THE SUPERMARKET TRICK THAT Saves Money-and Leads to Weight Loss!

JACKPOT: Spend less, save time and slim down. Experts reveal how buying just 21 versatile grocery items each week can transform your health, budget and life!

- LISA MAXBAUER

Necessity is the mother of invention…or of helpful TikTok trends. With food prices up in recent years, people have embraced a clever grocery shopping strategy that promises to save money…helping us tighten our belts in more ways than one.

High grocery bills can actually harm our health. According to the International Food Information Council’s annual survey, 91% of people saw an increase in food prices last year and 30% revealed they were forced to make less-healthy food choices as a result. That’s a tough pill to swallow, given that 43% of people also said they wanted to lose weight. And what we toss into our cart has consequences. In one small study, people who ate ultra-processed (often cheaper) foods gained 2 pounds in just two weeks. That could mean 50+ pounds a year.

To the rescue: the 6 to 1 Method. This flexible food-shopping framework challenges us to buy 6 different vegetables, 5 fruits, 4 proteins, 3 starches, 2 sauces and 1 fun item each week to build the bulk of our meals and snacks. (Quantities can be expanded based on household size.) Forget the old food pyramid or the pie-chart meal plate. The best healthy-eating tool may be to simply picture 21 wholesome items in your shopping cart.

“The 6 to 1 Method has changed my life!” said creator and chef Will Coleman in a social media video that went viral on the subject. “I’m saving lots of money on groceries, and I’m getting in and out of the store fast,” he tells FIRST. “I’m most surprised about the many audiences it’s reaching: single folks, people who have kids, people who are vegetarians. It’s such a versatile method.”