Budget Meal Prep: Eating Healthy for Under £30 a Week

Eating healthy on a budget is entirely possible, and the perception that healthy eating is expensive is primarily driven by premium health food products, not the underlying ingredients. Eggs, lentils, frozen chicken, tinned fish, oats, and vegetables are some of the cheapest foods available while being nutritionally excellent.

This guide builds a full week of healthy, high-protein meals for one person for under £30.

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The Budget Protein Foundations

Building a high-protein diet cheaply starts with these:

The £28-30 Weekly Shopping List

Prices based on Lidl/Aldi/Tesco value ranges, will vary slightly by location and time.

Proteins (£12.50):

• Frozen chicken breast 1kg: £4.50
• Eggs (12): £2.50
• Tinned tuna (×4 multipack): £3.20
• Dried red lentils 500g: £0.85
• Dried chickpeas 500g: £0.80
• Tinned mackerel (×2): £1.80

Dairy (£3.20):

• Skimmed or semi-skimmed milk 2L: £1.20
• Plain yogurt (500g): £0.85 (Greek-style, own brand)
• Cottage cheese (300g): £1.15

Carbohydrates (£3.90):

• Oats 1kg: £0.95
• Brown rice 1kg: £1.20
• Wholemeal bread (large loaf): £1.10
• Sweet potato ×4: £0.65

Vegetables (£5.00):

• Frozen mixed vegetables 1kg: £1.10
• Frozen broccoli 500g: £0.90
• Fresh onions (bag): £0.75
• Carrots (1kg bag): £0.65
• Spinach (250g bag): £0.95
• Tinned tomatoes (×2): £0.65

Pantry basics (£2.50), these last multiple weeks:

• Garlic bulb: £0.50
• Olive oil (500ml): £1.50 (lasts 3-4 weeks)
• Curry powder + cumin (small jars): £0.50 (lasts months)
• Soy sauce: £0.50 (lasts months)

Total: ~£27-30

The 7-Day Budget Meal Plan

Breakfasts (Same each day, varying toppings, prep Sunday)

Overnight oats: 5 jars prepared Sunday night

• 40g oats + 200ml milk + optional yogurt tbsp
• Toppings by day: frozen berries, banana, raisins + cinnamon Per serving: ~300-350 kcal, 12-15g protein

Weekend breakfasts:

• Scrambled eggs on toast (Saturday)
• Egg and vegetable omelette (Sunday)

Monday

Lunch: Lentil soup (£0.60, 18g protein)

• 150g dry red lentils, carrots, onion, garlic, cumin, vegetable stock cube

Dinner: Chicken and rice with frozen vegetables (£1.20, 40g protein)

• 150g chicken breast + 180g cooked brown rice + 200g frozen veg

Snacks: Yogurt + hard-boiled egg (12g protein, £0.45)

Tuesday

Lunch: Tuna and rice salad (£1.00, 38g protein)

• Tin tuna + 180g cooked rice + frozen sweetcorn + cucumber (carrot/cucumber from fridge)

Dinner: Chickpea curry (£0.80, 18g protein, add egg to boost)

• 200g cooked chickpeas + tinned tomato + curry spices + 1 egg stirred in + rice

Snacks: Cottage cheese + apple (£0.40, 15g protein)

Wednesday

Lunch: Egg fried rice (£0.70, 25g protein)

• 2 eggs + 200g cooked rice + frozen mixed veg + soy sauce + garlic

Dinner: Chicken and vegetable stir-fry (£1.10, 38g protein)

• 150g chicken + frozen vegetables 200g + 160g rice noodles (if available) or rice

Thursday

Lunch: Lentil dhal with rice (£0.75, 20g protein)

• Red lentils + tinned tomato + onion + cumin + coriander + brown rice

Dinner: Baked chicken with sweet potato (£1.30, 42g protein)

• 150g chicken breast (baked) + 200g sweet potato + frozen broccoli

Friday

Lunch: Mackerel and rice (£0.90, 30g protein)

• Tin mackerel + 180g cooked rice + mixed salad leaves + carrot ribbons

Dinner: Bean and egg tacos, budget version (£0.90, 28g protein)

• Tinned mixed beans (half tin, £0.40) + 2 eggs (scrambled) + wholemeal bread as wrap
• Salsa: tinned tomatoes + onion + garlic + cumin

Saturday

Breakfast: Full egg breakfast (£0.80)

• 3 eggs + tinned beans + wholemeal toast + fresh tomato

Lunch/Dinner flex: Chicken soup using leftover carcass/chicken + vegetables (£0.50, 35g protein)

Sunday

Prep day: Cook batch of:

• Rice (400g dry)
• Lentils (300g dry)
• Chicken breast (600g)
• Overnight oats for the week (5 jars)

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Tips to Stay Under Budget

Buy frozen, not fresh, for vegetables and chicken: Nutritionally equivalent, significantly cheaper, and no waste from spoilage.

Cook dried legumes from scratch: Dried lentils (£0.85/500g) vs. tinned (£0.50/400g can, ~240g drained), dried is 3-4× cheaper per portion.

Batch cook everything: Cooking 400g rice takes the same time as 100g and prevents having to cook daily.

Eggs are always cheaper than equivalent protein: 12 eggs (£2.50) = 72g protein = cheaper per gram than almost anything else.

Own-brand everything: The nutritional content of own-brand oats, tinned tomatoes, frozen chicken, and rice is identical to premium brands at 30-50% of the cost.

Water, not drinks: Eliminating soft drinks from the shopping list saves £3-5/week and significantly reduces calorie intake simultaneously.

The Bottom Line

Healthy, high-protein eating for under £30/week per person is straightforward with the right ingredient selection. Eggs, lentils, tinned fish, frozen chicken, oats, and frozen vegetables are nutritional powerhouses that happen to also be among the cheapest foods available.

The expensive health food aisle is optional, the budget staples aisle is not.