Two of the main things that stand between a person and a healthy diet is money and time. We try to provide you with recipes that are quick and easy to help you with the time issue, and now we are going to help you with the budget side with this healthy eating on a budget, shopping list and meal plan.
When money is tight, it is often healthy food that takes a back seat as bills still need to be paid. I hear so often from people that they can't afford to have a healthy diet because it is so expensive. Whilst that can be true, it doesn't have to be.
There is no doubt that a lot of junk is pretty cheap (frozen chicken nuggets, potato waffles, cookies and stuff like that) but healthy eating doesn't have to be anywhere near as expensive as people think it is. With a few smart swaps and meal planning, healthy eating can be for everyone.
If you are just starting out on trying to save money on your food shopping then take a look at ours Tips For Healthy Eating on a Budget, which has loads of general money saving tips to get you started.
Not all of the meals in the meal plan below are going to suit everyone in terms of taste, dietary requirements and calorific needs, so please adapt it to suit your own needs. This is just a guide to get you started and save you some money on your healthy food shop.
Below we have provided you with a weeks worth of healthy meals and snacks, along with a shopping list of everything you need to buy to make the meals for the week.
Although the word budget is relative, all these meals and snacks are cheap to make so they should save you some money on your healthy shopping bill.
We could have had a healthy diet for the week on less money than we spent, but it would have relied on us eating mostly the same things throughout the week and repetition is what causes us to go off track and order a pizza usually.
If you are on a stricter budget, cut out meat completely and eat more bean based meals and have more pasta dishes - that will bring the cost down.
What constitutes a "budget"?
So, let's speak about the budget. The average family spends £70 a week on food and drink shopping (this doesn't include things like toiletries and pet food etc), so we have tried to keep our budget shop under £55 so it is less than the national average and saving you some money. This is £54 for 2 adults and 2 small children.
I have not included things like spices, herbs, tea, coffee and oil and vinegar, as this is presuming that you already have those things, because they don't need to be bought very often.
Some of our shopping costs less some weeks, and some times more, so it balances itself out. These meals also provide some leftovers, so you will have extra meals to freeze for the next week.
Cheap healthy meal plan
Monday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Tuesday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
(serve with bread)
Dinner:
with frozen vegetables (Make double to have leftovers the next day)
Wednesday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
with frozen vegetables
Dinner:
with salad and pitta bread
Thursday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
with salad
Dinner:
serve with rice
Friday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
serve with homemade potato wedges
Saturday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
(using up any leftover herbs from other recipes from the week)
Dinner:
Sunday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snacks throughout the week: smoothies, apples, oranges, roasted chick peas, eggs, pears, plums, banana, pineapple slices
Shopping
Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Apples
- 2 packs Bananas
- Lemons x 4
- Oranges
- Plums
- Pineapple
- Bag of Potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 3 red bell peppers
- 3 yellow bell peppers
- Fresh coriander, basil and parsley
- Broccoli
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- A bag of spinach
- 4 shallots
- 2 courgettes
- Celery
- A large cauliflower
- 2 red onions
- 6 carrots
- 3 large boxes of Mushrooms
- Bag of onions
- 1 leek
Frozen
- 3 x bag of frozen vegetables (to serve on the side of meals or to bulk out meals)
- Bag of frozen fruit
Meat/Meat alternative
- A small pack of bacon
- Turkey Mince
- Chicken breast x 2
- Pack of veggie sausages
Dairy
- 4 pints of milk
- Greek yoghurt
- Eggs (30)
- Feta
- A large block of cheddar
Tinned/Jarred
- Tin Tomatoes x 10
- 2 tins of tuna
- Small pack/jar of olives
Dried goods
- Porridge oats
- Beans - 2kg dried
- Dried chickpeas
- Brown Rice
- Whole wheat pasta
- Wholewheat spaghetti
Bakery
- A pack of pita breads
- A loaf of bread
- Burger buns
It is difficult to make this budget shopping list and meal plan as everyone shops at different places, and people are from different parts of the world, so not everything is going to cost the same. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive list, but more a guide to show you what I buy and what I make on the budget I have.
If you’ve tried this easy weekly meal plan or any of the other recipes on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Munchies & Munchkins
Some great ideas here, its sad that so many people think a healthy diet isn't achievable on a low budget.
Dannii
It can be expensive, but it really doesn't have to be!
Choclette
I hear people say how expensive it is to eat healthily a lot too. I eat very cheaply for the most part and have done all my life. You can live amazingly well on a bag of brown rice, a sack of lentils and a load of oats. Then all you need to do is buy some fresh vegetables and some good spices. Admittedly, this might get a bit boring, but it can easily be done.
[email protected]
That is such a helpful post for everyone who is struggling to eat healthy because of budgetary restraints! Fab grocery list and suggestions!
Dannii
I am glad it helped :)
Kerry at Kerry Cooks
It's so helpful for you to give real examples of what you're eating every day! I've recently started thinking about my meal plan and it's amazing how you can cut down on what you buy
Dannii
Just by planning a little you can save so much.
Helen @ family-friends-food.com
This is a great post - really useful to see things costed out. Some inspiring healthy meal ideas too. Thanks!
Dannii
You are very welcome!
Katie Bryson
This is a really useful post Dannii packed with some great recipe and snack ideas... i'm really making an effort to clean up my act this month so thanks for the inspiration.
Dannii
You are very welcome - I am glad it helped.
Lucy @ BakingQueen74
Brilliant tips here, I will add some of these groceries to my online shop and try to cut back a bit.
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
Fab tips Danni! Gives me faith that I can cut back on my weekly shop without sacrificing healthy, tasty food!
Dannii
It just takes a little bit of planning.
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours
Great post Dannii.
I reckon I spend about £75 every ten days on my internet shop with a few top ups for stuff we run out off.
If you cook from scratch healthy eating really is not that unobtainable or unaffordable.
Dannii
I mean, £75 a week is still a lot of money to some people. I think it can be much cheaper than that too with some planning.
Elizabeth
There are some fantastic suggestions here - I will be trying these! Thanks for sharing!
Dannii
I am glad it helped :)
Emily
Such a helpful article! I like the idea of creamy lemon pasta and raw brownies!
Dannii
The raw brownies are a favourite in our house.
James
Do you have a recipe for the cat food ? ;)
Love this thanks.
Dannii
Haha that's pretty easy....cats will eat anything ;)
phoebe
just came across this page by accident - excellent.
Dannii
Thanks :) I am glad it helped.
Sharon Webster
Great site will be popping back here a lot.
Dannii
Thanks :)
Megan Perfetto
This is fantastic. I need lots of new cooking ideas. As I sm just starting to change myself and my old habits.
Dannii
The best way to chance your eating habits is to start cooking yourself.
christine
hi this is great but do you have a recipe for the pulled pork tacos and the thai noodles please x
Rachael
I would really like the pulled pork receipe too x
krista
I Really Love Your Blog. I Do Have One Question Though.Where Do I Find The Recipes To The Meals That You Do Mot Have A Direct Link To Such As The Banana And Almond Butter Smoothie?
Dannii
There isn't a recipe for it. It is just a banana and a a tbsp of almond butter with some milk in a blender and blended
graham
£50 a week i wish
Brandi
Thank you for posting this. Meals are always hard to actually plan for me. I will say again, your blogs and fb posts have been the best. Thanks again for sharing your healthy live style journey :)
Leah
Thanks! That's great info. I've had a couple of clients ask recently how to eat well on a budget. This is a super resource!