Since everything at the grocery store seems to cost about a million dollars, I've been experimenting more in the kitchen on how to get more flavour into my meals without adding to the price of my weekly food shop.
I recently examined the contents of my fridge and pantry and realized I had plenty of long-lasting ingredients just sitting around that can help improve the quality of a home-cooked meal and have started incorporating them more in my cooking.
Here are some of the cheap grocery products I've been leaning on recently — most of these I personally bought at Asian grocery stores, but all are available in popular retailers like Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro and No Frills!
Nutritional yeast
Bragg's nutritional yeast.
Cheese is really damn expensive these days, and as I get older, I find that dairy isn't always my friend, so nutritional yeast has been a delicious solution to both of those problems.
A little sprinkle of this stuff on top of your pasta is a fairly good substitute for parmesan (I won't say it's perfect, but it does give that nutty, cheese, comforting flavour) and it's delicious on top of some freshly popped popcorn for movie night.
It's also a good source of protein, so that's a nice bonus!
Price for a similar product at Walmart: $9.97
Coconut aminos
Coconut Secret soy sauce substitute.
Again, due to the reality of aging, I'm trying to cut down on my sodium intake and found out that coconut aminos work as a decent dupe for soy sauce.
I like to add a dash of it to my stir-fry dishes to give them a little umami kick, and while it is a little sweeter than soy is, it means that I don't add any brown sugar to my marinades, which evens out the seasoning ratio (salt, fat, acid, heat — always!).
Price for a similar product at Walmart: $9.99
Shaoxing wine
Shaoxing cooking wine.
I've recently been trying my hand at cooking Chinese food as that's what I usually crave in terms of takeout and many blogs suggested Shaoxing cooking wine to get that "authentic" flavour.
I genuinely can't tell you what this tastes like, but the difference in my cooking when I use it versus when I don't use it is wild — it's now a staple in my attempts at beef and broccoli and chow mein and I can't recommend it highly enough, it makes my dishes legit taste like takeout.
Price for a similar product at Real Canadian Superstore: $3.49
Slap Ya Mama
Slap Ya Mama seasoning.
Despite my best efforts, sometimes my meal just turns out bland AF and needs some punching up.
This Cajun seasoning packs so much flavour and spice and fixes anything I've butchered, and it's a delicious addition to marinades for any shrimp, tofu or basically anything.
Price on Amazon: $12.72
Spicy chilli crisp
Spicy chilli crisp.
If you've ever wondered if a perfect condiment exists, look no further than Lao Gan Ma's Spicy Chilli Crisp.
It's essentially a spicy oil with crispy bits that add the perfect amount of heat and texture to a bite. I'm convinced it goes with anything and everything, but be warned — I'm pretty good with pepper and I do find this quite hot, so proceed with caution!
Price at Loblaws: $3.79
Miso paste
Miso paste.
I bought this miso paste to try out Chrissy Teigen's viral Spicy Miso Pasta recipe from a few years ago and it does not disappoint.
Although it's nearly $9, it can last for years in your fridge since it's fermented, and just one tablespoon gives an umami kick to marinades, stews and, of course, soups.
Price for a similar product at Loblaws: $5.49
Balsamic
Fig Flavoured Condiment with Balsamic of Modena.
Ok, so this is actually more of a fig concentrate with some balsamic in it, but balsamic absolutely slaps and should be used for more than just salads and bread.
The other day my bolognese was lacking a little "je ne sais quoi" and a few dashes of this brightened it right up and added some more depth to the flavour, which had previously been a little one-note and tomatoey.
Price at Loblaws: $4.99
Fish sauce
Blue Dragon Fish Sauce.
I watched a Bon Appétit video a while ago where one of the chefs suggested using fish sauce instead of salt for many of the instances when you'd typically reach for the condiment.
I'll admit, fish sauce on scrambled eggs sounds like a bit of a strange idea, but I'm a convert!
It performs the same seasoning function as salt but adds a lil' extra sharpness, in a good way.
Price at Walmart: $3.17
Curry paste
Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste.
I'm a huge fan of Thai food, and this paste helps me bring some of my favourite flavours to other dishes I normally wouldn't have used curry paste in.
From marinating veggies to adding a teaspoon to a shrimp dish, the possibilities with this one seem pretty unlimited.
Price at No Frills: $5.49
Wasabi peas
Joe's Tasty Travels Wasabi Peas.
When it comes to home cooking, mixing up textures is everything and adding a bit of crunch is a fun way to get creative.
I like taking a couple of these peas (and I do mean a couple, they're quite spicy) and lightly bashing them to add to salads instead of seeds, nuts or croutons. Getting those veggies in, but making it fun — and yummy!
Price at Walmart: $2
Gochujang
Gochujang.
And lastly, I cannot rave enough about gochujang. When I'm feeling extra lazy (which is most of the time), I literally just whisk up a little of this paste with some oil and fry up whatever veg or protein I have left over in my fridge.
It makes my usual sad attempt at clearing out my fridge taste absolutely delicious and gives everything a perfect sweet but spicy kick.
Price for a similar item at No Frills: $5.99
This article has been updated since it was originally published on February 20, 2023.
