Clean-Eating Meal Plan on a Budget, Created by a Dietitian

Healthy eating doesn't need to cost a fortune. In this meal plan, you'll get a whole week of wholesome meals and snacks which clocks in around $100, so you can feel your best while saving money. All you need to do is print off the shopping list and get cooking!

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Editorial Director for EatingWell.com. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont. Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell.com team since 2015.

Clean eating doesn't have to be expensive—in fact, many nutritious foods are exceptionally budget-friendly, like oats, nut butters and beans. This healthy meal plan on a budget exemplifies just that. Simple steps, like making your own salad dressings and cooking the majority of meals at home, can save a ton of money long-term—even if it feels like an investment up front at the store. In this plan, we included a shopping list and aimed to keep it around $100, with the final number coming in at $112.08, not including pantry staples like oats and olive oil.

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

For those following this clean-eating meal plan for weight loss on a budget, we set the calorie level at 1,500 calories per day, which is a level where most people will lose weight. This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with different calorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being. (Be sure to check the shopping list if you're making modifications.)

Frequently Asked Questions

We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.

Budget-Friendly Foods

These budget-friendly foods make healthy eating easy and delicious. Pick up some of these key ingredients to stash away in your pantry, fridge or freezer for easy meals.

• Dried or canned lentils and beans
• Canned tomatoes
• Frozen vegetables
• Bananas
• Oatmeal
• Barley
• Quinoa
• Whole-wheat spaghetti
• Whole-wheat bread
• Peanut butter
• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes and white potatoes
• Brown rice
• Eggs
• Canned tuna

Tips for Saving Even More Money:

1. Shop with a list: You've heard it before, but shopping with a grocery list really can save a lot of money. It helps us stick to what we actually need and avoid impulse buys that can rack up the bill.
2. Plan ahead: Planning meals ahead is key—it helps prevent food waste because you can transform leftovers into new meals or save leftovers for dinner. Plus, if we already know what's on the menu for dinner, we are less likely to grab takeout on the way home.
3. Embrace leftovers: Cooking a pot of beans or roasting a chicken to have for the week is super helpful because they're easy to transform into new dishes. Check out our 25 recipes that make great leftovers for more ideas.
4. Do your own prep: Pre-sliced veggies and fruits are easy and certainly have their place, but if you're trying to stick to a budget then it's better to do the slicing and dicing yourself. Same with some other prep. You'll see on the shopping list that we've replaced some pricier convenience items—e.g., quinoa you can cook yourself rather than a microwaveable packet or chicken breast to poach instead of a rotisserie chicken (you could sub leftovers here too).
5. Buy in bulk: Check the unit price and buy in bulk whenever possible to save money. This is especially true for spices, which can really add up on your grocery bill. If it's a spice you won't use very often, buy just a little bit in the bulk section to save pantry space and money.
6. Research: Check out sales in the newspaper and on the grocery stores' websites to see who has the best deals. It takes a little extra time, but it can pay off in the long run.
7. Choose store brands: When making this grocery list, we chose store-brand items whenever possible. This small switch can add up to big savings over time.

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

1. Make Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette to have throughout the week.
2. Prepare Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5.

Day 1

Breakfast (296 calories)

• 1 serving Old-Fashioned Oatmeal
• 1 medium apple, diced
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

Mix apple and chia seeds into the oatmeal.

A.M. Snack (103 calories)

• 5-oz. container low-fat plain Greek yogurt

Lunch (360 calories)

• 1 serving White Bean & Veggie Salad