Our grocery budget is challenged in today’s economy. I teach a nutrition class and I often ask the students if eating healthy costs more. The usual response is yes. I took on a $25.00 (ok, I spent $26.00 to be exact) grocery budget challenge to see how I can meal plan and meal prep for the week with a limited budget. This could easily work for college students (who were my inspiration for this challenge) it will also work for a family of 2-3. You will get plenty of meal ideas for the week. Let’s get started!!
what i bought for $25
- Whole wheat tortillas
- Whole wheat pasta
- 1 bag of mixed vegetables (fresh)
- 1 bag of mixed vegetables (frozen)
- 1 bag of green split peas
- 1 bag of quesadilla cheese
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 bag of organic apples
- 12 oz of shredded chicken (already cooked)
- 2 large zucchini
- 1 container of blueberries
The larger part of your budget will usually go towards the protein. I bought shredded chicken already prepared for convenience. You can also purchase chicken and cook it yourself and save a few dollars. Plant based proteins such as beans can be a great way to save money on your food budget. Most if not all of these meal ideas below can be vegetarian friendly. These meal ideas will give you plenty of variety and good sources of fiber. A few pantry items such as spices, vinegar, oil, etc, were used to make the meals below. I even included healthy dessert ideas!!
Meal Ideas
With these food items I can make the following:
- Black bean and cheese quesadillas
- Chicken quesadillas
- Chicken Alfredo with whole wheat penne pasta (I used a low-fat version of the pasta sauce)
- Mac and cheese with mixed vegetables
- Split pea soup with vegetables (can also add chicken)
- Chicken soup with whole wheat penne and mixed vegetables
- Lemon pepper whole wheat penne pasta with zucchini
- Black beans, shredded chicken, zucchini
- Baked whole wheat tortillas with cinnamon and sugar
- Add blueberries to a protein shake for an extra boost of antioxidants
- Baked apples
There are so many recipes available online that I used for inspiration to make these meals. Eating Well, One Green Planet, and All Recipes are great sites to find easy and healthy recipes. This challenge was taken on to dispel the myth that eating healthy does not have to be expensive. I plan to do this same challenge at other grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s and Aldi to see what other combinations of healthy foods I can find.
Here’s to your health!! Happy eating.