Healthy Meal Prep on a Budget: 11 Tips and Tricks

Eating healthy can often be considered an expensive endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be.

With a little bit of planning and effort, you can do healthy meal prep on a budget. Fitness meal delivery is the best option for individuals who want to make eating well second nature, but you can use a few other hacks to help every meal be a little bit healthier.

In this article, we’ll explore 12 tips and tricks for healthy meal prep on a budget.

1. Plan Your Meals in Advance

The first step to healthy meal prep on a budget is planning. Take some time to think ahead about your meals for the week.

This will help you avoid impulse purchases and ensure you have all the ingredients you need. Additionally, planning your meals will allow you to make the most of sales and deals at your local grocery store.

2. Shop Sales and Deals

Take advantage of sales and deals at your local grocery store to save money on healthy ingredients. You can often find great deals on fresh produce, lean proteins, and healthy snacks. Be sure to stock up on sale items and use them in your meal prep.

3. Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk can also be a great way to save money on healthy ingredients. Items like rice, beans, and nuts can often be purchased in bulk for a lower cost per unit. Also, buying in bulk can help reduce packaging waste, which is welcome news for your wallet and the environment.

4. Cook in Bulk

You’ve committed to buying in bulk, so learn how to cook in bulk next! By preparing larger quantities of food, you can often save money on ingredients and reduce the time you spend cooking throughout the week.

Additionally, having pre-cooked meals on hand can help you resist the temptation to order takeout or eat unhealthy convenience foods.

5. Use Leftovers

Leftovers can be a great way to save money on healthy meal prep. Don’t let extra food go to waste! Instead, use it to make new meals throughout the week. For example, leftover chicken can be used in a salad or stir-fried the next day.

6. Freeze Meals

Freezing meals can also be a great way to save money on healthy meal prep. Cook larger quantities of food, portion it out into individual servings, and freeze it for later use. This will help you to avoid wasting food and make it easier to have healthy meals on hand when you’re short on time.

7. Use Cheaper Cuts of Meat

Lean proteins like chicken breasts and salmon can be expensive. However, there are plenty of other cuts of meat that are both healthy and budget-friendly. For example, ground turkey and chicken thighs are less expensive than chicken breasts but still provide plenty of protein.

8. Buy Frozen Produce

Fresh produce can be expensive, especially when it’s out of season. However, frozen produce can be just as healthy and much more budget-friendly.

Frozen vegetables and fruits are often flash-frozen at the peak of freshness, so they retain their nutritional value. Plus, they can be stored in the freezer for months, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad.

9. Make Your Own Snacks

Pre-packaged snacks can be expensive and often contain unhealthy ingredients. Instead, try making your own snacks at home. For example, you could make a batch of homemade trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. You could also make your own energy balls with oats, nut butter, and honey.

This is a great way to supplement a fitness meal delivery service or your own meal prep efforts.

10. Embrace Meatless Meals

Meatless meals can be just as satisfying and healthy as meals that include meat.

Plus, they tend to be much more budget-friendly. Incorporating meatless meals into your meal prep routine can help you save money on groceries and provide a variety of nutrients from plant-based sources.

Some great meatless options include lentil soup, quinoa bowls, and roasted vegetables.

11. Invest in Basic Kitchen Tools

Having the right tools in your kitchen can make healthy meal prep much easier and more efficient.

Some basic tools worth investing in include Damascus kitchen knives, a cutting board, a vegetable peeler, and mixing bowls. These tools can help you save time and money by allowing you to prep ingredients easily at home.

Make Budget Meal Prep a Reality

It’s not easy at first, but healthy meal prep on a budget is possible with a little planning, creativity, and effort. Of course, using a fitness meal delivery service does all the hard work for you, so you can eat healthily without any of this extra effort.

Still, for those of you who are still into meal prepping yourselves, incorporating these 12 tips and tricks into your meal prep routine, you can save money on groceries while enjoying delicious and nutritious meals throughout the week.