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? With a Budget Bytes+ membership, you’ll get a brand-new meal plan every week—designed to save you time, money, and stress in the kitchen (plus more)!

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

$8.05 recipe / $1.61 serving

Newest Budget Friendly Meal Prep

Budget-Friendly Pesto

$5.36 recipe / $0.67 serving

This Budget-Friendly Homemade Pesto uses sunflower seeds, basil, and spinach for a delicious and affordable twist on the classic.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

$15.77 recipe / $1.42 serving

Make this easy Antipasto Pasta Salad loaded with meats, cheeses, olives, and veggies. Perfect for cookouts, potlucks, or quick lunches!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

$8.72 recipe / $2.18 serving

A fresh, vibrant, Strawberry Spinach Salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing, candied pecans, and insanely delicious flavors!

Overhead view of honey lime chicken on a plate with lime wedges.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken

$5.73 recipe / $1.43 serving

Make this Grilled Honey Lime Chicken using chicken thighs and a simple marinade. It's sweet, smoky, tangy, and easy to throw on the grill!

Chicken Burger

$6.36 recipe / $1.59 serving

These juicy Ground Chicken Burgers are easy to make, budget-friendly, and perfect for grilling. A leaner weeknight favorite that’s big on flavor!

Summer Lentil Salad

$8.10 recipe / $1.35 serving

A simple and satisfying Summer Lentil Salad with fresh veggies, feta, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Perfect for meal prep or as a colorful potluck side!

Overhead view of grilled teriyaki skewers on a platter.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs

$6.60 recipe / $1.65 serving

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs made easy with a quick homemade sauce, juicy chicken, and big flavor. Perfect with rice or grilled veggies!

Tomato Butter

$3.58 recipe / $0.18 serving

Use up your garden tomatoes with this budget-friendly Tomato Butter! It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and perfect for meal prep.

Overhead view of a bowl of pulled chicken.

Pulled Shredded Chicken

$8.43 recipe / $1.05 serving

This easy shredded chicken recipe makes moist, tender chicken that's perfect for meal prep, quick dinners, or adding to your favorite weeknight meals.

Dry rubbed grilled chicken drumsticks and thighs on a grill.

Dry Rubbed Grilled Drumsticks and Thighs

$7.51 recipe / $1.07 serving

This easy Dry Rubbed Grilled Drumsticks and Thighs recipe makes flavorful grilled chicken with minimal effort. Great for cookouts or weeknight dinners!

Alabama White Sauce

$1.74 recipe / $0.15 serving

Learn how to make Alabama White Sauce at home with mayo, vinegar, horseradish, and spices. Perfect for grilled chicken, pork, veggies, and more!

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

$10.21 recipe / $1.02 serving

This light and fresh Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad is perfect for summer BBQs and potlucks, or your weekly meal prep.