Monthly Cereal Shopping List for a Kenyan Family: How Many Kilos Do You Need?

Buying cereals once a month is one of the easiest ways to keep a household running smoothly. You make fewer trips, you know what is in the cupboard and you can plan meals around it. The tricky part is knowing how much to buy. This guide gives you a simple starting point.

How we worked out the amounts

The figures below assume each person eats a typical serving of dry rice or beans, about 75 to 100g before cooking. Your family may eat more or less, so treat these as a first list and adjust after a month or two.

A starting list for a family of four

This assumes rice three or four times a week, beans or njahi twice a week, and ndengu or muthokoi once a week.

• Rice (e.g. Pishori): 4 to 5kg
• Beans (e.g. Mwitemania): 3kg
• Njahi: 1 to 2kg
• Ndengu: 1 to 2kg
• Muthokoi: 1 to 2kg
• Groundnuts: 1kg, for snacking and stews
• Unga ya uji: 2 to 4 x 1kg packs, depending on how often you make uji
• Spices: one or two 100ml tins of the ones you use most

Adjusting for your household

Couple or two adults: roughly halve the list above. Rice 2kg, beans 1.5kg, ndengu 1kg, and one or two packs of unga ya uji is usually plenty.

Family of six: add about half again. Rice 6 to 8kg, beans 4 to 5kg, and two kilos each of njahi, ndengu and muthokoi.

Extra helpers or visitors: if you cook for a house help, workers or regular guests, count them as part of the household when planning.

Tips for a smarter monthly restock

• Check the cupboard first. Before ordering, note what is left. If you always have rice left over, cut back by a kilo next month.
• Keep a running list. Stick a paper on the fridge and write items down as they run low.
• Plan rough meals. You do not need a strict menu. Simply decide which days are rice days and which are bean days.
• Buy spices in small amounts. Ground spices lose flavour over time, so a 100ml tin of each is better than a big bag that sits for months.
• Store well. Bulk buying only saves money if nothing goes to waste. Use airtight containers and keep them in a cool, dry cupboard.

A note on budgeting

Because we price cereals per kilo, it is easy to see exactly what your restock will cost. Add up your list in our shop, compare it with what you spent last month and adjust the quantities to fit your budget. Many families find that one planned order a month works out cheaper than topping up small packets every few days.

Order your monthly restock

Use this list as a guide, then build your order in our shop. We deliver monthly restocks around Ruaka, and you can read the details on our delivery page. You can also pop in next to Quickmart on the Ruaka-Muchatha road.