What Should I Eat To Lose Weight On A Budget
In order to lose weight on a budget, you should focus on whole, nutritious foods that are affordable. The 21 healthy recipes Ive selected are all weight loss and budget friendly. They contain healthy ingredients that are low calorie and cheap, but will still fill you up! These healthy recipes to try will show you which ingredients will give you the most weight loss for your buck!
Cheap Dinner Ideas For Couples
Here is another dish that is made perfectly for two people, so you can get your moneys worth.
A chicken with this much flavor can only be made with teriyaki.
The umami flavor really makes this dish irresistible to most people and served on a bed of fried rice is the way to go.
You can make a huge batch of this dish and have it the entire rest of the week too.
Weekly Dinner Meal Planning
Make healthy dinner ideas even simpler by meal planning! Using a calendar or meal planner is a great way to fill in 5-6 days worth of meals plus account for any activities that may come up that week. It really does help you stay on track!
And if you need helpo, use iFOODreal healthy meal plans, with 6 dinners plus a shopping list planned for you each week! Its a stress free way to feed your family and stay healthy.
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Lemon Chicken And Potatoes
Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 96p | Total cost:£3.96
Priced at Asda
- Asda Farmstores chicken thigh portions , £1.94
- Smartprice British small potatoes 90p
- Farm stores green beans 87p
Grilled lemon chicken with potatoes is a really great one-dish family meal that is quick and easy to prepare with very little washing up afterward. If you use cheaper cuts of meat like chicken thighs instead of breasts, you can stay under budget. We left out the optional olives. This is one of our favourite cheap family meals as it’s so simple to prepare, and cook and costs just 96p per serving. An all-around winner.
Get the recipe:Grilled lemon chicken with potatoes
Healthy Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes From 2 Share My Joy
Sweet potatoes are an amazing cheap food thats great for weight loss on a budget. Theyre a good source of fiber plus theyre filled with vitamin C and beta carotene. This colorful stuffed sweet potato dish costs just $2.50 per serving. Its easy to prepare making it a cheap and healthy recipe to lose weight fast even on a busy schedule. If avocados are too expensive, you can leave out the guacamole. You can also add some ground beef for extra protein.
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Turkey Cabbage Asian Bowls From Yellow Glass Dish
Ground turkey and shredded cabbage are ingredients that are healthy, filling, and cheap! These Turkey Cabbage Asian Bowls are cheaper than takeout and better for your waistline too. If you want to lose weight on a budget with a busy schedule, this quick and cheap recipe is perfect for you! Its also low carb and keto friendly.
Macaroni Cheese With Peas
Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 95p | Total cost:£3.79
Priced at Sainsburys
- Everyday Value pasta penne quills , 58p
- The Greengrocer garden peas , 52p
- J James cooking bacon , 75p
- Sainsbury’s Mary Ann Dairy Mild Cheddar Slices 200g, 99p
- British Creme Fraiche, 95p
This is such a great classic family meal, made even tastier with bacon and even healthier with peas. Faith says: Adding the bacon and peas to macaroni cheese lifts it from a side dish into a main meal, and this recipe is easy to scale up if you have loads of kids to feed.
Using cooking bacon keeps the costs down. You end up with the same great taste, its just that rather than paying extra for neatly packaged rashers you get a mix of streaky and back bacon, some chunks and some slices, some with rind and some not.
Get the recipe:Macaroni cheese with peas
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Slimming Worlds Bacon And Tomato Risotto
Serves: 4 | Cost per person:£1 | Total cost:£3.99
Priced at Tesco
- 2 courgettes, 80p
- Morrisons Savers Long Grain Rice, 45p
Eating on a budget gets even harder if youre also trying to slim down for summer. But this bacon and tomato risotto recipe is Slimming World approved and still comes in at just £1. Long grain rice will work just as well in this recipe as arborio risotto rice, and its significantly cheaper.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge but are best eaten the next day for lunch. The cherry tomatoes, courgette, and onion count towards your five-a-day.
Get the recipe:Bacon and tomato risotto
Our Cheap Chicken Recipes Easy Soup Recipes Hearty Pasta Recipes And More Healthy Dinners Are Satisfying Recipes For 1 Or Less Per Serving
Healthy recipes for one person on a budget. I was bored and hungry and wondering what I was going to do with some left-over pesto and some pesky sun-dried tomatoes that I wanted to get out of the fridge. Slowly add the pasta to the boiling water. For one person you will need about 100 to 150g of dry pasta.
Im also a low-carber so pasta was out of the question. Do not cover the saucepan. It can be Stir Fry Chicken with Peanut Sauce one week Crispy Lemon Chicken Thigh Recipe for One another week that also helps use up the lemon from the pasta and spinach recipe and Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes for One a third week.
Pesto Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Here you can add other flavorings such as garlic powder or Italian seasonings. The peanut butter and the olives are staples and wont spoil.
