7-Day Budget Meal Plan & Shopping List
When you’re trying to stick to a budget, meal planning and cooking at home can help you save some serious cash. In this 7-day healthy meal plan on a budget, recipes use cheap and easy-to-find ingredients to create delicious dinners for less than $3 per serving. With Americans spending, on average, $7,023 (or 12.5 percent of income) to feed a family of four annually, making more budget-friendly meals is key to cutting down on total food costs. Combine this healthy meal plan with cheap breakfast and lunch recipes to save even more during the week. Just consider us your own personal weekly meal planner! Get the Printable Shopping List Here Don’t Miss: Cheap Healthy Meals for a Week for $3 or Less & Healthy Family Meal Plan on a Budget Sunday side shot of a halved tomato with tuna salad and melted cheese Tomato Bun Tuna Melt $1.82 per serving Budget Tip: Budget-friendly canned fish, like tuna and wild salmon, are cheap and convenient options for fast and healthy dinners on a budget. At a fraction of the price of fresh or frozen fish, you’ll get the same health benefits from canned options (think healthy omega-3 fats and protein). You can still plan to check out the fish counter when you do your grocery shopping to see what fresh seafood options are on sale. Frozen fish may be the better option as it’s often less expensive, and you can defrost it when you’re ready to use it so you know it’s fresh. Monday Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna $2.91 per serving Budget Tip: Going meatless a few times a week is good for your health, good for your wallet and good for the environment. This vegetarian spaghetti squash lasagna, with 18 grams of satisfying protein and 7 grams of filling fiber, is a great budget recipe you’ll turn to time and time again. Tuesday 4582091.jpg Easy Chicken Fried Rice $1.53 per serving Budget Tip: Fried rice with plenty of vegetables and a little meat is an obvious choice when you want to make a quick and healthy dinner that’s easy on your wallet. If you have a little extra onion or half a leftover zucchini you want to use up, all the better: just throw in whatever veggie odds and ends you have in your fridge. Being versatile and using what you have on hand helps you save money and minimize food waste. Wednesday 4589995.jpg Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps $1.53 per serving Budget Tip: Canned beans are an affordable, healthy and convenient ingredient and add satisfying protein and fiber to your meals. Here, canned chickpeas replace the more-expensive chicken but still deliver satisfying Buffalo flavor. Stock up when beans go on sale and use in wraps, salads, soups, stews and more for a healthy and cheap plant protein. Thursday 4565000.jpg Bean & Veggie Taco Bowl $2.56 per serving Budget Tip: Canned black beans, precooked rice and whatever veggies you have on hand is all it takes to whip up this fast and flavorful bean and veggie taco bowl. Use pantry staples to whip up this low-cost meal and skip an extra trip to the grocery store. Friday 4473420.jpg Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta $1.98 per serving Budget Tip: Chicken often goes on sale, so when it does, stock up and keep it in your freezer. This one-pot pasta uses less-expensive and flavorful chicken thighs combined with veggies, dried herbs and cheese for a delicious and creamy one-dish dinner. Saturday Slow-Cooker Beef Stew Slow-Cooker Beef Stew $2.46 per serving Budget Tip: Tougher cuts of meat (like the beef chuck used in this easy beef stew recipe) are affordable options that simply need more cooking time to become tender and juicy, making them perfect for the slow cooker.
7-Day Budget Meal Plan & Shopping List
7-Day Budget Meal Plan & Shopping List
7-Day Budget Meal Plan & Shopping List
When you’re trying to stick to a budget, meal planning and cooking at home can help you save some serious cash. In this 7-day healthy meal plan on a budget, recipes use cheap and easy-to-find ingredients to create delicious dinners for less than $3 per serving. With Americans spending, on average, $7,023 (or 12.5 percent of income) to feed a family of four annually, making more budget-friendly meals is key to cutting down on total food costs. Combine this healthy meal plan with cheap breakfast and lunch recipes to save even more during the week. Just consider us your own personal weekly meal planner!
Get the Printable Shopping List Here
Don’t Miss: Cheap Healthy Meals for a Week for $3 or Less & Healthy Family Meal Plan on a Budget
Sunday
side shot of a halved tomato with tuna salad and melted cheese
Tomato Bun Tuna Melt
$1.82 per serving
Budget Tip: Budget-friendly canned fish, like tuna and wild salmon, are cheap and convenient options for fast and healthy dinners on a budget. At a fraction of the price of fresh or frozen fish, you’ll get the same health benefits from canned options (think healthy omega-3 fats and protein). You can still plan to check out the fish counter when you do your grocery shopping to see what fresh seafood options are on sale. Frozen fish may be the better option as it’s often less expensive, and you can defrost it when you’re ready to use it so you know it’s fresh.
Monday
Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
$2.91 per serving
Budget Tip: Going meatless a few times a week is good for your health, good for your wallet and good for the environment. This vegetarian spaghetti squash lasagna, with 18 grams of satisfying protein and 7 grams of filling fiber, is a great budget recipe you’ll turn to time and time again.
Tuesday
4582091.jpg
Easy Chicken Fried Rice
$1.53 per serving
Budget Tip: Fried rice with plenty of vegetables and a little meat is an obvious choice when you want to make a quick and healthy dinner that’s easy on your wallet. If you have a little extra onion or half a leftover zucchini you want to use up, all the better: just throw in whatever veggie odds and ends you have in your fridge. Being versatile and using what you have on hand helps you save money and minimize food waste.
Wednesday
4589995.jpg
Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps
Budget Tip: Canned beans are an affordable, healthy and convenient ingredient and add satisfying protein and fiber to your meals. Here, canned chickpeas replace the more-expensive chicken but still deliver satisfying Buffalo flavor. Stock up when beans go on sale and use in wraps, salads, soups, stews and more for a healthy and cheap plant protein.
Thursday
4565000.jpg
Bean & Veggie Taco Bowl
$2.56 per serving
Budget Tip: Canned black beans, precooked rice and whatever veggies you have on hand is all it takes to whip up this fast and flavorful bean and veggie taco bowl. Use pantry staples to whip up this low-cost meal and skip an extra trip to the grocery store.
Friday
4473420.jpg
Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta
$1.98 per serving
Budget Tip: Chicken often goes on sale, so when it does, stock up and keep it in your freezer. This one-pot pasta uses less-expensive and flavorful chicken thighs combined with veggies, dried herbs and cheese for a delicious and creamy one-dish dinner.
Saturday
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
$2.46 per serving
Budget Tip: Tougher cuts of meat (like the beef chuck used in this easy beef stew recipe) are affordable options that simply need more cooking time to become tender and juicy, making them perfect for the slow cooker.
side shot of a halved tomato with tuna salad and melted cheese
side shot of a halved tomato with tuna salad and melted cheese
Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
4582091.jpg
4582091.jpg
4589995.jpg
4589995.jpg
4565000.jpg
4565000.jpg
4473420.jpg
4473420.jpg
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
