If you use these links, I may earn a commission- please read my full disclosure policy. My family never complains, which is kind of them, but I get tired of the lack of variety.

Below you will find our lunches and dinners. Monday through Friday, the lunches are just for the two youngest and me. Our son gets lunch at school and my husband takes a packed lunch with him to work. His lunch typically consists of sandwiches, fruit, homemade yogurt and sometimes random leftovers too.

It has 7 easy dinners for a family of 5. These menus seem to be 2 meals a day? kids need more than that. I am not convinced they only spend this much per week….

Hi Nicole! Actually we eat three meals a day. Youre a genious! Your favorite Tuscan-inspired restaurant may not be the first place you'd head to get inspiration for healthy meals on the cheap.

But much of this Italian region's cuisine is humble and healthy. Tuscan cooks are fond of using cannellini beans. Here the beans partner with other great Mediterranean diet -friendly ingredients for a true-to-Italy dish that won't break the bank or your nutrition goals.

When coming up with cheap, healthy meals, consider cooking with whitefish. The affordable and lean protein is mild enough to please even picky eaters. Enjoy it on these crowd-pleasing tostadas perfectly seasoned with chili powder, garlic, and lime.

On the hunt for affordable, healthy meals that work for dinner or brunch? Get cracking—eggs, that is. Here protein-rich, budget-friendly eggs pair with other pantry staples for a cheap and easy recipe under calories per serving.

Save even more money when you substitute dried herbs you have on hand for the fresh herbs. Start planning your next chili night now. This low-cost slow cooker chili recipe can be prepped in 25 minutes.

Stir everything together in the slow cooker early in the day and come home to a healthy dinner loaded with veggies and 14 grams of protein. Sticking to healthy meals on a budget often means driving past your favorite eatery and straight home.

But with nutritious restaurant remakes like this, you can don't have to miss out on take-out flavor while saving money, sodium, and calories. Not only does this well-balanced pasta recipe clock in at under calories per serving, but it also takes only 20 minutes to prepare.

Comforting chili flavors, pasta, and cheese make this meal a family favorite. Oh yes, and it all comes together in one pan. Grilling vegetables brings out their natural sweetness; in this recipe, they're spiced and seasoned to give the fajitas extra flavor.

Bonus: If you grill no matter the season , this dish belongs in your regular rotation of budget-friendly healthy dinner recipes because you can find these veggies any time of year. Burger night just earned itself a healthy vegetarian upgrade.

Here we blend fiber- and protein-rich chickpeas with warm spices, sear them to crisp perfection, then serve with crunchy, good-for-you veggies. Whole wheat noodles, no-salt-added canned tomatoes, and shrimp make this delicious meal surprisingly low-cal and nutritious. Use frozen shrimp instead of fresh to cut the cost of the seafood.

Just don't skip the pinch of crushed red pepper flakes—they give this healthy meal on a budget just enough kick. How many cheap, healthy meals can you make without chopping anything?

This is one of the rare few. It's a no-knife-needed, "dump and done" slow cooker recipe for when you have no more than 10 minutes of hands-on prep time to spare. This slow cooker dump dinner might be the easiest of all: It requires no chopping or measuring.

How easy is that? Six ingredients, 10 minutes of prep time, and great flavor combine to make this a cheap, healthy dinner idea for any night of the week. Since they're often loaded with affordable rice, canned veggies, and ground meat, stuffed peppers are one of the best dinner ideas to keep your wallet stuffed too.

Thanks to Cuban elements like briny olives, earthy almonds, and sweet raisins, this recipe is wildly flavorful. We know that combo might sound different from what you'd usually pair with beef and brown rice, but we bet you and your dinner companions will be blown away.

Easy, cheap, healthy meals don't get fresher or more flavorful than this. The minute recipe features favorites from the Mediterranean diet, including chicken , feta cheese, olives , and tomatoes, for a meal bursting with flavor that still feels light.

We'll never say no to pasta dinners , but sometimes, we're more in the mood for potatoes. On those nights, we turn to gnocchi, a traditional potato-based Italian dumpling.

This healthy dinner brings together sweet corn , arugula, and a plethora of seasonings to make one delicious dinner that you'd never guess is budget-friendly. The veggies amp up the nutrients, too.

It's a great choice when you're looking for low-sodium recipes too. Turn a classic pork chop into a tangy, tropical meal. Orange marmalade creates a simple yet mouthwatering glaze and becomes a refreshing topping when mixed with yogurt.

