The 7-Day Budget Meal Plan
Eat well for two on $60 a week — with zero food waste.
Prep Time
90 min Sunday
Servings
Serves 2
Est. Cost
$60/week
Pro Tip
Buy one large pack of chicken thighs and use it across three dinners — Monday's sheet pan, Wednesday's tacos, and Friday's stir-fry. One protein purchase, three completely different meals.
Your 7-Day Meal Schedule
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Overnight Oats with Banana and Peanut Butter | Lentil Soup with Crusty Bread | Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Broccoli and Rice | Apple slices with peanut butter |
| Tuesday | Scrambled Eggs on Toast with Sliced Tomato | Leftover Lentil Soup with Crackers | Spaghetti with Turkey Bolognese and Parmesan | Banana with a handful of peanuts |
| Wednesday | Overnight Oats with Honey and Cinnamon | Turkey Bolognese Pasta Leftovers with Side Salad | Chicken Thigh Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and Lime Crema | Carrot sticks with hummus |
| Thursday | Fried Eggs with Sautéed Spinach on Toast | Black Bean and Rice Bowl with Salsa and Sour Cream | Ground Turkey and Vegetable Fried Rice | Greek yogurt with honey |
| Friday | Peanut Butter Banana Toast with Oats on the Side | Fried Rice Leftovers with Soft-Boiled Egg | Chicken Thigh Stir-Fry with Broccoli, Garlic, and Soy Sauce over Rice | Apple with a handful of mixed nuts |
| Saturday | Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Canned Tomatoes on Toast | Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Canned Tuna and Lemon Dressing | Black Bean and Vegetable Burritos with Rice and Guacamole | Hummus with pita and cucumber |
| Sunday | Oat Porridge with Banana and Brown Sugar | Leftover Burrito Bowl with Sour Cream and Salsa | Lentil and Vegetable Stew with Crusty Bread | Peanut butter on crackers |
Breakfast
Overnight Oats with Banana and Peanut Butter
Lunch
Lentil Soup with Crusty Bread
Dinner
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Broccoli and Rice
Snack
Apple slices with peanut butter
Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs on Toast with Sliced Tomato
Lunch
Leftover Lentil Soup with Crackers
Dinner
Spaghetti with Turkey Bolognese and Parmesan
Snack
Banana with a handful of peanuts
Breakfast
Overnight Oats with Honey and Cinnamon
Lunch
Turkey Bolognese Pasta Leftovers with Side Salad
Dinner
Chicken Thigh Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and Lime Crema
Snack
Carrot sticks with hummus
Breakfast
Fried Eggs with Sautéed Spinach on Toast
Lunch
Black Bean and Rice Bowl with Salsa and Sour Cream
Dinner
Ground Turkey and Vegetable Fried Rice
Snack
Greek yogurt with honey
Breakfast
Peanut Butter Banana Toast with Oats on the Side
Lunch
Fried Rice Leftovers with Soft-Boiled Egg
Dinner
Chicken Thigh Stir-Fry with Broccoli, Garlic, and Soy Sauce over Rice
Snack
Apple with a handful of mixed nuts
Breakfast
Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Canned Tomatoes on Toast
Lunch
Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Canned Tuna and Lemon Dressing
Dinner
Black Bean and Vegetable Burritos with Rice and Guacamole
Snack
Hummus with pita and cucumber
Breakfast
Oat Porridge with Banana and Brown Sugar
Lunch
Leftover Burrito Bowl with Sour Cream and Salsa
Dinner
Lentil and Vegetable Stew with Crusty Bread
Snack
Peanut butter on crackers
Key Staples for This Plan
Full list generated automatically in Tablespoon when you sign up.
- 1.5 kg chicken thighs (bone-in, bulk pack)
- 500g dried lentils
- 1 kg dry pasta (spaghetti)
- 2 kg short-grain white rice
- 500g lean ground turkey
- 1 dozen eggs
- 1 large head of broccoli
- 1 small head of cabbage
Sunday Meal Prep Tips
Cook a large pot of rice on Sunday — it keeps 5 days in the fridge and forms the base for fried rice, burrito bowls, and stir-fry nights.
Make the lentil soup in a double batch: half for Monday's dinner, half for Tuesday's lunch. Lentils cost pennies per serving and keep for 5 days.
Bake all the chicken thighs at once on Sunday in a sheet pan (425°F, 35 min). Season half with lemon-herb, half with taco spices — so they're already differentiated for Wednesday tacos.
Recipes for This Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really eat well for $60 a week for two people?
Yes — but only if you plan around ingredient overlap. The key is anchoring your week on 2 proteins (chicken thighs and ground turkey), 2 grains (rice and pasta), and 3–4 vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, spinach, carrots) that work across multiple meals. Buying a 1.5 kg pack of chicken thighs instead of individual portions, and using it across three dinners, brings the per-meal cost under $3. Lentils and canned beans fill the gaps for under $1 per serving.
How do I keep budget meals from getting boring by Wednesday?
Vary the sauce and format, not the ingredients. The same chicken and rice becomes a sheet pan dinner on Monday, a taco filling on Wednesday, and a stir-fry on Friday — just by changing the seasoning and wrap. Keep 3–4 sauces on hand (soy sauce, salsa, tahini, sriracha) and you can make the same base ingredients feel completely different every night.
What's the cheapest protein for meal prepping on a budget?
Eggs, lentils, canned beans, and chicken thighs (bone-in) are the four cheapest proteins you can meal prep with. Eggs run about $0.25 each, dried lentils come in under $0.40 per serving, canned black beans are $0.50 per serving, and bone-in chicken thighs typically come in under $2.50 per serving when bought in a bulk pack. For this plan, combining all four across the week means you never pay more than $3 per person per meal.
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