Welcome to Week 1 of a budget eats meal plan! Should 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 must make each recipe within the precise order and even make all of them. Wish 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 alter serving sizes, swap out recipes, and get a brand new buying record constructed only for you. It’s not fancy, but it surely will get the job accomplished.
Want a little bit assist in the kitchen? Each recipe on this week’s plan comes with a video tutorial proper on our website so you possibly can prepare dinner with confidence, even when you’re new to it.

Make sure you try your entire information, an summary 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 remaining on the facet 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 elements—proteins, produce, dairy, and bread gadgets. You’ll be constructing off the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so that you’ll discover loads of the core gadgets (like oil, flour, spices, and condiments) aren’t included on this record.
Remember that some elements are used throughout a number of meals, so nothing goes to waste.
Don’t neglect to obtain the Week 1 Shopping List PDF to make your grocery run simpler.


Receipt


Complete Spent: $130.92
Complete Servings: 44
Common Value Per Serving: $2.97
This complete displays a full week’s value of dinners for a household, utilizing common grocery retailer costs with out coupons, bulk shopping for, or sale buying. 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 differ from area to area and retailer to retailer, however this could get you fairly shut.


Finances 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 individual meat, and benefit from the financial savings. Use most of your shredded hen within the hen salad on Tuesday, and save the remaining 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 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 by 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 day-to-day:
Monday
This can be a meatless meal that’s mild, but received’t go away you hungry. It’s loaded with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Add a little bit 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 stuffed with recent veggies and prepared in quarter-hour.
Tuesday
Make hen salad sandwiches! Or serve them up your individual model 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 facet dish. We factored in a purchase order of 1 pound of grapes both method.
Traditional Chicken Salad
This traditional hen salad is straightforward 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 change issues up and serve this over mashed potatoes, or go the standard 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 elements that you just (and your youngsters) know and love, and will have already got available.
American Carbonara
Carbonara with an American twist! We use bacon and the standard 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 possibly can 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
Deplete that floor beef and make these cheesesteaks! This one is a superb choice once you’re craving these Philly cheesesteak flavors, however don’t wish to order takeout.
Ground Beef Cheesesteak
Floor beef cheesesteaks have all the enduring Philly flavors you like 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 on your schedule, skip a pair and simply use leftovers or repeat your favorites. If certainly one of these recipes isn’t your factor, it’s completely high quality to swap it out.
We’ve obtained a customization tool in beta that permits you to do precisely that—alter servings, swap meals, and generate a brand new buying record based mostly in your adjustments. It’s not fancy, but it surely will get the job accomplished.


Finances Suggestions & Notes
Coleslaw Combine: Seize a bagged coleslaw combine to save lots of time and cut back waste, particularly when you’re not planning to make slaw greater than as soon as.
Croissants: Be happy to swap for sandwich rolls or sliced bread to deliver the price down additional.
Cheese Technique: Shred your individual 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 possibly can bulk issues up with additional veggies if you could stretch the meat a little bit additional.
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