Grilled pineapple slices on the side lend their bold sweetness to this new grill-season favorite. When you need a cheap, easy, healthy meal, it's time for a stir-fry. The pre-chopped packaged frozen vegetables save time in the kitchen and keep you below your grocery budget without sacrificing nutrition.

Lighten the meal more by opting for low-cal bottled plum sauce and low-sodium soy sauce. This healthy chicken recipe tops a simple salad for an easy dinner that's ready in 25 minutes. This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs.

Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don't like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang. A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish Mediterranean pasta recipe.

The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe. American goulash, also known as old-fashioned goulash, is the perfect economical family meal.

The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so this satisfying dish can cook in just one pot. This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal.

Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. You can find it in flavors like teriyaki and sesame, both of which are delicious here. Or opt for a smoked version, which has the same texture with a more robust flavor. Serve over brown rice.

Lighten up classic egg salad by swapping in creamy avocado instead of using mayonnaise. Sandwich it between toasted whole-wheat bread and you've got an easy, packable lunch ready for work or school.

Creamy tzatziki and crisp sliced cucumber add a refreshing twist to this easy Greek-inspired burger recipe loaded with feta, spinach and Mediterranean spices. No tzatziki? No problem! Make your own at home by combining plain Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon, dill and finely chopped cucumber.

Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one! Looking for a quick, easy dinner? This baked lemon-pepper chicken recipe is it. Chicken breasts are cooked in a skillet, then finished in the oven with lemon slices that soften and become part of the sauce, with a touch of maple syrup and butter to carry the flavor.

It's so simple and delicious, you'll be making this healthy dinner again and again. Toss the cooked chicken into this healthy 5-ingredient salad recipe while it's still warm to lightly wilt the kale, making it softer and easier to eat.

Using store-bought salad dressing saves time, but you could also make your own Mediterranean vinaigrette. Next time you're craving Chinese takeout, make this veggie-packed fried rice recipe in about the same time instead. Tofu and eggs give this vegetarian fried rice staying power from protein, and brown rice boosts fiber.

This vegetarian nacho recipe is a fun combination of two favorites--nachos and Greek salad. It uses whole-grain pita chips instead of the tortilla chips used in traditional nacho recipes, and it's loaded with the classic fresh vegetables in Greek salad as well as creamy hummus and salty feta cheese.

And it doesn't even need the oven! Easily doubled, this makes a great appetizer or light dinner. 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!

LIVER, POTATO AND BACON SAUTÉ. Lamb's liver might not be for everyone, but rich in flavour. TUNA MELT NACHOS. Did someone say Mexican lasagne? This dish is great for sharing! HAM AND CHEESE STROMBOLI. Shop-bought pizza sauce saves on time too. CHICKEN MOLÉ. Swap the beef mince for chicken in this chilli con carne.

Dark chocolate is the secret ingredient. CELERIAC, LENTIL AND STILTON SALAD. This salad is packed full of tasty blue cheese too. THAI GREEN FISH CURRY WITH ROTI. Frozen fish is a great, purse-friendly way to make this hearty curry. CHEESY AMERICAN PANCAKES WITH BACON AND EGGS.

This savoury brunch recipe will have everyone round the table happy. LEEK, MUSHROOM AND SPINACH GALETTE. Just swap up leek, mushrooms and spinach for any veggies you want or have left over. CHORIZO AND KALE RISOTTO. Risotto is so easy to make, and this chorizo one is incredibly pleasing.

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My family never complains, which is kind of them, but I get tired of the lack of variety. Below you will find our lunches and dinners. Monday through Friday, the lunches are just for the two youngest and me. Our son gets lunch at school and my husband takes a packed lunch with him to work.

His lunch typically consists of sandwiches, fruit, homemade yogurt and sometimes random leftovers too.

It has 7 easy dinners for a family of 5. These menus seem to be 2 meals a day? kids need more than that. I am not convinced they only spend this much per week….

Hi Nicole! Actually we eat three meals a day. Youre a genious!

Corn and Tuna Sweet Potatoes 3. Spaghetti Bolognese 3. Tuna, Tomato and Mozzarella Fusilli Bake 4. Fast Family Chicken Pie 4. Quick and Easy Fettuccine Carbonara 3.

