Here's How I Spend €50 A Week On Food In Berlin

Jan 13, 2024

I'm not officially vegetarian or vegan — but a lot of my meals lean that way because they’re cheaper and faster to cook.

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Everyone should be allowed at least one food-related purchase they can't quit!

• Oat milk: €2 ($2.18)

• Romaine lettuce: €2 ($2.18)

• Bucket of cherry tomatoes: €3 ($3.27)

• Cucumbers: €0.5 each ($0.55)

• 3 Mozzarella di bufala: €2 for one moz' ball ($2.18)

• Packet of rye bread: €1.79 ($1.94)

• Bag of frozen vegetables: €3.29 for 500 grams (1lb) ($3.57)

• 400 grams of yogurt: €2 ($2.18)

• Berries: €2.15 ($2.33)

• Bananas: €1.79 for a bundle ($1.94)

• Hummus: €1 (or $1.09)

• Carrots: €2.19 for 1kg (2.2lbs) ($2.38)

• Black beans: €1 (or $1.09)

• Taco shells: €3.49 ($3.82)

• Sweet potato: €1.17 ($1.28)

• Guacamole: €1.69 ($1.85)

• Mushrooms: €2 ($2.18)

• Packet of soy meat: €3.29 ($3.60)

Total = €40.35 ($44.19)

If you're curious about German grocery prices for various foods, feel free to browse around Rewe!

Traditionally, this meal is eaten in the evening, but its simplicity best suits me for lunch hours. The meal works because German bread is amazing. Best of all, it's super affordable at 0.60–0.80 cents per roll.

Today, I ran to the corner bakery and got a Vollkornbrot (a whole wheat roll) and paired it with a spread of butter, Bergkäse (mountain cheese), a soft-boiled egg, cut-up carrots with hummus, and some mortadella my partner bought from an Italian grocery store last weekend. Yum.

I've been having this meal several times a week for the last few years and never get sick of it.

The other dressing I like to make is with soy sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. My takeaway in my salad dressing experiments is that adding olive oil and maple syrup to any sauce makes it delicious.

I have mine with oat milk, a giant dollop of soy yogurt, a mix of nuts and seeds, and a chopped banana and berries. I'm not sure if it's a weird pairing, but I'll usually have a few bits of cheese to polish off the meal. I got this plate when I was in Warsaw last weekend and feel like it makes every meal a little tastier.

I know this sliced bread doesn't look the most appetizing, but I love it! It's chewy, flavorful, and hearty.

*When I say "watching Black Mirror," I really mean playing an episode, hitting pause at the first anxiety-inducing scene, Googling and reading the entire plot summary and episode analysis, and then watching the rest of the episode through. Sorry, Charlie Brooker.

As an Asian American, I went through the classic growing-up experience of having people make fun of my food preferences. These days, I wonder if that's why some of my adult food choices seem to gravitate toward the "boring." I guess having a mainstream-approved meal just eliminates some of that bitter self-consciousness that could otherwise mess with my palette.

On that note, I would like to point out that I've always thought that the American tradition of eating a giant pickle as a snack is bizarre, but you don't see me pointing fingers (until now 😈)!

I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but I love that Berlin has plenty of options in both categories, both at restaurants and in grocery stores. I recently read a study that said almost 50% of Berlin children rarely or never eat meat.

I end up accidentally eating meat-free meals half of the time because, honestly, they're cheaper and faster to cook.

It's the leftovers that keep on giving.

Adding a dollop of butter and using good vegetable stock is the key to the perfect microwaved bulgur.