Then theres a can of tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. 35 Cheap and Healthy Recipes for Families on a Budget.
Cheap Dinner Recipes for 1 or Less Per Serving August 27 2019 If youre looking to cut down on food costs but still eat well try one of our healthy cheap dinner recipes for 1 or less per serving. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes with the water still boiling.
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Courgette Bacon And Chilli Pasta Bake
Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 99p | Total cost:£3.96
Priced at Sainsburys
- Hubbards Foodstore Pasta Shapes , 58p
- Fresh cut basil 47p
The smoked bacon, garlic, and basil infuse this pasta dish with plenty of flavour. Rather than topping with cheddar, which can be very expensive, weve used a ball of mozzarella. Cut it into chunks and lay it over the top of the pasta when you pop it in the oven for a lovely, creamy cheese finish. We also swapped the fresh chillies for dried ones from the store cupboard, which give just the same spicy kick.
Get the recipe:Courgette, bacon and chilli pasta bake
Pesto Ravioli With Spinach & Tomatoes
Looking for a new way to turn a bag of frozen cheese ravioli into a satisfying and healthy dinner? This easy pasta recipe calls for just five ingredients but is loaded with fresh flavors. By using grape tomatoes, prewashed spinach and prepared pesto, we eliminate all prep work, making this 15-minute Caprese-inspired ravioli the ideal weeknight meal. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2019
Shrimp scampi is a favorite dish at many Italian restaurants but our version takes just 20 minutes to prepare, so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner at home. Large shrimp are cooked with garlic and then served over linguine pasta with a buttery-wine sauce–it’s so good your family may think you ordered takeout! Source: Diabetic Living Magazine
To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end. Source: EatingWell.com, August 2018
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Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats From The Moments At Home
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats are an amazing budget-friendly weight loss meal because you get your veggies and your meat all in one! No need to spend money on an extra side salad. This is a healthy and filling chicken recipe for weight loss that your whole family will love. Pro tip: You can cut down on the calories and fat in this recipe by using neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese. You can also cut the amount of Monterrey Jack cheese down to a 1/2 cup.
Zucchini Enchiladas From Kicking Carbs
Enchiladas with all the cheese and none of the carbs? Its a dream come true with this low carb and veggie-filled weight loss recipe. It has shredded chicken for extra protein and budget-friendly ingredients like onions and sour cream. A healthy and filling meal for weight loss that is SO good, youll want to make it twice!
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Which Supermarket Was The Cheapest
If you’re wondering which supermarket is the cheapest , then this for us varied widely depending on the recipes. Aldi often proved cheapest for large quantities, though we found it difficult to purchase smaller portions – for example, items of veg, like onions, are not sold singly. This pushed up overall costs to some degree.
Asda had the cheapest sausages and their Smart Price and Farm Stores range often represented the cheapest options. Tesco and Sainsbury’s performed well for fresh vegetables while Sainsbury’s also has a good range of affordable cheeses like mozzarella and feta.
Bacon Tomato Spinach And Ricotta Spaghetti
Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 96p | Total cost:£3.84
Priced at Sainsburys
This bacon, tomato, spinach, and ricotta pasta makes a cheap family meal. Sun-dried tomatoes are an expensive ingredient, but if you have some time you can cheat – by making your own. Simply slice 2-3 tomatoes into quarters and roast them on your ovens lowest setting for about 3 hours.
Get the recipe:Bacon, tomato, spinach, and ricotta linguine
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Can You Cook Anything For Under $10
You dont have to worry about breaking the bank to make these cheap dinners because most of them will cost you below $10.
Most of the ingredients are probably things youve had lying around the pantry for months anyway.
Instead of needing to head to the grocery store every time you want to make a great meal, these recipes will make easy cheap dinner ideas without needing to leave home.
So sit back and take some notes on the best cheap dinner meals for you and your family.
Pasta With Juicy Cherry Tomatoes
Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 89p | Total cost:£3.55
Priced at Asda
- 4 x Asda Farm Stores Cherry Tomatoes, £2
- Fresh basil bunch 55p
You need a lot of cherry tomatoes for this fabulous pasta dish – a whole kilo. But its really worth it. The tomatoes get roasted down in herbs, oil, and sugar to really concentrate the flavour and the sweetness. Then you just toss them in the cooked pasta with plenty of torn basil and hey presto. A brilliant summer pasta supper that feels anything but budget.
Get the recipe:Pasta with juicy cherry tomatoes
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Quick & Spicy Nasi Goreng
Rustle up this veggie stir-fry in just 20 minutes using simple yet wholesome ingredients such as brown rice and cabbage. It’s great for using up other leftover veggies you have, which you can just grate or chop in. Serve this nasi goreng with a fried egg on top and a drizzle of sriracha chilli sauce for a satisfying supper.
Budget tip: Use Savoy cabbage for a cheaper option than Chinese leaf.
Discover more speedy stir-fry recipes.
