In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleLow-Cost Healthy Meal Planning TipsWhat I’m Making This WeekGrocery List for the WeekFrom the PantryFrom the StoreThe Bottom Line
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Low-Cost Healthy Meal Planning Tips
What I’m Making This Week
Grocery List for the Week
From the Pantry
From the Store
The Bottom Line
Close
While I enjoy going out to dinner with my family of four, it makes me appreciate how I canstretch our food budgetto feed my family healthy meals all week long. Relying on trusty low-cost meal planning tricks makes for healthy family meal plans on a budget week after week.
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Here are my best tips for creating a cheap, healthy meal plan for the week to feed two adults and two kids based on a budget of $150, plusinexpensive recipe ideasto try for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. And don’t miss the shopping list below!
1. Scan the Weekly Grocery Deals
Proteins, like chicken or beef, tend to be the most costly items on the grocery list, so build a meal plan around items that are on sale. Consider seasonal produce, which tends to be cheaper, like asparagus in the spring and fresh berries in the summer.
2. Build a Budget-Friendly Fridge and Pantry
Keep a stock ofcheap stapleslike eggs and canned tuna that can be used in multiple meals throughout the week. Hard-boiled eggs add protein to your morning avocado toast or your kid’s lunchbox. Canned tuna becomes an easy meal-prep filling for lunch wraps anddoubles as meltsfor a quick dinner. When shopping, keep an eye out for deals and stock up when stuff goes on sale.
3. Write in a Few Meatless Meals
Pound for pound, plant-based proteins like lentils and canned beans are a steal compared to animal proteins. Plus,research suggests that eating more plants is good for our health. Add in a few meatless options throughout the week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
4. Plan on Theme Nights for Dinner
Assigning theme-night meals based on different meal types—like Slow-Cooker Sunday, Meatless Monday or Stir-Fry Friday—or based on pantry staples like brown rice and whole-grain pasta (think Rice Bowl Thursday or Pasta Wednesday) is a good way to stick to your budget and also reduce meal-planning decision fatigue. Adding in a leftover night (or two!) is also a good idea.
5. Stretch the Leftovers
Pack up tonight’s leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, or transform whatever is left into another meal for the family. Makeloaded sweet potatoeswith leftover chili, afrittatato use up any remaining cooked spaghetti noodles, or burritos with the last of a roasted chicken.
This week, I’m keeping things simple withno-cook breakfast options, versatilemeal-prep lunchesandkid-friendly dinnersthat come together in about 30 minutes or less. To minimize food waste and save on groceries, I’ll use many of the same ingredients for multiple meals.
Breakfast
Planning simple, quick breakfasts I can serve in minutes is key to less-chaotic mornings in our house. I’ll meal-prep a big batch ofovernight oatsto be eaten on demand during the week or packed up to-go. Or, I’ll toast a stack of whole-wheat bread and let everyone choose theirtoppings.
On the Menu
Budget Ingredients
Rolled oats, whole-wheat bread, bananas, frozen berries
Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal
Everything Bagel Avocado Toast
Peanut Butter-Banana Cinnamon Toast
Lunch
We keep lunch extra-easy in my house with snack-style lunches for the kids and salads or rice bowls for the adults. Meal-prepping a few ingredients in advance minimizes cooking during the week and allows everyone to help assemble their own lunch. I like to have a couple of protein options, a batch of cooked grains, and some washed lettuce and cut vegetables on hand. Check out ourbest base recipes for meal prepfor inspiration for what to make.
Eggs, canned black beans, brown rice, leftover vegetables from dinner
Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps
Bean & Veggie Taco Bowl
Dinner
I rely heavily on a well-planned dinner menu because this is where I spend the bulk of my grocery budget (plus it ensures I’m not scrambling to find something to serve come 6 p.m.). I’ll plan on three easy recipes plus a night of repurposing the leftovers. Because our evening schedule can be unpredictable, I’ll pick up ingredients for a pantry meal that won’t go to waste if I end up not cooking one night. Make your own menu or try one of ourbudget dinner plans.
Lentils, cabbage, beef stew meat, sweet potatoes, eggs, canned salmon, black beans
Easy Vegetarian Chili
Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale
Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad
Cheese Quesadillas with Peppers & Onions
Easy Chicken Fried Rice
American Goulash
Snacks & Treats
I like toplan snacksand treats based on one or two staples or on ingredients that are already part of the meal plan. Smoothies are the perfect way to use up yogurt, bananas and frozen berries, and my kids love them as after-school snacks. Lately we’ve been enjoying salted roasted chickpeas, the best one-ingredient snack you’ll ever make. And none of us can turn down a square of dark chocolate with a schmear of peanut butter after dinner.
Apples (or any leftover fruit), peanut butter, canned chickpeas
Apple-Peanut Butter Smoothie
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites
A number of our meals this week incorporate a fewpantry staplesthat I often have on hand. Here’s what I’ll rely on this week.Note: I did not include these items in my budget, but included approximate cost per serving for reference.
For under $150 ($141.91 to be exact), I was able to pick up all of the ingredients I’ll need to feed my family of four for five days, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and treats.
Produce:
General Grocery:
Dairy & Eggs:
Meat:
Frozen:
With a bit of planning and creativity, you can feed your family a week’s worth of nutritious meals while sticking to your budget. Use this healthy meal plan on a budget as inspiration to make the most of your grocery budget without sacrificing taste or variety!
WATCH: How to Meal-Prep a Week of Healthy Lunches for Less Than $20
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