Budget Cooking: How To Eat Well EVERYDAY Without Taking Out A Loan
Alright, because you guys asked for it, we created a 1-week budget-friendly meal plan!
We’ve made this plan for 1 person (three meals + a snack each day) using the staples we talked about in our previous article.
You can scale it for 2 or more people or modify it for special diets like: vegetarian, Keto, Mediterranean, or Carnivore if you'd like.
Sidenote: One of our staff called this meal plan "spartan". But that's the idea, depending on your budget, you can add more ingredients to the plan as fits your personal tastes. This is just a template.
Here's a few quick prep tips before we go into the plan:
- Batch cook rice, beans/lentils, and roast a few chicken thighs at once. Save in fridge for 3–4 days or freeze portions.
- Use frozen veggies to save time and money.
- Reuse ingredients across meals to avoid waste.
With that said, let's get into this!
7‑Day Budget Meal Plan (1 person)
Day 1
- Breakfast: Rolled oats with sliced banana and a spoonful of peanut butter.
- Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich (canned tuna + chopped onion + mayo or yogurt) + carrot sticks.
- Dinner: Pan-roasted chicken thighs with potatoes and onions.
- Snack: Apple.
Day 2
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with sautéed cabbage and toast.
- Lunch: Leftover roast chicken over rice with frozen mixed veggies (heat and drizzle soy sauce if desired).
- Dinner: Lentil soup (lentils, onion, carrot, garlic, stock/water) + slice of bread.
- Snack: Banana.
Day 3
- Breakfast: Overnight oats (oats + milk/water + chopped apple) prepared the night before.
- Lunch: Chickpea salad (canned chickpeas, chopped onion, carrot, lemon/olive oil) on a bed of cabbage.
- Dinner: Stir‑fried vegetables (frozen veg + onion + garlic) with scrambled egg and brown rice.
- Snack: Carrot sticks.
Day 4
- Breakfast: Oat porridge with chopped apple and cinnamon.
- Lunch: Rice and beans (seasoned with onion, garlic, chili flakes) + steamed cabbage.
- Dinner: Baked potato topped with canned tuna and a side of steamed carrots.
- Snack: Banana.
Day 5
- Breakfast: Two boiled eggs + toast + small fruit.
- Lunch: Lentil and vegetable stew (leftovers-friendly).
- Dinner: Pan-seared chicken thighs (use 1–2) with sautéed onions and barley or brown rice.
- Snack: Apple.
Day 6
- Breakfast: Oats with banana and a sprinkle of seeds or nuts (optional).
- Lunch: Egg fried rice (leftover rice + 2 scrambled eggs + frozen veg + soy sauce).
- Dinner: Hearty bean chili (canned/dried beans, onion, carrot, canned tomatoes if available, spices) served with rice or bread.
- Snack: Carrot sticks or fruit.
Day 7
- Breakfast: Savory oats or porridge (oats cooked with a pinch of salt, topped with a fried egg and sautéed cabbage).
- Lunch: Chickpea and veggie wrap or bowl (use leftover cabbage, carrots, frozen veg).
- Dinner: Leftover clean-up bowl — combine any remaining rice, beans, veggies, and protein into a big mixed bowl.
- Snack: Apple or banana.
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| eating healthy on a budget |
Simple Batch-Cook Plan (do this once, e.g., Sunday)
- Cook 3–4 cups dry rice (yields many servings).
- Make a large pot of lentils or beans.
- Roast 4–6 chicken thighs with potatoes and onions.
- Chop carrots, onions, cabbage ahead and store in containers.
Shopping list (rough, 1 person / 7 days)
- Brown rice — 1–2 kg or several cups dry
- Dried lentils or canned lentils — ~500 g dry or 3 cans
- Dried beans or canned beans — ~500 g dry or 3–4 cans
- Canned tuna — 2–4 cans
- Chicken thighs — 4–6 pieces
- Eggs — 1 dozen (or 6–12 depending on preference)
- Potatoes — 2–3 lb (≈1–1.5 kg)
- Cabbage — 1 small head
- Carrots — 1–2 lb
- Onions — 3–4
- Bananas — 6–7
- Apples — 6–7
- Frozen mixed vegetables — 1–2 bags
- Bread (loaf or wraps) — 1
- Basic staples: non-seed oils, salt, pepper, garlic, soy sauce, a can of tomatoes (optional), lemon, spices.
More Money‑Saving Tips:
- Buy dried beans/lentils vs. canned for cheaper per serving (but canned is fine for convenience).
- Look at unit price, choose larger bags if you’ll use them before they go bad.
- Freeze extra portions in single servings to avoid waste.
And there you have it!
Have you heard of these meal hacks before? Got any of your own?
Let's talk about it in the comments!
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