Mango Salad With Peanut Dressing
Instead of going savory with your cheap dinner meals, try something that is light and refreshing.
A mango salad with peanut dressing is perfect because its full of flavor but also has a light feel to it.
The best part is that you only need four ingredients to make this, so its super easy and fast to prepare.
This is a much better option than just ordering takeout or making something that your family wont appreciate as much.
Theyre sure to enjoy all the effort put into this dish even though its easy to make.
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Avoid Buying Highly Processed Food
You might be surprised to see how much youre paying for highly processed foods like soda, crackers, cookies, and prepackaged meals.
Despite the fact that they often lack beneficial nutrients and may be high in sodium or added sugar, theyre also very expensive.
Summary
Avoid buying highly processed foods. Not only are they expensive, they often contain lots of sodium or sugar, with little to no nutritional value.
Appreciate Less Expensive Foods
A lot of foods are both inexpensive and nutritious. By making some adjustments and using ingredients that you may not be used to, you can prepare many delicious and inexpensive meals.
Try increasing your use of eggs, beans, seeds, frozen fruits and vegetables, cheaper cuts of meat, and whole grains.
These all taste great, are cheap , and are very nutritious.
Summary
Incorporating more inexpensive yet nutrient-rich foods into your daily routine will help you save money and eat well.
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Sausage Rigatoni Pasta Bake
Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 98p | Total cost:£3.92
Priced at Tesco
- 2 x Growers Harvest Chopped tomatoes, 56p
- Creamfields Mozzarella 43p
This hearty sausage pasta bake serves four, and the budget includes garlic and tomato puree. Youll have plenty of both of these leftovers so you can add them to your store cupboard staples.
We’ve skipped the wine to keep this cheap but if you have any leftover, add a splash or two. We also dropped the cheddar cheese in favour of using twice as much mozzarella. Slice it thinly and place it over the top of the bake so it oozes into the tomato sauce. Feel free to use cheddar as well, or instead.
Get the recipe:Sausage rigatoni pasta bake
Turkey Mince Cottage Pie
Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 99p | Total cost:£3.97
Priced at Morrisons
- 4 Potatoes, 39p
This warm and comforting potato topped pie is a perfect weekend supper for the whole family. Its packed with meat, potatoes, and vegetables, a whole meal in one. Turkey mince is slightly more expensive than beef but its tasty and healthy – a lean source of protein.
This Woman’s Weekly turkey mince cottage pie is perfect for Sunday dinner. We’ve used tinned peas instead of frozen to keep them cheap.
Get the recipe:Turkey mince cottage pie
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Preparing Meals Without A Fridge
If you dont have a fridge, shop for food in individual servings or small packages. While these can be more expensive, youll likely have less waste from spoilage, so they can ultimately be more cost effective.
- Purchase only what you are able to prepare and eat before the food goes bad.
- To keep food fresh for longer, try filling a cooler with ice when you purchase perishable foods. Just remember to keep the foods sealed from the water as the ice melts.
- In winter, windowsills can often be cooler places to store perishables.
Shelf life of fresh food
The amount of time that food stays fresh without refrigeration varies:
- Root vegetables such as potatoes, yams, and onions are best stored in a cool dry place above floor level and can stay fresh for several weeks.
- Celery and cabbage will stay good for a few days without refrigeration, if in a cool place.
- Lettuce and other greens are very sensitive so spoil quickly. You will need to use them within a day or two of purchasing.
- Meat and dairy products dont stay fresh without refrigeration, so purchase only what you plan to cook and eat right away.
One Pot And Healthy Sheet Pan Dinners
These one pot and sheet pan dinners prove that healthy dinner ideas can be flavorful without washing 3 pots!
With one pan cooking its important to figure out the right combination of foods, so pasta doesnt get mushy or meat not fully cooked. Below, are all tried and true healthy one pot meal wonders.
I own two 6 quart Lodge dutch ovens and they are worth every penny. They last forever, are affordable and cook food evenly and very-very nicely. A must for a healthy cook! Keep in mind that dark baking sheets cook faster, too.
Browse our best collections with over 45 healthy Instant Pot recipes for major one pot cooking inspiration.
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+ Easy Budget Friendly Meals For One
Moving out from my family of 7, one of the biggest adjustments was cooking! In college, I almost never ate out and now that Im out of school, I eat out maybe 1-2x a week depending on how lazy Im feeling!
I see a lot of lists for meals for one and meals for college students. Many of these lists require things that are hard to get/unrealistic or ingredients that only work for a handful of meals. I decided to compile a list of my favorite recipes, great for only one or two people.
My criteria:
- Few ingredients/ingredients you can use for multiple recipes
- No special appliances other than stove, microwave, oven
Here are some of my favorite recipes that are budget-friendly and that work well for a single person. I used them throughout college and still use these as a single person! All of these recipes have ingredients you probably already have, or that work well for multiple meals.