6 to 1 Grocery Shopping Method: How It Can Save You Time and Money Every Week

Fine, I’ll admit it—I’m in a toxic relationship with grocery shopping. It’s a cycle of love bombing (going to the store hungry with big dreams of elaborate home-cooked meals, then buying enough food to feed a family of five), followed by a breakup (purging the fridge of everything I let expire), and an inevitable reunion (promising I’ll shop smarter next time, then repeating the same pattern). In my defense, buying groceries is trickier than it seems: you have to fit the trip into a busy schedule, predict what future-you will actually want for dinner, and somehow buy just the right amount of food.

I often spend more time shopping and meal prepping than I’d like, and navigating packed aisles on a weekday only adds to the frustration. With grocery prices continuing to rise, finding a smarter, more efficient way to shop feels essential.

Luckily, I may have found the solution. A TikTok went viral introducing the 6-to-1 grocery shopping method—a simple formula designed to save time and money. By focusing on six vegetables, five fruits, four proteins, three starches, two sauces, and one fun item, it takes the guesswork out of meal planning. Think fresh produce, versatile proteins, and easy carbs (Success Rice for the win) that give you more value for your dollar.

Why grocery shopping feels so overwhelming (and how to fix it)

Grocery shopping is one of those unavoidable parts of adulting, but it doesn’t have to feel like a dreaded chore. Between rising prices and the risk of food waste, having a plan is more important than ever. That’s where the 6-to-1 grocery method comes in—a viral strategy changing how people approach their weekly trip to the store.

This formula helps you shop with purpose, spend less, and waste less. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, roommates, or a family, the 6-to-1 method makes grocery hauls more cost-effective and far less overwhelming. No more wandering the aisles aimlessly, overspending, or wondering how to grocery shop like an adult.

What is the viral 6-to-1 grocery shopping method?

The 6-to-1 method is simple. You buy six veggies, five fruits, four proteins, three starches, two sauces or spreads, and—good news for those who live for the little treats in life—one fun thing. This grocery method, which originated on social media platforms like TikTok, is designed to simplify shopping and make meal planning more approachable. “This makes grocery shopping way easier, way cheaper, and you get in and out,” said chef Will Coleman, creator of the 6-to-1 method.

This strategy takes the guesswork out of grocery shopping while still allowing you the freedom to buy what you actually want to eat and the flexibility to not stick to a predetermined list of recipes for the whole week. The method helped many people streamline their grocery shopping, reduce food waste, and improve meal planning. No more blocking the store aisle as you do mental math to figure out how many vegetables you need and what you’ll make with them. It also helps you avoid overspending on food that will just go to waste or last-minute takeout orders because you don’t have enough food to cook at home.

Beyond saving money, the 6-to-1 method can also help you grocery shop more effectively in less time. If you’re juggling an overfilled schedule, you might consider just showing up to the grocery store, throwing a bunch of random things in the cart, and dealing with the consequences later. But with Coleman’s method, you can go into the store with a solid formula for what to buy, without having to do any planning ahead of time. This method was designed to solve the problem of spending excessive time in stores by streamlining both shopping and planning. It reduces the time spent in the store and creating your grocery list, while maximizing what you can do with the items in your cart.

How to use the 6-to-1 method while grocery shopping

One of the best things about the 6-to-1 method is that it’s customizable for what you like to eat. If you’re like me and pasta occupies the majority of your diet, then six vegetables may seem like a lot. However, the vegetable category is broader than you might think. Beyond your typical veggies like carrots or cauliflower, it can include leafy greens, onions or garlic, fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, premade salad kits, frozen veggies, and more. The same goes for fruits. You can get frozen fruits for smoothies, dried fruits to snack on, citrus fruits for dressing up other dishes, avocados that double as a protein source, as well as your favorite fruits to eat alone. As for the protein category, yogurt, nuts, eggs, or meat alternatives like tofu are all fair game, in addition to classic meats like chicken breasts or ground beef. In real life, people have shopped more intentionally using this approach, finding it practical and adaptable to their everyday needs.

For an easy starch that’s ready in just a couple of minutes, I live and die by Success Rice. Having a few boxes on hand to use throughout the week is a game-changer, giving you various types of rice, pearl couscous, or quinoa in just a couple of minutes. Way more efficient than lugging out that rice cooker and waiting 20+ minutes if I do say so myself.

Having a meal plan can help organize ingredients, inspire recipe ideas, and make the cooking process smoother. Now that you know what it entails, let’s make a practice grocery list to see what meals you can make using this method.

Shopping list and recipes

In need of some inspo? Here’s our ideal 6-to-1 method shopping list and what we’d make. This method provides a week’s worth of meals and ingredients, ensuring you have enough variety and flexibility. When choosing your items, try to include a range of foods from different categories to keep your meals balanced and interesting.

• Vegetables: asparagus, chickpeas, cilantro, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini
• Fruits: bananas, blueberries, cucumbers, frozen strawberries, lemons
• Proteins: eggs, Greek yogurt, ground beef, salmon
• Starches: pasta, Success Rice, tortillas
• Sauces: premade pasta sauce, salsa
• One fun thing: a bottle of wine

READ: 4 Lazy-Girl Dinners That You Can Whip up in 30 Minutes or Less

With this list, you could start your days with breakfast tacos, a strawberry-banana smoothie, a veggie scramble, or a yogurt bowl with fresh fruit. For lunches throughout the week, meal prep some Mediterranean rice bowls with tzatziki sauce or baked salmon with lemon and asparagus.

Then for dinner, whip up some pasta with grilled veggies, beef tacos, or fried rice—all enjoyed with a nice glass of wine. You can also use an air fryer for quick and easy meals, like charring vegetables or making crispy snacks. Depending on what you buy, your meal options are endless, and you can easily switch up the menu throughout the week to keep things fresh. Try following a recipe or using recipes as inspiration to combine your ingredients in new ways.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Lauren Blue, Lifestyle Staff Writer

As a Lifestyle Staff Writer for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of home decor, delicious recipes, hobbies, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Instagram for beautiful homes to feature on the site.

READ LAUREN’S FULL BIO

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

McKenna Pringle, Branded Content Editorial Assistant

As the Branded Content Editorial Assistant, McKenna assists the sales team with the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, pitching and contributing stories of her own, and more. Some of her favorite topics to write about are entertainment, culture, and lifestyle

READ MCKENNA’S FULL BIO

This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Success Rice but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board.

The post 6 to 1 Grocery Shopping Method: How It Can Save You Time and Money Every Week appeared first on The Everygirl.