With beautiful and delicious products at every table, it can be tricky to stay on budget at the market. Our nutrition intern Olivia Jacobs, has created a series of seasonal shopping lists and recipes to keep you on-track and thinking about the market as your grocery destination. These “Market Basket” shopping lists are available at $20 and $50 price points for you to choose from and personalize for your own grocery needs. Note: prices are our best estimate but vary by vendor and are not guaranteed.
We know it can be difficult to decide what to cook with your newly purchased produce and other market finds, so our lists also include recipe ideas, helping take some of the meal planning and guesswork out of the equation and inspiring you to test out some new recipes!
Keeping budget in mind, we want to acknowledge that local groceries at the farmers market are not always the cheapest option compared to supermarkets and other grocery retailers. However, when you buy locally grown vegetables, handmade bread and pasture-raised eggs, you are paying for the whole cost of the product. Local, sustainable farmers and makers don’t externalize the costs onto the environment, our community’s health or poor wages and working conditions for their staff and themselves. To understand more of what goes into the higher cost of local products, visit the Why Buy Local page on our website.
$20 Market Basket
MCFM Grocery List
- 4 zucchini, $5
- 1 lb carrots, $3
- 1 lb beefsteak tomatoes, $6
- 1 bag malabar spinach, $3
- 1 celery stalk, <$0.25
- 5 basil leaves basil, <$0.25
- 1 clove garlic, <$0.25
- 1 onion, $1
- 1 egg, $0.42
- 1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup, $0.38
- 1 cup flour, $1.10
- 2 Tablespoons hard cheese for grating, optional <$1
Non-Market Pantry Items
- Olive oil, $0.55
- Salt, <$0.01
- Pepper, <$0.01
- Garlic powder, <$0.01
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, $0.04
- ¼ cup red wine, $0.79 from a $10 bottle
RECIPES for $20 Market Basket:
$50 Market Basket
MCFM Grocery List
- 4 zucchini, $5
- 1 lb carrots, $3
- 1 lb beefsteak tomatoes, $6
- Cherry tomatoes, $5
- 1 bag malabar spinach, $3
- 1 celery stalk, <$0.25
- 5 basil leaves basil, <$0.25
- 1 head garlic, $2
- 1 onion, $1
- 2 acorn squash $8
- 1 cup cooked beans, $1 (1 lb dried beans from Bean Market yields about 6 cups cooked)
- fresh sage, $3
- 4 ears sweet corn, $4
- 1 egg, $0.42
- 2 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup, <$1
- 1 cup flour, $1.10
- ¼ cup hard cheese for grating, optional $2
Non-Market Pantry Items
- 5 1/2 tablespoons olive oil $0.61
- Salt <$0.01
- Pepper <$0.01
- Garlic powder <$0.01
- ¼ cup red wine $0.79
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano $0.04
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley $0.44
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme $0.30
- Juice from ½ of a lime $0.25
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt $0.30
- 1 avocado $1+
- 8-10 cups vegetable or chicken broth $4
RECIPES for $50 Market Basket:
Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad
Other resources for budget shopping & cooking:
- Seward Co-op’s Nourish program
- Budget Bytes recipe blog
- Hunger Solutions Minnesota (SNAP/EBT, food shelves, MN Food helpline)
Do you have other resources or tips for shopping the farmers market on a budget? We’d love to hear them! Email us at info@millcityfarmersmarket.org or message us on Instagram or Facebook with your tips to share with the community.