Photo: A photo of sliced chicken on a white plate with the text overlay that reads budget healthy recipes.
Eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank. If you're looking to save money on your grocery bill, there are plenty of budget-friendly and nutritious meal options available. From easy and cheap dinner ideas to affordable breakfast choices, we've got you covered with a variety of delicious recipes that won't strain your wallet.
Cheap Healthy Meals: Delightful and Nutritious Choices
Saving on grocery bills is always a goal for most of us. Our website offers a wide range of budget-friendly recipes, but let's highlight some of our favorite cheap dinner options. Whether you prefer ground beef, chicken, soups, or meatless meals, we have something for everyone.
Cheap Healthy Dinner Ideas: Hearty and Affordable Recipes
Cooking a delicious and healthy dinner doesn't have to be expensive. Ground beef is versatile and affordable, making it a great choice for budget-friendly meals. However, whole chicken or chicken breasts can also be a cost-effective option. Here are some of our best healthy dinner ideas:
Healthy Cheap Meals with Ground Beef
- Easy Taco Casserole: This delicious weeknight dinner can be made in under an hour with tortillas and ground beef. It's a budget-friendly and flavorful option.
- Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe: Enjoy a hearty and filling meal with this healthy soup. It's perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- Ground Beef Stew: Make a comforting stew using ground beef in the instant pot, crockpot, or on the stove. It's an affordable alternative to using stew meat.
- Homemade Hamburger Helper: This easy, healthy, and delicious dish is one of our favorites. It's a perfect choice for a cheap and satisfying meal.
- Taco Soup: With just a few ingredients like ground beef, black beans, and frozen corn, you can create a flavorful and easy dinner.
Photo: A bowl of homemade hamburger helper on a grey background.
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole: Enjoy a tasty and healthy dinner made in one dish in under an hour. It's gluten-free and delicious.
- Healthy Baked Ziti Pasta: This lighter twist on a classic Italian dish is made with ground turkey or ground beef. It's a simple and budget-friendly dinner that anyone will love.
- Healthy Taco Seasoning on Ground Beef: Create a delicious meal by combining taco seasoning with ground beef. Serve it over rice or as a salad for a satisfying and affordable dinner.
- Homemade Meatballs: These protein-packed meatballs are perfect for a cheap and healthy dinner. Serve them over pasta for a complete meal.
- Greek Meatballs: In just 20 minutes, you can prepare these quick, easy, and flavorful main dish or appetizer. Serve them with tzatziki, in a pita, or over a Greek salad.
- Ground Beef Stuffed Zucchini Boats: Loaded with cheese and meat, these baked zucchini boats are an affordable and scrumptious dinner option.
- Korean Beef Bowls: Ready in only 15 minutes, these easy, cheap, and affordable beef bowls are a must-try.
Cheap and Healthy Meals with Chicken
Chicken can be an affordable and delicious dinner option. From chicken breasts to thighs, there are various ways to incorporate chicken into your meals without breaking the bank. Consider cooking a whole chicken to get multiple meals and use the scraps for homemade broth. Here are some fantastic chicken recipes for you to try:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew: This healthy and easy dinner can be made in less than 10 minutes of prep time.
- Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken: Whether you use a slow cooker, instant pot, or stovetop, this recipe is great for tacos or serving with rice.
- Easy Greek Chicken Thighs Recipe: Made with simple ingredients, this sheet pan chicken thigh dinner is both delicious and healthy.
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets: Skip the fast-food version and make these healthy chicken nuggets. They're super crispy and much better than the store-bought ones.
- Healthy Fried Rice: Packed with chicken, veggies, and brown rice, this chicken fried rice is just like takeout but at a fraction of the cost. You can use frozen veggies to save money or utilize whatever veggies you have in the fridge.
- Crispy Baked Chicken Legs Recipe: Baking chicken legs in the oven is a fantastic way to prepare an easy and healthy dinner.
- Best Mexican Chicken Casserole: This one-pan dinner is incredibly easy to make and perfect for a satisfying meal.
- Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe: Cook chicken parmesan to perfection by coating it with a delicious sauce and cheese. Serve it over pasta for a complete and healthy dinner.
Photo: A close-up of chicken parm - a budget-friendly recipe.
- Healthy Chicken Fajita Casserole Recipe: Made in one pan with only a few ingredients, this healthy and quick dinner is a delight.
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe: Prepared with basic ingredients like potatoes and chicken, this dish is ready in under an hour. It's quick, simple, and delicious.
- Chicken and Rice Casserole: This easy and healthy dinner, made with broccoli and no condensed soup, is all done in one dish.
- Healthy Chicken Pot Pie: Learn how to make chicken pot pie in under an hour for a fulfilling and light dinner.
- Whole Roasted Chicken: One of our favorite cheap and healthy recipes, whole chickens are versatile and budget-friendly. Plus, you can use the scraps and bones to make chicken broth.
- Crockpot Whole Chicken: Utilize your slow cooker to cook a whole chicken effortlessly. When you're finished, you can make a delicious Crockpot Bone Broth.
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken: Made with just a few basic ingredients, this cheap, easy, and delicious dinner is a great option.
- Chicken Fusilli Pasta: With only six affordable ingredients, this pasta dish is ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken: Enjoy this easy-to-make weeknight dinner with tender chicken, jalapenos, bacon, cheddar cheese, and a creamy sauce.
- Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry: This cheap and healthy dinner can be prepared with just a few ingredients.
Healthy Cheap Soup Recipes: Affordable and Satisfying
Soup is one of the best and most cost-effective meals you can make. Loaded with frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes, and protein, soups are nutritious and wallet-friendly. Here are some of our favorite soup recipes:
- Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup: Whether you use an instant pot, crockpot, or stove, this soup is a healthy and easy dinner option.
- Easy Pasta Fagioli: Made with pasta, beans, broth, and tomatoes, this soup can feed a crowd for under $5. It's one of the most affordable meals you can make.
- Ground Turkey Chili: Discover how to make healthy and delicious turkey chili in your crockpot, instant pot, or stove.
- 15 Bean Soup Recipe: This budget-friendly meal uses a cheap 15 Bean mix, broth, and some veggies to create a simple, delicious, and hearty soup.
- Healthy Potato Soup: This total comfort food is paleo, Whole30, and vegan-friendly. You can make it on the stove, in the slow cooker, instant pot, or choose our Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe or Crock Pot Potato Soup.
- Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe: Whip up this easy-to-make soup in your instant pot, crockpot, or on the stove. It's a healthy and dairy-free option.
- Homemade Tomato Basil Soup: Made with canned tomatoes, broth, and dried spices, this cozy dinner is simple and pairs well with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Photo: A close-up of cheap minestrone soup in a white bowl on a grey background.
- Easy Minestrone Soup: Another delicious, cheap, and healthy dinner option, this soup is loaded with veggies, pasta, and broth.
- How to Make Lentil Soup: A staple meal that can be prepared on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the instant pot. It's vegan, gluten-free, and delicious.
- Red Chicken Chili Recipe: Prepare this flavorful dish with simple ingredients. It's healthy and tasty.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup: A classic favorite, this soup is made with chicken breasts, veggies, and egg noodles. It's a cozy dinner everyone will enjoy.
- Healthy Broccoli Soup: With options to make it in the instant pot, crockpot, or on the stove, this broccoli cheddar soup is a must-try.
Cheap Easy Healthy Meals without Meat
Choosing meatless options is an excellent way to save money. Here are some of our favorite vegetarian and meatless recipes:
- Vegetarian Chili: Made with canned beans, tomatoes, and corn, this recipe is easy to make, cheap, and delicious.
- Vegan Orange Chicken: This plant-based dinner is made with chickpeas. It's gluten-free, healthy, delicious, and can be cooked in just 30 minutes.
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi: Learn how to make this delightful dish using only a few ingredients.
