We took our family of four out for dinner and ice cream on a recent Friday evening. Two adult entrees, two kids entrees, a tip, and a round of ice cream cones later, we had effortlessly racked up an $80 dinner bill. As much as we love treating ourselves to dinner out, it makes me appreciate how I can stretch our food budget to feed my family with healthy meals all week, often for about what we spend on a single restaurant meal. Relying on reliable, low-cost meal planning tips makes it easy to create healthy family meal plans on a budget week after week.
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Here are my top tips for creating a healthy, inexpensive meal plan for the week to feed two adults and two children based on a budget of $100 and up. inexpensive recipe ideas try for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. And don’t miss the shopping list below!
Tips for Planning Healthy, Low-Cost Meals
Follow these tips to create a healthy meal plan on a budget each week.
1. Browse weekly grocery deals
Proteins, like chicken or beef, tend to be the most expensive items on the grocery list, so build a meal plan around the items on sale. Consider seasonal produce, which tends to be less expensive, like asparagus in spring and fresh berries in summer.
2. Build a budget-friendly refrigerator and pantry
Keep a stock of cheap commodities like canned eggs and tuna that can be used in multiple meals throughout the week. Hard-boiled eggs add protein to your morning avocado toast or your child’s lunch box. Canned tuna becomes an easy-to-prepare topping for lunch wraps and also used to melt for a quick dinner. When shopping, keep an eye out for good deals and stock up when items are on sale.
3. Write down some meatless meals
Pound for pound, plant proteins like canned lentils and beans are a bargain compared to animal proteins. More, research suggests eating more plants is good for our health. Add a few meat-free options throughout the week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
4. Plan themed dinner parties
Assign themed nights based on different meal types, like Slow Cooker Sunday, Meatless Monday, or Stir-Fry Friday, or pantry staples like brown rice and whole-grain pasta (think Thursday Rice Bowl or Pasta Wednesday) is a good idea. a way to stick to your budget and also reduce fatigue related to meal planning decisions. Adding a leftover night (or two!) is also a good idea.
5. Stretch out leftovers
Prepare tonight’s leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch or turn what’s left into another meal for the family. Do loaded sweet potatoes with the remains of chili, a frittata to use leftover cooked spaghetti noodles, or burritos with the rest of a roast chicken.
What I’m doing this week
This week, I’m keeping it simple with no-cook breakfast optionsversatile meal prep lunches And child-friendly dinners that come together in about 30 minutes or less. To minimize food waste and save on groceries, I will use many of the same ingredients for multiple meals.
Breakfast
Planning quick and easy breakfasts that I can serve in minutes is the key to less chaotic mornings in our house. I’m going to make a big batch of overnight oats to consume on request during the week or to take away. Or, I toast a stack of whole wheat bread and let everyone choose their toppings.
On the menu
- Overnight oatmeal with banana or berry slices
- Whole wheat toast with nut butter and banana, or with avocado and sliced hard-boiled egg
Budget Ingredients
Oatmeal, whole wheat bread, bananas, frozen berries
Creamy Blueberry Pecan Overnight Oatmeal
Everything Bagel Avocado Toast
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Cinnamon Toast
Lunch
At my house we keep lunch very easy with snack style lunches for the kids and salads or rice bowls for the adults. Preparing a few ingredients ahead of time minimizes cooking during the week and allows everyone to participate in assembling their own lunch. I like to have a few protein options, a batch of cooked grains, washed lettuce, and cut vegetables on hand. Check out our best basic meal prep recipes to inspire you on what to do.
On the menu
- Bento boxes for children
- Egg salad (to stuff into tortillas, lettuce wraps or sandwiches)
- Rice Bowls with Black Beans and Vegetables (I’ll use leftover veggies from last night’s dinner if I have any or I’ll stir-fry any veggies I have in the fridge.)
