TL;DR
The Kitchn published a grocery diary featuring Jordan Smith, a 37-year-old Brooklyn baker and bookseller who spent $61.48 at Met Fresh on groceries for a week. Smith said the haul supported meals and snacks at home, but the diary also includes several meals and drinks bought elsewhere, so $61.48 is not the cost of all food consumed that week.
The Kitchn has published a grocery diary in which Jordan Smith, a 37-year-old Brooklyn baker and bookseller, reports spending $61.48 at Met Fresh on groceries for a week. The account offers a snapshot of one shopper’s food spending, but it is not a full weekly food budget: Smith also describes buying several meals, snacks and drinks outside the grocery trip.
Smith lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with three roommates and says the household’s grocery budget is not specified. The shopping list includes produce such as spinach, apples, mango, cucumber, okra, celery, watermelon, cilantro and lime, along with bread, tofu, coconut milk, popcorn and smoked mussels. The listed items total $61.48, according to the diary.
Smith described shopping without a cart, carrying items or using a basket to get through the store quickly. They said they usually start in the produce section, then buy canned goods and pantry staples. Beans and coconut milk are frequent purchases because, Smith said, they can be used in many dishes.
The week’s meals included oatmeal, tomato toast with smoked mussels, vegetable curry made with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, okra and coconut milk, tofu dishes, smoothies and a quesadilla. The diary also lists food bought elsewhere, including muffins, coffee, sandwiches, a falafel wrap, a teriyaki bowl and fries. Those purchases are not included in the $61.48 grocery total.
What the $61.48 Covers
The diary gives readers a concrete example of how one New Yorker uses a relatively short shopping list to make several meals at home, while showing why a grocery receipt alone may not capture a person’s full food spending. Smith’s account separates a single store trip from the wider week of eating, which included food purchased at work and from nearby businesses.
It also reflects the trade-offs Smith describes in their neighborhood. They said nearby corner and small grocery stores have limited fresh-produce selection and less favorable prices, and that they sometimes travel downtown to shop at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods for what they see as better prices and more consistent selection. Those observations are Smith’s experience, not a market-wide price comparison.
For readers comparing budgets, the diary is best understood as an individual account rather than a benchmark. The household’s shared grocery costs, the value of pantry ingredients already on hand, and the amount spent on meals away from home are not fully itemized.
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A Week Built Around Pantry Staples
Smith told The Kitchn that a demanding schedule, freelance and part-time work, a long commute and evening baking make advance meal planning difficult. They said dinner can be decided during the commute home and that they sometimes eat popcorn, carrots and hummus, chips and dips, or leftovers when time is short.
When able to plan, Smith said they build meals around a protein, a carbohydrate and a vegetable, cooking components separately so they can be combined with different sauces and condiments. The diary’s vegetable curry appears across two days, illustrating how a prepared dish can carry over into another meal. Smith also identifies as mostly vegetarian, though the listed week includes smoked mussels and turkey sandwiches bought outside the grocery shop.
“I’m a no-cart shopper, preferring to load up my arms or use a shopping basket.”
— Jordan Smith, as quoted in The Kitchn
What the Receipt Leaves Out
The diary does not state a weekly food budget, despite the headline’s focus on the $61 figure. It also does not provide a complete tally of the food Smith bought elsewhere during the week, or clarify whether the grocery haul was intended only for Smith or also shared with the three roommates. The source identifies the household as Smith plus three roommates but does not explain how groceries are divided.
Prices are presented as accurate at the time of publication, but the source does not specify the shopping date or provide a comparison with other stores. The account is a personal diary, not a controlled price survey, and does not establish that another shopper could reproduce the same total.
No Follow-Up Spending Report
The Kitchn article is a published grocery diary, and the source material does not announce a follow-up, broader price study or additional reporting milestone. Readers can use the itemized list to see what was included in Smith’s trip, while keeping the distinction between that receipt and the week’s separately purchased food in mind. A fuller weekly spending picture would require totals for meals bought outside the home, shared household groceries and any pantry items already available.
Key Questions
How much did Jordan Smith spend on groceries?
Smith reported spending $61.48 at Met Fresh on the groceries listed in The Kitchn diary. The source does not give a complete total for all food bought during the week.
Does the $61.48 cover every meal that week?
No. The diary includes meals and drinks bought elsewhere, such as coffee, muffins, sandwiches, a falafel wrap and a teriyaki bowl. Those purchases are not part of the stated grocery total.
Who lives in Smith’s household?
Smith is listed as living in Brooklyn with three roommates. The article does not say whether the $61.48 haul was shared or how household grocery costs are divided.
What was Smith’s approach to shopping and meal planning?
Smith said they shop without a cart to move quickly, start with produce and then pick up pantry items. When time allows, they plan meals around a protein, a carbohydrate and a vegetable, and reuse components across the week.
Source: thekitchn.com
