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 80+ 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? Check out our range of 4-week dinner meal plans!

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

$7.41 recipe / $1.48 serving

Newest Budget Friendly Meal Prep

Muesli

$2.54 recipe / $0.32 serving

Rolled oats, dried fruit, and nuts soaked in cold milk or yogurt make Muesli a quick and refreshing meal prep breakfast for summer!

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

$2.26 recipe / $0.57 serving

These Apple Pie Overnight Oats are an easy and delicious make-ahead breakfast with no added sugar that you can enjoy either hot or cold.

Sausage and Vegetables in glass meal prep containers.

Sausage and Vegetable Skillet

$8.91 recipe / $2.23 serving

This super fast and easy Sausage and Vegetable Skillet is the ultimate busy-day meal and is perfect for meal prep!

Mini Broccoli Cheddar Quiches

$4.74 recipe / $0.40 each

Impress your guests with the perfect little mini broccoli cheddar quiches. Great for Easter, Mother's Day, or any brunch gathering.

Overhead view of four jars of chocolate overnight oats, each with a different topping

Double Chocolate Overnight Oats

$1.58 recipe / $0.40 serving

Double Chocolate Overnight Oats make your morning routine fast and easy. Just grab and go with a jar of these delicious chocolate oats!

Cajun Sausage and Vegetables

$6.94 recipe / $1.74 serving

This simple Cajun Sausage and Vegetables meal prep is a fast, easy, flavorful, and delicious way to get your daily dose of vegetables!

lineup of meal prep containers with chicken, brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes

Easy Chicken and Vegetable Meal Prep

$10.59 recipe / $2.65 serving

This simple chicken and vegetable meal prep is an easy way to prepare meals ahead to save time and money, plus it's customizable!

Easy Pesto Chicken and Vegetables

$11.07 recipe / $2.77 serving

This Easy Pesto Chicken and Vegetables meal prep is super fast and easy, and holds up well in the fridge for tasty lunches all week!

Overhead view of a Kale and White Bean Power Bowl with a fork in the side

Kale and White Bean Power Bowls

$5.81 recipe / $1.45 serving

These kale and white bean power bowls are full of flavor, texture, protein, fiber, and other nutrients. Perfect for meal prep!

Autumn Kale and Sweet Potato Salad

$6.67 recipe / $1.67 serving

I don't know about you, but I need a good salad right about now. I've been kind of over doing the comfort foods lately and my body is like, "pleeeease, can I have some fresh vegetables??" But I'm still trying to enjoy these fall vibes, so I whipped up this Autumn Kale and Sweet Potato Salad. It meal preps well, which means that every time I open my fridge there is a delicious salad staring at me, ready to be eaten. That helps. That helps a lot. :P

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

$0.95 each

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats are a great way to use up leftover pumpkin purée and are a delicious make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings.

Three bagel lunch boxes lined up in a row

The Bagel Lunch Box

$5.32 recipe / $1.33 serving

This Bagel Lunch Box is an easy and affordable grab and go breakfast or lunch idea, perfect for work or school.