Budget Friendly Meal Prep

Planning, preparing, and portioning your meals ahead of time is one of the most effective tools for keeping your food budget in check. We have over a hundred budget-friendly meal prep ideas to keep your taste buds happy, your belly full, and your budget on track! New to meal prepping? Check out our Meal Prep 101 before you begin.

Looking for pre-made meal plans? With a Budget Bytes+ membership, you’ll get a brand-new meal plan every week—designed to save you time, money, and stress in the kitchen (plus more)!

This Cheeseburger Meatloaf Meal Prep is an easy American classic meal that you'll look forward to each day. Toss the TV dinners and make your own! Budgetbytes.com

Popular Meal Prep Recipes

Smoky Chicken and Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potato Meal Prep

$9.43 recipe / $2.36 serving

Four glass meal prep containers lined up with roasted vegetable couscous. Two with chicken and two with chickpeas

Roasted Vegetable Couscous Meal Prep

$12.01 recipe / $4.00 serving

Three glass containers filled with hummus lunch box ingredients

The Hummus Lunch Box

$8.04 recipe / $2.01 serving

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

$5.30 recipe / $1.33 serving

Ground Turkey Stir Fry

$8.05 recipe / $1.61 serving

Meal Prep Ideas for an Easy Breakfast

Newest Budget Friendly Meal Prep

Eggplant Curry

$7.32 recipe / $1.83 serving

This Eggplant Curry recipe is inspired by baingan bharta with roasted eggplant and tomatoes, warm spices, and a quick curry-paste shortcut. Cozy and easy!

Overhead view of marry meatballs in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

Marry Me Chicken Meatballs

$10.81 recipe / $2.70 serving

Creamy, cozy, and weeknight-easy, these Marry Me Chicken Meatballs simmer in a tomato Parmesan sauce with spinach. Perfect over pasta or mashed potatoes!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

$7.60 recipe / $1.27 serving

This Chicken and Rice Casserole is a comfort food classic, made from scratch with tons of juicy chicken, cheese, vegetables, and rice!

Sheet Pan Cajun Tofu and Vegetables

$7.50 recipe / $1.88 serving

This Sheet Pan Cajun Tofu and Vegetables is a one-pan, budget-friendly, low-stress, flavor-packed dream featuring crispy Cajun seasoned tofu and roasted veggies.

Chicken Cobbler

$9.05 recipe / $1.81 serving

Creamy Chicken Cobbler made from scratch in one skillet, topped with homemade cheddar biscuits. This comfort food is easy and perfect for leftovers!

Dan Dan Noodles

$8.86 Recipe / $2.22 Serving

An easy, at-home take on Dan Dan Noodles made with spaghetti, ground pork, peanut butter, and chili crisp for big flavor with simple ingredients.

Baked Tofu

$3.72 recipe / $0.93 serving

An easy, Crispy Baked Tofu recipe made with simple pantry ingredients. Chewy, lightly crisp tofu cubes that bake in the oven and work in any meal.

Overhead view of coconut curry chickpeas on a plate with white rice.

Chickpea Curry

$8.66 recipe / $2.17 serving

Coconut Curry Chickpeas are a flavorful and filling easy weeknight dinner packed with chickpeas, kale, and a flavorful creamy curry sauce!

Pork and Sauerkraut

$15.09 Recipe / $1.89 Serving

This easy Pork and Sauerkraut is slow-braised with apples and warm spices. A budget-friendly New Year’s classic that’s hands-off and feeds a crowd!

Tamales

$8.87 recipe / $1.48 serving

This approachable recipe for Tamales features a flavorful masa dough and an easy vegetarian filling, perfect for family gatherings and holiday traditions!

Vegan Lasagna

$15.13 recipe / $1.26 serving

This easy Vegan Lasagna is a comforting, meatless, dairy-free recipe made with tofu ricotta, lentils, and rich marinara for a flavorful plant-based meal.

22 Cozy Casserole Recipes

Get inspired with 22 cozy casseroles that stretch your budget and simplify mealtime. From comforting mains to classic sides and make-ahead breakfast bakes!