Cheat's Chilli Con Carne 4. Bolognese Pasta Bake 4. Baked Vegetable Slice 3. Pork and Fennel Sausage Pasta 4. Find out what meal prep is and why it's good for staying healthy, saving time and can also save you money! Learn how to make meal prep easy and fun with these tips and healthy recipes.

His lunch typically consists of sandwiches, fruit, homemade yogurt and sometimes random leftovers too. It has 7 easy dinners for a family of 5. These menus seem to be 2 meals a day?

kids need more than that. I am not convinced they only spend this much per week…. Hi Nicole! Actually we eat three meals a day. Youre a genious! Your recipes look so easy and tasty! What other. Meats do you use in addition to chicken and fish?

Do you send out newsletters about your new recipes and ways to save. At the grocery? Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker.

He began his writing career reporting for The Source magazine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. His book Somebody Scream: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power was nominated for a Zora Neale Hurston Award.

He is an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he teaches writing and communications. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. If you're looking for cheap, healthy meals, these ideas are guaranteed to satisfy any of your cravings.

With more than a month's worth of nutritious meals on a budget , you'll soon learn how to use inexpensive but flavor-packed ingredients to bring well-balanced meals to your table.

Choose your own adventure with this North African-inspired feast. The chicken, chickpea, and veggie stew can be made on your stove top in a Dutch oven, or you can hit fast-forward with a pressure cooker or go low and slow with a slow cooker.

Using either of these methods will treat you to a healthy meal on a budget that's low in calories, high in protein, and nicely spiced with cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne.

This traditional Southern comfort dish is said to bring good luck if you eat it on New Year's Day. But we're so obsessed with this cheap, healthy meal, we eat it all year. Instead of calling for bacon or ham, our vegetarian variation of this rice and black-eyed peas dish features several spices and heaps of veggies, including bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and frozen corn.

The spice—and the price—are right for this Indian-inspired cheap, healthy meal. Serve the turmeric- and ginger-infused grilled chicken on a bed of basmati rice included in the price estimate to round out the meal.

Save leftover sliced meat to tuck inside warm pita bread or a tortilla for a lunch wrap the next day. Meatloaf secures a top spot on the list of easy, cheap, healthy meals when you use lean ground beef and boost the filling factor with inexpensive spuds.

And don't you love how sheet-pan dinners like this one require so little cleanup time? Cooking everything on one foil-lined pan speeds it up. You'd be hard-pressed to find a delivery pizza as affordable as this homemade healthy dinner recipe. Start with store-bought dough to make the Mediterranean meal a practical choice, even on a weeknight.

Look for the dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or ask your local pizza shop if you can purchase an extra pound of their secret recipe! Noodle dishes are known to be easy on the wallet.

Not so much. Fortunately, a small handful of heart-healthy nuts can go a long way to add a rich flavor to cheap, healthy meals like this one. Whole wheat noodles help too.

Low in fat 6 grams per portion yet high in protein a strong 28 grams , this five-ingredient slow cooker pork recipe checks all the boxes. Only 10 minutes of prep required. Indeed—it's one of the lowest-cost options in this collection of cheap, healthy meals. Here's a cheap, healthy vegetarian meal you'll want to make again and again.

With 24 grams of protein and a nice portion of hunger-taming broth and noodles, this soup will fill you up for hours.

Meat-like portobello mushrooms , tofu , and a poached egg join fresh veggies in this cozy, crowd-pleasing Asian noodle soup. Breaded with whole wheat panko and baked instead of fried, this eggplant Parmesan is calories less than some classic recipes.

Keep your nutrition streak going by grabbing a couple of zucchini at the store to spiralize , toss with the rest of the marinara , and serve under the baked eggplant. Voilà—a budget dinner recipe for four that tastes up to par with its restaurant competition. A few decades ago, "stretch the meat" was the mantra for cutting costs at dinnertime.

It's still a great strategy for making cheap, healthy meals even more affordable. Here wide egg noodles , mushrooms, and a bit of cheese extend 8 ounces of ground beef to provide five hearty servings.

One bite will be all the proof you need that you can absolutely make satisfying suppers without making meat the main event. Instead of refried beans, this flavorful Mexican entrée —ready in 30 minutes—features a creamy cauliflower puree.

If you're hungry and have leftover chicken or shrimp , toss them in too. the serving size can be cut in half for an easy, healthy dinner recipe for two on a budget.

