I Tried the Viral 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Formula and It's My New Favorite Way to Meal Plan

Chef and TV personality Will Coleman went viral on social media after sharing his strategy for low-cost, high-efficiency grocery shopping. He calls it the 6-to-1 method and his videos show how to make grocery shopping quicker, easier, cheaper and less likely to leave you with a crisper full of wilting produce. He's put his formula to the test at Whole Foods, HMart, Aldi, Trader Joe's, has shopped for his two-person household as well as a family of four, and created an ecookbook  to showcase the versatility of the plan.

As a food writer living in New York, I’m always looking for ways to cut back on my food spending and save time. To see if the 6-to-1 method was right for me I put Coleman’s strategy to the test at my grocery store. Here’s how it went.

Related: The 19 Aldi Essentials You Need to Meal Plan Like a Pro

View the original article to see embedded media.

What is the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method?

According to Coleman, “The 6-to-1 method was born out of the need to streamline my grocery shopping experience. Frustrated with spending excessive time in stores, wasting groceries and exceeding my budget, I designed this method to simplify the process and address these challenges.”

To follow Coleman’s method, each week you’ll pick up the following items at the grocery store:

• 6 vegetables

• 5 fruits (and yes, tomatoes and avocados count as fruits)

• 4 proteins

• 3 starches

• 2 sauces and spreads

• 1 fun item for yourself (Coleman’s go-to's are a new chili crisp, infused olive oil, or ice cream)

My 6-to-1 Grocery Haul

Here’s what I brought home:

6 Vegetables

1. Carrots

2. Onions

3. Arugula

4. Celery

5. Eggplant

6. Beets

5 Fruits

1. Sumo citrus

2. Canned tomatoes

3. Pears

4. Pomegranate

5. Lemons

4 Proteins

1. Eggs

2. Hot Italian sausage

3. Ground seasoned chicken

4. Frozen shrimp

3 Starches

1. Pasta

2. Squash

3. English muffins

2 Sauces or spreads

1. Chili crisp

2. Plant-based queso (I love the real thing, but this version is lighter and super versatile)

1 Fun thing

Seed & Mill tahini (I love this brand and just finished my last jar!)

Related: I Went to Whole Foods With My Chef-Husband and My Grocery Shopping is Forever Changed

What I Made Using the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method

I decided to start by putting together a soup with the onions, carrots, celery, canned tomatoes, and Italian sausage. I cooked some of the pasta as well and served my soup over noodles. I also had a spare Parmesan rind in the freezer that I tossed in for richness and umami. We enjoyed this soup for dinner on Monday night and lunch on Tuesday.

I like to keep things simple for breakfast, because who has time to make an elaborate dish before noon? This week was all about chili crisp-scrambled or fried eggs over toasted English muffins.

I finished up the pasta for my next dinner, which I made up on the fly. I diced and roasted the eggplant and sauteed the shrimp in butter and garlic. When the pasta was al dente, I scooped out some of the cooking water and added the noodles and eggplant to the skillet with the shrimp. I added a splash of pasta water and lemon juice and brought everything together for my own spin on shrimp scampi.

For several lunches, I made a simple arugula salad with the beets (which I boiled and sliced), pomegranate seeds and a fried egg. I whisked together a quick dressing with the tahini, lemon juice, a splash of water and salt. This dressing keeps well, so I made a big jar of it and stashed it in the fridge.

I used the fajita-seasoned ground chicken for dinner by making a twist on burrito bowls. I halved and roasted the squash and cooked the chicken on the stove. I then stuffed the squash with the chicken and served them with queso.

I finished up the rest of my carrots by making a simple side dish of roasted carrots drizzled with tahini. The Sumo citrus and pears became snacks, and I discovered that sliced pears and tahini with flaky salt is an excellent combination.

Overall, I loved that this grocery shopping method encouraged me to experiment with new ingredient combinations and flavors. I avoided food waste and enjoyed a week of tasty, diverse meals and snacks. I'll definitely be keeping the 6-to-1 method in mind for future grocery runs.

Tips for Following the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method

Coleman emphasizes that the 6-to-1 method is meant to streamline, not complicate, your meal planning, so make it work for you. “Prioritize getting ingredients that fit your lifestyle. If you know you'll have a busy week, swap out whole ingredients for pre-prepped ingredients,” he recommends. And don’t be afraid to “rely on your grocer's butcher to save time on marinating meats and breaking down whole proteins.”

I took his advice and opted for pre-seasoned ground chicken, which saved me time digging through my spice cabinet. It also helped guide my thinking when meal planning, because at least one dish already had an assigned flavor profile.

And remember that frozen, canned, and preserved items still count towards your veggie, fruit, and protein goals. Plus, when you grab food that has a longer shelf-life, it’s less likely to go to waste if your cooking plans change. For that reason, I opted for frozen shrimp, canned tomatoes and hardy squash. Fruit like citrus and pears will also last longer than delicate berries, and root veggies like beets and carrots have a longer shelf-life than greens, zucchini and cucumbers.

Is the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method for Weekly or Bi-Weekly Shopping?

Coleman uses his method for weekly shops. “Shopping weekly allows me to mentally start the week with fresh food, new meals and new inspiration. Also, most grocers offer new savings and rotate products weekly, so staying in the know is always great,” he says.

Up next: The Interesting Reason Some Coke Bottles Have Yellow Caps Right Now