- Vegetable Primavera Pasta: This "clean out the fridge" meal can be made with any available vegetables. It's our go-to vegetarian pasta dish.
Photo: A bowl of easy pasta primavera.
- Pasta with White Beans and Garlicky Kale: Enjoy a classic combination of beans and greens. This meatless meal is quick, flavorful, and affordable.
- Sweet Potato Red Lentil and Coconut Curry: Nourishing comfort food made with basic ingredients.
- Vegetable Pasta Bake: Made with fresh mushrooms, peppers, spinach, onion, garlic, and tomato, this dish is a healthy and cost-effective crowd-pleaser.
- Gnocchi with White Beans and Spinach: Cook this flavorful meatless meal quickly using fire-roasted diced tomatoes and Parmesan.
- Vegan Cauliflower Chickpea Curry: Loaded with chickpeas, veggies, potatoes, and coconut milk, this healthy Thai curry can be made on a budget.
Healthy Cheap Meals with Seafood
Seafood can be pricier than other types of meat, but with the right choices, it can still be affordable. Here are some seafood dinner recipes to consider:
- Healthy Tuna Salad WITHOUT Mayo: Using canned tuna, Greek yogurt, and chopped veggies, you can create a cheap and healthy alternative to traditional tuna salad.
- Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad: Toss canned tuna with pasta and tomatoes for a flavorful and budget-friendly meal.
- Honey Sriracha Salmon: Baked in the oven with potatoes and zucchini, this salmon dish strikes the perfect balance between sweet and spicy.
Photo: Lemon salmon on a white dish with potatoes and vegetables around it.
- Lemon Salmon: Cook a whole salmon fillet with potatoes and green beans or other veggies for a delicious and affordable dinner.
- Honey Garlic Shrimp: Preparing this easy and tasty meal won't take much time. Serve it over rice or frozen veggies.
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas: With shrimp, onions, peppers, and a few spices, you can create this quick and easy dish.
- Canned Tuna Pasta: Make a cheap and easy meal using canned tuna and a few other pantry staples.
Cheap Healthy Food for Breakfast
Skipping expensive breakfast options on the go and making your own meals at home can help you save money. Here are some budget-friendly breakfast recipes to try:
- Egg White Oatmeal: Enjoy a high-protein breakfast with this easy-to-make dish. It's made with just a few simple ingredients, and you won't even taste the eggs.
- Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal: This delicious and healthy breakfast is loved by everyone. It's vegan, gluten-free, and super easy to make. You can top and mix it with various ingredients to suit your taste.
- Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats: Prepare a hearty breakfast with pumpkin oats made in the slow cooker or on the stovetop. It's healthy, cheap, and perfect for starting your day.
- Baked Apple Oatmeal: Indulge in this tasty breakfast option. Learn how to make the best baked apple oatmeal that is both delicious and easy to make.
- Egg Casserole with Hash Browns: This simple breakfast casserole with hash browns is ideal for a crowd or brunch.
How Can I Cut Down on Food Costs?
Cutting down on food costs can be challenging, but it's not impossible. Here are some of my top tips for saving money:
- Plan your meals in advance. Planning what you'll eat throughout the week helps you make smarter grocery shopping decisions and avoid impulse buys.
- Always take inventory of your fridge before going to the store. Check what ingredients you already have and plan your meals accordingly. This prevents purchasing unnecessary items.
- Shop sales and stock up. Take advantage of discounts and bulk deals on staple items. It's a great way to save money in the long run.
Crockpot Whole Chicken = Cheap Healthy Food
One of our favorite healthy and cheap dinners is cooking a whole chicken. Compared to chicken breasts, thighs, or legs, whole chickens are more affordable per pound. Plus, you can get several meals out of one chicken and use the scraps to make delicious chicken broth.
Incorporating healthy and budget-friendly meals into your routine doesn't have to be a challenge. With these 50+ cheap and healthy recipes, you can enjoy nutritious and delicious meals without compromising your wallet. So, why not give them a try and start saving today?
