, shrimp, tofu, and egg.
- Three starches: Rice, pasta, and chickpeas.
- Two spreads/sauces: Peanut butter and pasta sauce.
- One fun item for yourself: You’re free to decide!
So here’s how your meal prep for these items could look: Lettuce, roasted carrots, and potatoes make a nice salad, which can pair well with a lovely roast chicken, too—green beans, onion, and garlic work great as a stir-fry, which can go on the side of some rice. Eggs can be used for breakfast as a sandwich, or baked into an apple muffin or banana bread. You can use the avocado, lime, garlic, tomato, and onion to prepare fresh guacamole. For dinner, you can serve pasta with chicken or use the chickpeas to prepare hummus to dip your vegetables into.
The options are extensive, and you can use your imagination, creativity, and culinary skills to whip up a deliciously nutritious meal in your kitchen!
What Does This Method Not Include?
The idea behind the 6-to-1 grocery shopping method focuses on food basics—it does not include other common kitchen items such as spices, herbs, sugar, oil, butter, tea, coffee, cleaning supplies, household items, and so on.
How Can It Save Money?
Undoubtedly, the 6-to-1 grocery shopping method is great for your wallet. Once you get the hang of it, you take aimless or impulse shopping out of the equation, inevitably saving money. Besides, most of the space in your shopping cart will be reserved for fresh produce because it’s far cheaper than most proteins, pre-packaged, or fancy meals. To put it in perspective, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in March 2024, bananas cost 62 cents per pound, and potatoes cost 97 cents per pound. On the other hand, a dozen eggs were priced at $2.99, and a sirloin steak at $11.54 per pound!
Furthermore, when you streamline what goes into your shopping cart, fewer cartons will stack up in your pantry to expire, and there will be less spoiled food by the end of the week. Plus, you will have more cash from not buying impulsively on things you don’t necessarily need!
How You Can Adapt to The 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method
It’s easy to get overwhelmed or confused at the grocery store. Most people want to buy food that allows them to achieve nutritional balance, and the 6-to-1 grocery method fits the bill perfectly. It also streamlines your grocery shopping experience and will enable you to be more organized with your meal preparation for the week.
However, you should not be too strict with the rules—this method is meant to be easy and flexible, so don’t allow yourself to be held back or dictated by the list you put together before you go to the grocery store.
Let’s say you decided to shop for a stir-fry, but you found that avocados are in season and cheap. If the deal is too good to pass, you might incorporate avocados into your shopping list and figure out how the rest of the items will go from there.
When you enter the grocery store with a list of items or recipes and don’t find what you need, you experience mental stress. Therefore, be adaptable; you don’t want this concept to be counterproductive if you hold a very rigid stance.
Don’t force yourself to get a sixth if you only need five vegetables. Instead, ensure you get a little of everything without adding anything extra. Plus, this concept has a learning curve too. It makes you more conscious about the food you put into your body. For instance, it forces you to think attentively about the items you’re purchasing – are nuts a protein option, or is it a “fun” food? Does corn fall under a starch or a vegetable?
Ultimately, this method can save you time and money on grocery shopping and help you focus on preparing nutritious meals!