To maximize your cheap, healthy dinner recipes, never let any ingredients go to waste. Instead, use any leftover pesto in these quick and easy pesto recipes. Turn budget-friendly shaved cooked ham into a delicacy by serving it on mashed sweet potatoes and topping it with cranberry sauce.

This healthy dinner recipe on a budget offers a taste of Thanksgiving any time of year. Not into ham or craving more holiday spirit?

It's the start of the most wonderful time of the year, but maybe not for our wallets. With gifts and festivities on the horizon, help rein in your spending with our our favorite budget-friendly recipes. We will share 27 days of money-saving dishes that don't sacrifice deliciousness.

Stay healthy with us for your time between celebrations. Full of flavor and plenty of veggies, this easy vegetable soup is a great way to clear out some space in your produce drawer.

This recipe is flexible enough that you can make ingredient changes based on what you have on hand. You could also very easily make this a vegan stew by swapping out the butter for oil. Be sure to defrost the frozen items and drain off any liquid that accumulates during defrosting time you don't water down the stew.

Because this recipe makes a large amount of stew, consider freezing half for later. You won't believe how quick and easy it is to make this healthy pizza.

Thanks to a two-ingredient dough that combines self-rising flour and Greek yogurt, there is no need for a rise time. Just roll, top and bake, and you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in under half an hour.

This better-for-you creamy, cheesy chicken fettuccine Alfredo isn't all that fancy, but it's incredibly comforting. You'll taste a nice pop of pepper and nutty notes from the whole-wheat pasta.

Best part about this recipe? It's a one-pot meal, which means fewer dishes for you! Two of our favorite comfort-food sandwiches join forces in these family-friendly dinner sandwiches. We found that softer buns make this easier to eat, and it's all the better when wrapped takeout-style in a sheet of foil.

Simmer eggs in a rich tomatoey cream sauce studded with chickpeas and silky spinach for a super-fast vegetarian dinner.

Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Be sure to use heavy cream; a lower-fat option might curdle when mixed with acidic tomatoes. These spicy shrimp tacos owe their kick to a smoky chipotle shrimp seasoning blend.

Cooling avocado and tangy pico de gallo round out the flavor. This vibrant, easy dinner comes together in a flash, making it perfect for busy weeknights. To make this 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 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. A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly.

Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy omegarich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal. Mixing mashed canned beans with whole beans and seasonings makes an incredibly simple taco filling from your pantry. Top these speedy 5-ingredient tacos with lettuce, tomato and salsa or any of your favorite taco toppings.

This superfast one-dish dinner is full of classic flavor and is such a crowd pleaser that you'll want to work it into your regular weeknight dinner rotation. We call for bone-in pork chops to maximize flavor, but boneless pork chops are a fine substitution. To round out this meal a little more, serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

These minute quesadillas are a notch above basic with the addition of sautéed peppers and onions. Let the kiddos load them up with the toppings at the table. Using everything bagel spice is a quick way to season and add extra crunch to breadcrumbs for chicken tenders.

If you can't find any premixed, make your own by combining equal parts dried minced onion and garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt and ground pepper see Associated Recipes. This healthy chicken recipe tops a simple salad for an easy dinner that's ready in 25 minutes. This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs.

Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don't like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang.

A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish Mediterranean pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe. American goulash, also known as old-fashioned goulash, is the perfect economical family meal.

The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so this satisfying dish can cook in just one pot. This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal. Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. Monday through Friday, the lunches are just for the two youngest and me.

Our son gets lunch at school and my husband takes a packed lunch with him to work. His lunch typically consists of sandwiches, fruit, homemade yogurt and sometimes random leftovers too.

It has 7 easy dinners for a family of 5. These menus seem to be 2 meals a day? kids need more than that. I am not convinced they only spend this much per week….

Hi Nicole! Actually we eat three meals a day. Youre a genious! Your recipes look so easy and tasty! What other. Meats do you use in addition to chicken and fish? Do you send out newsletters about your new recipes and ways to save. At the grocery? hanks for your kind words, Marla!

I also occasionally with add in fish since Aldi has the frozen fillets for such a reasonable price. And then I add in ground beef or ground turkey whenever I can find it cheap and the same with bacon, sausage and ham.

I love buying a big ham when they are cheap over the holidays and then I cook it up and cut it into bite sized pieces and freeze it in small portions typically 1 to 2 cups. This gives me a nice supply of ham to use in soups or other dishes too.