Cheap meal prep ideas – The Fitnessista

Sharing a roundup of meal prep ideas you can make on the cheap.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a great day so far! I have a morning packed full of appointments and am looking forward to family dinner tonight.

Today, I wanted to chat a bit about meal prep, because it’s been savin’ my bacon lately.

Meal prepping is one of my favorite ways to stay on track with healthy eating goals but also save money at the same time. When life gets hectic (which it always does), having budget friendly meals ready to go is a total gamechanger. I feel like whether you’re feeding a family, trying to eat healthier, or just want to spend less at the grocery store, meal prep can seriously simplify your routine.

Today, I wanted to share a roundup of cheap meal prep ideas that are delicious, super easy and quick to make, and won’t break the bank. I love that meal prepping helps eliminate the “what’s for dinner?” stress and keeps us away from pricey takeout. Most of these meals use pantry staples or affordable ingredients, and they make enough for leftovers.

Cheap Meal Prep Ideas

These recipes are perfect for weekly planning, batch cooking, and making sure you always have a friendly meal ready to go.

Whether you’re new to meal planning or a seasoned pro, I hope this post gives you fresh inspiration (and saves you a few bucks! Let’s be real, groceries are a million dollars right now.)

What Is Meal Prepping

Meal prepping is the practice of preparing meals or ingredients in advance to save time and money throughout the week. It could mean chopping veggies, cooking proteins, or assembling full meals in containers. The idea is to have meals ready to eat or cook quickly, so you’re less tempted to grab something unhealthy or expensive.

Meal prepping can help reduce food waste, streamline your grocery shopping, and make your week smoother overall. Plus, it often leads to healthier choices since you’re planning meals in advance.

Is Meal Prepping Cheaper?

Absolutely! When you plan ahead and prep your meals, you can make the most of grocery sales, buy ingredients in bulk, and avoid impulse purchases or last-minute takeout. By cooking in batches, you also use your ingredients more efficiently and waste less food.

Some people think healthy eating is expensive, but meal prepping shows that you can eat well without spending a fortune.

How To Meal Prep On A Budget

Shop Your Pantry First

Before you plan your meals, take inventory of what you already have. It’s easy to overlook canned goods, grains, or frozen items that can make great foundations for a meal.

Choose Budget Friendly Proteins

Think beans, lentils, eggs, canned tuna, organic sprouted tofu, organic ground beef, and chicken thighs. These are nutritious and often cheaper than other protein sources.

Buy Seasonal Produce

Fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually cheaper and taste better. Bonus points if you can find them at local farmers markets! Also, don’t be afraid to go for frozen fruit and veggies. They’re often cheaper and frozen at the height of freshness.

Cook in Batches

Make large batches of soups, stews, casseroles, or roasted veggies. These meals stretch far and are easy to portion into containers for the week. I like to freeze everything in these Souper Cubes and then pop out to store in the freezer.

Keep the Recipes Simple

Don’t feel like you need to cook elaborate meals. A protein, a veggie, and a carb can go a long way in terms of nutrition and satisfaction.

Shop wisely

This is a little inconvenient but I do shop around a little. I try to get as much as I can at Trader Joe’s because the prices are better, get anything I can from Thrive Market (<— this link gets you 40% off your first purchase!), and the rest from Whole Foods.

Cheap And Healthy Meal Prep Ideas

Southwest Chicken Bowls

Shredded chicken, black beans, rice, sauteed veggies, + cheese and/or salsa.

These bowls are super customizable and great for lunch or dinner. Make a big batch and portion them into containers. You can also use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to make it even easier.

Cost per serving: ~$2.50

Vegetarian Chili

This hearty, one-pot meal is packed with fiber and plant-based protein.

Cost per serving: ~$2.00

Ingredients:

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can diced tomatoes

2 diced, cooked sweet potatoes

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 can of green chilies

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step 1: Sauté onions, green onions, and peppers in olive oil.

Step 2: Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Let cool and portion into containers. Squeeze some lime on top before serving.

Greek Pasta Salad with Chickpeas

A cold salad packed with protein and fiber. Perfect for meal prep lunch!

Cost per serving: ~$2.25

Ingredients:

1 box of regular or gf pasta

1 can chickpeas

1 cucumber, chopped

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Cherry tomatoes

Feta

Fresh mint

Olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and a little honey

Instructions:

Step 1: Cook pasta and let cool.

Step 2: Toss with chopped veggies, mint, chickpeas, feta, and dressing.

Step 3: Portion and refrigerate.

*Sometimes I’ll add in sun-dried tomatoes, feta, basil, olives, whatever I have on hand.

More of my favorites:

– Grilled chicken thighs (just slice and keep in the fridge)

– Seasoned ground beef. Just season the heck out of it as you cook and store in the fridge

– Mediterranean egg bites

– Air fryer tofu (just season with Tamari, garlic, salt, pepper, and a little sriracha and air fry)

– Healthy meal prep for a week

You might also like these high protein meal prep recipes or these meal prep salad recipes for more ideas.

Let me know in the comments: do you meal prep each week? What are some of your favorite things to make?

xo