Welcome to Week 1 of a budget eats meal plan! In the event you’re simply getting began, you’re in for every week of flavorful, filling meals—all for below $3 per serving. We’ve stored issues easy, inexpensive, and family-friendly. These meals make use of the pantry staples you stocked up on this week, setting the tone for the remainder of the month.
This plan is supposed to be versatile. You don’t have to make each recipe within the actual order and even make all of them. Need to swap one out? Skip an evening and eat leftovers? Go for it. You may combine and match with out messing something up. We’ve additionally obtained a free customization device in beta that’ll allow you to regulate serving sizes, swap out recipes, and get a brand new purchasing record constructed only for you. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job achieved.
Want somewhat assist in the kitchen? Each recipe on this week’s plan comes with a video tutorial proper on our website so you’ll be able to prepare dinner with confidence, even if you happen to’re new to it.

Remember to try the complete information, an outline of the pantry staples, and the opposite week’s menus. You may all the time customise every week to fit your private style preferences and swap in your favorites.
Fast Tip
For the hen salad sandwiches, you’ll purchase grapes however solely want a couple of for the precise recipe. Serve the remainder on the aspect all through the week as a snack or a simple fruit choice with one other meal.
Grocery Haul
The haul this week focuses totally on recent substances—proteins, produce, dairy, and bread objects. You’ll be constructing off the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so that you’ll discover lots of the core objects (like oil, flour, spices, and condiments) aren’t included on this record.
Remember that some substances are used throughout a number of meals, so nothing goes to waste.
Don’t overlook to obtain the Week 1 Shopping List PDF to make your grocery run simpler.


Receipt


Complete Spent: $130.92
Complete Servings: 44
Common Price Per Serving: $2.97
This whole displays a full week’s price of dinners for a household, utilizing common grocery retailer costs with out coupons, bulk shopping for, or sale purchasing. It’s based mostly on shopping for precisely what you want for this week’s menu, utilizing pantry staples you’ve already stocked. As all the time, costs will fluctuate from area to area and retailer to retailer, however this could get you fairly shut.


Price range Saver
Grocery shops usually promote rotisserie chickens as a “loss chief,” the place they actually promote it for lower than it prices them. Purchase a rotisserie hen and shred your personal meat, and benefit from the financial savings. Use most of your shredded hen within the hen salad on Tuesday, and save the remainder for the cilantro-lime quesadillas on Friday.
The Recipes


Proper above, you’ll see all seven meals from this week laid out so you will get a visible sense of what a serving appears to be like like for every recipe. We all know serving sizes could be subjective, so we wished to indicate you precisely how a lot meals you’re getting with this plan.
There’s additionally a brief video that walks via every meal in additional element. You’ll see the ultimate dishes plated and portioned, so there’s no guessing—simply actual meals, clearly proven.
Now let’s break it down daily:
Monday
This can be a meatless meal that’s gentle, but received’t go away you hungry. It’s loaded with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Add somewhat heavy cream and a few pink pepper flakes, and you’ve got a restaurant-quality dish with out the restaurant costs.
Penne Rosa
A creamy tomato pasta with a spicy kick! This traditional Penne Rosa is packed filled with recent veggies and prepared in quarter-hour.
Tuesday
Make hen salad sandwiches! Or serve them up your personal type by stuffing it into an avocado or tomato, or serving it up on a mattress of lettuce for an old-school hen salad.
This recipe requires a small quantity of grapes. You may both go away them out or take pleasure in the remainder of the grapes as a aspect dish. We factored in a purchase order of 1 pound of grapes both approach.
Traditional Chicken Salad
This traditional hen salad is simple to make and attractive by itself, on lettuce, or served as a sandwich. You’re going to like this household favourite!
Wednesday
Stroganoff is a traditional consolation meals, and this recipe makes it even simpler. You may swap issues up and serve this over mashed potatoes, or go the normal route and serve with egg noodles.
Ground Beef Stroganoff and Rice
Do-it-yourself Floor Beef Stroganoff and Rice make a fast, 30-minute dinner that’s each healthful and family-approved.
Thursday
A straightforward pasta dish that tastes gourmand and takes lower than half-hour to make! This recipe makes use of easy pantry substances that you simply (and your children) know and love, and will have already got available.
American Carbonara
Carbonara with an American twist! We use bacon and the normal velvety cheese sauce. Then throw in peas for a pop of sweetness!
Friday
Your new favourite quesadilla recipe. Loading these quesadillas up with hen makes them an entire meal. This recipe makes use of 1 boneless, skinless hen breast, however you’ll be able to all the time use rotisserie hen. This can be a nice choice that’s not solely handy but additionally wallet-friendly!
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Quesadillas
These hen quesadillas are loaded with gooey cheese and all of the cilantro-lime taste we might pack in! Good for a fast lunch or dinner.
Saturday
Expend that floor beef and make these cheesesteaks! This one is a superb choice if you’re craving these Philly cheesesteak flavors, however don’t wish to order takeout.
Ground Beef Cheesesteak
Floor beef cheesesteaks have all the long-lasting Philly flavors you’re keen on in a extra inexpensive format that also brings all the flavour.
Sunday
For Sunday, we’re providing you with an entire yard barbecue feast. All three recipes offer you a whole meal, and every serving remains to be below $3.
Make It Work for You
This plan is versatile. If seven dinners every week is an excessive amount of to your schedule, skip a pair and simply use leftovers or repeat your favorites. If one in all these recipes isn’t your factor, it’s completely high-quality to swap it out.
We’ve obtained a customization tool in beta that allows you to do precisely that—regulate servings, swap meals, and generate a brand new purchasing record based mostly in your adjustments. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job achieved.

Price range Suggestions & Notes
Coleslaw Combine: Seize a bagged coleslaw combine to save lots of time and cut back waste, particularly if you happen to’re not planning to make slaw greater than as soon as.
Croissants: Be at liberty to swap for sandwich rolls or sliced bread to deliver the price down additional.
Cheese Technique: Shred your personal cheese as a substitute of shopping for pre-shredded—it’s generally cheaper and melts higher too.
Stretching Protein: For the quesadillas and cheesesteaks, you’ll be able to bulk issues up with further veggies if you might want to stretch the meat somewhat additional.
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