Healthy eating can be easy and cost effective if you plan your meals weekly, write a grocery list and shop regularly.
Purchasing all your food at once, instead of relying on nightly trips to convenience stores, can save you not only money, but time as well. Many recipes now have a cost per serve attached to them, so looking for recipes that cost less than $5 per serve can also help you save.
Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, switching to spray oil, using your freezer, eating more vegetarian meals, buying in bulk instead of individual containers or packets, using your leftovers for other meals, avoiding impulse buying, and purchasing foods in-season are also great ways to eat healthily when on a budget. Follow this budget-friendly menu plan to help you save money.
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
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Breakfast |
1 cup of Special K with skim milk and 1 slice of wholegrain toast with honey. |
3/4 cup untoasted muesli topped with skim milk and 2 tinned peaches |
Porridge made with traditional rolled oats (not quick oat sachets) and teaspoon of honey.
1 slice of wholegrain toast with honey |
3/4 cup untoasted muesli topped with skim milk and 2 tinned peaches |
2 Weetbix with skim milk. Piece of in-season fruit |
3/4 cup untoasted muesli topped with skim milk and 2 tinned peaches |
Scrambled eggs made with 2 eggs and milk served on wholegrain toast |
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Morning Tea |
In-season fruit salad |
200g low-fat yoghurt (from a large tub) |
In-season fruit salad |
1 cup unsalted air-popped popcorn |
Slice of reduced-fat cheese with 4 wholegrain crackers |
200g low-fat yoghurt (from a large tub) |
In-season fruit salad |
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Lunch |
Mixed bean salad with 4 wholegrain crackers with table spread |
Vegetable and lentil soup made from last night’s leftover vegies with 1 slice of wholegrain bread |
Leftover chicken pasta from last night’s dinner |
Wholegrain sandwich with tinned tuna (small can), slice of reduced fat cheese, lettuce, tomato and cucumber |
Leftover chilli con carne with (2) small tortillas and a side salad. |
Leftover frittata from last night’s dinner served with a side salad |
Wholegrain sandwich with tinned tuna (small can), slice of reduced fat cheese, lettuce, tomato and cucumber |
|
Afternoon Tea |
30g of unsalted peanuts |
Piece of in-season fruit |
Slice of reduced-fat cheese with 4 wholegrain crackers |
200g low-fat yoghurt (from a large tub) |
1 cup unsalted air-popped popcorn |
Piece of in-season fruit |
2/3 cup of Special K® with Chocolatey Flakes |
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Dinner |
Rump steak, potato & vegetable casserole prepared in a slow cooker |
Chicken (100g) and pesto pasta (1 cup) with spinach, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms & capsicum |
Grilled fish (120g) with chickpea, cherry tomato, pumpkin and spinach salad served with a slice of wholegrain bread |
Chilli con carne replacing half the mince with lentils served with 1 cup steamed rice |
Frittata with sweet potato, pumpkin, spinach and sweet corn served with a side salad |
2 x chicken enchiladas (from leftover tortillas) served with a garden salad |
Tuna bake with vegetables |
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Dessert/
Supper |
200g low-fat yoghurt (from a large tub) |
Tinned peaches with a scoop of low-fat ice-cream |
Piece of in-season fruit |
Tinned peaches with a scoop of low-fat ice-cream |
200g low-fat yoghurt (from a large tub) |
Bowl of low-fat ice-cream (2 scoops with crushed peanuts |
250ml low-fat fruit smoothie (made with skim milk and low-fat yoghurt) |
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