Budget Ingredients
Eggs, canned black beans, brown rice, leftover vegetables from dinner
Dinner
I rely heavily on a well-planned dinner menu, since that’s where I spend most of my grocery budget (plus it ensures I’m not scrambling to find something to serve at 6 p.m.) . I plan three easy recipes and one night to reuse the leftovers. Because our evening schedule can be unpredictable, I go get the ingredients for a pantry meals it won’t be lost if I end up not cooking one night. Create your own menu or try one of our budget dinner plans.
On the menu
Budget Ingredients
Lentils, cabbage, beef stew, sweet potatoes, eggs, canned salmon, black beans
Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale
Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad
Cheese Quesadillas with Peppers and Onions
Snacks and treats
I like plan snacks and treats made from one or two staple foods or 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 crazy about savory roasted chickpeas, the best one-ingredient snack you’ve ever made. And none of us can turn down a square of dark chocolate with a little peanut butter after dinner.
On the menu
- Fruit and yogurt smoothies
- Grilled chickpeas
- Dark chocolate squares
Budget Ingredients
Apples (or leftover fruit), peanut butter, canned chickpeas
2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
Chocolate and Nut Butter Bites
Weekly grocery list
From the pantry
A number of our meals this week incorporate some pantry staples which I often have on hand. Here’s what I’m going to focus on this week. Note: I haven’t included these items in my budget, but I have included the approximate cost per serving for reference.
- Dijon mustard $0.05
- Mayonnaise $0.08
- Worcestershire sauce $0.04
- Ketchup $0.08
- Salsa $0.11
- Pickled jalapeños $0.42
- Brown rice $0.14
- Olive oil $0.27
- Vinegar $0.05
- Maple syrup $0.12
- Brown sugar $0.01
- Dried herbs, spices, salt, pepper $0.05
Of the shop
For $100 ($101.44 to be exact), I was able to pick up all the ingredients I will need to feed my family of four for five days, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and treats.
Produce:
- Bananas (8) $1.84
- Organic apples (2 lbs, about 5) $6.18
- Lawyers (3) $4.47
- Green peppers, organic (3) $8.07
- Red onion (1 medium) $1.49
- Onion (1 medium) $1.99
- Garlic (1 bulb) $0.78
- Green onions (1 bunch) $1.79
- Organic celery (1 bunch) $3.50
- Carrots (1 lb bag) $1.79
- Sweet potatoes (4 medium) $4.24
- Romaine lettuce (3 medium heads) $3.49
- Baby spinach, organic (5 oz can) $3.79
- Cilantro (1 bunch) $1.19
- Green cabbage (1 medium head) $4.76
General groceries:
- Oatmeal (18 oz container) $5.39
- Whole wheat bread (1 loaf) $4.29
- Whole grain tortillas (1 package) $4.09
- Natural peanut butter (16 oz jar) $5.39
- Brown lentils (1 lb bag) $2.69
- Canned Black Beans (4 x 14.5 oz cans) $4.39
- Canned chickpeas (2 x 14.5 oz cans) $1.96
- Canned green chili peppers (4 oz can) $1.99
- Canned Diced Tomatoes (28 oz. can) $1.99
- Canned crushed tomatoes (14 oz can) $1.19
- Canned Tomatoes and Peppers (10 oz can) $1.49
- Tomato paste (6 oz can) $1.19
- Tomato juice (32 oz can) $4.59
- Canned wild salmon (6 oz can) $5.79
- Bittersweet Chocolate Bar (2.5 oz bar) $3.49
Dairy products and eggs:
- Greek yogurt (32 oz container) $4.99
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese (8 oz package) $2.79
- Almond milk (½ gallon) $3.29
- Organic eggs (2 dozen) $9.98
- Heavy cream (½ pint) $2.29
Meat:
- Beef stew meat (1½ lb) $15.59
Frozen:
- Blueberries (14 oz bag) $3.69
The essential
With a little planning and creativity, you can feed your family for a week with nutritious meals for a little more than you would spend eating out for a single meal. Use this healthy meal plan on a budget as inspiration to get the most out of your grocery budget without sacrificing taste or variety! See all our others healthy meal plans And healthy dinner plans.
