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How To Meal Prep On A Budget: 10 Great Recipes To Try

Last Updated: March 3, 2021 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 3 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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Would you like to learn how to meal prep on a budget?

Planning healthy and satisfying meals week after week can get exhausting.

Having a family, a full-time job, a side hustle, etc. makes it even more challenging to cook during the week.

I know I have fallen into that rut before, and many times I would end up eating something unhealthy or spending more money on takeout or restaurant food.

If you do that too many times a week, you can end up easily spending an extra hundred dollars or more on food each week. And, even though we all know it’s more expensive to go out to eat, making dinner at home can feel like a lot of extra work.

That is what I love about meal prepping – you do all of the work in advance. You can spend one afternoon or evening cooking your meals, then you divide them into containers, and they are ready to go for the week. 

Meal prepping some of your meals is perfect for busy nights when you don’t feel like cooking. You save money and time!

But, many of the meal prep recipes you may find can still be a little expensive. That’s why I have 10 recipes to help you meal prep on a budget. 

These meal prep recipes include low-cost ingredients, they are easy to put together, and they are delicious.

Let me tell you about some of my favorite budget meal prep ideas on this list:

  • Lemon garlic chicken with zucchini noodles – The first time someone told me about zucchini noodles, I was convinced I wouldn’t like them. But, they are actually very good, and they make this a low carb meal, too. If you want to make it gluten free, simply substitute the soy sauce for tamari.
  • One pan Mexican orzo – I love this easy one-pot meal. We have a small kitchen on the boat and camper van, so I love anything that makes it easier to cook and clean up. Another great part about this recipe is that she tells you how to easily substitute ingredients you already have at home.
  • Chili lime chicken and rice – This recipe is packed with lots of great flavors. There is lime, garlic, chili, cilantro, and spices. I like to top it with fresh avocados and diced tomatoes.

Not only are these recipes great to do dinner meal prep on a budget, they would all make delicious and easy lunches for your work week. 

Even though I work from home, there are some days when I appreciate having lunch ready to go. It means I can keep working without having to stop – Wes hates when I do this, and he will remind me when it’s time to eat, haha!

I think these recipe ideas are exactly what you need if you want to meal prep on a budget while also eating delicious and healthy meals. 

I would love to hear which recipes you have tried and how you like them!

Related content:

  • 10 Budget Lunch Ideas & Cheap Easy Meals You Should Try
  • 10 Quick And Easy One Pot Meals
  • 10 Easy And Affordable Meal Prep Ideas
  • 12 Easy Healthy Meals On A Budget

Note: If you’re looking for easy weekly meal plans, full of budget recipes, I recommend $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal planning service that sends you a delicious meal plan and shopping list every week for just $5 a month.

Here are 10 new recipes to help you meal prep on a budget.

 

1. Chili Lime Chicken And Rice Bowls

Get the recipe here.

 

2. Meal Prep Taco Breakfast Scramble

Get the recipe here.

 

3. Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, And Broccoli

Get the recipe here.

 

4. Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls

Get the recipe here.

 

5. Chicken Burrito Bowl

Get the recipe here.

 

6. Spicy Tuna Bowls With Cauliflower Meal Prep

Get the recipe here.

 

7. Lemon Garlic Chicken With Zucchini Meal Prep

Get the recipe here.

 

8. One Pan Chicken And Veggies

Get the recipe here.

 

9. One Pan Mexican Orzo With Chorizo And Black Beans

Get the recipe here.

 

10. Veggie Meal Prep Ramen With Tofu And Marinated Eggs

Get the recipe here.

What’s your favorite meal prep on a budget recipe to make?

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3 Comments
Filed Under: Budget, Food Tagged With: Budget Recipes, Food, Meal prep on a budget

About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. giulia lombardo says

    November 18, 2020 at 9:37 am

    Being vegetarian I loved last recipe, however all recipes are perfect for who wants to eat healty and respect the budget, thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  2. Janet says

    November 18, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    These look yummy!! I could eat that breakfast scramble all day long. I completely agree with meal prep/planning. The better I plan, the less I spend. Like Sunday’s no plan for dinner that winded up costing an extra $60. Ok once in a while, but on a regular basis we’d go broke.

    Reply
  3. Lindsey says

    October 17, 2021 at 12:45 pm

    The one pan Mexican orzo link doesn’t work is there another place for this recipe?

    Reply

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My name is Michelle and I'm the author/owner of Making Sense of Cents. Learning how to save money and make more money changed my life. It allowed me to pay off $40,000 in student loans, start my own business, and I now travel full-time.

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