Living Well Spending Less- 11 Budget-Friendly Make-Ahead Meal Ideas

Eating healthy can be quite the luxury. Luckily it doesn’t always have to be that way if you find the right recipes. Also, why not start thinking, cooking and portioning a day or two in advance. You don’t have to be a pro to try out the 11 budget-friendly meal ideas we found. All ingredients are affordable, healthy and you can also use this 10% discount code on Local deals to check for fresh bargains in markets near you. Try now, say thanks later! Bon appetite.

1.      Mediterranean Green Feta Salad

Salads are always among the best budget-friendly make-ahead meal ideas! This Mediterranean one is based on affordable ingredients that are also super-healthy. The chances are you already have everything at home.

You’ll be surprised to hear that this is also a time-saving recipe. Put the green beans to boil for around 5 minutes. While they are cooking, you can chop and prepare all of the other ingredients. Toss everything together, and you’re done in 20.

2.      Avocado Toast With Eggs

There isn’t a single person out there who is not obsessed with avocados. Get your daily dose of protein and healthy fats with this delicious toast.

One of the best money-saving tips you’ll get is to buy everything in bulk. Buy more avocados, and you’ll be paying less. Choose some that are already ripe and others that are not quite there yet. For the recipe you also need to get eggs, toast bread, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Mash the avocados, spread it on the toast and add the eggs on top. The healthiest version is boiled egg cut in circles. Do you want to hear the best part? Make more of these toasts and save them in the fridge. The total making time is less than 15 minutes.

3.      Delicious Overnight Oats

This recipe includes a range of seeds that are amazing for your health. If you are a fan of oats, paired with hemp seeds, chia, and flaxseeds, this easy budget-friendly make-ahead meal will become your favorite. Just a tiny amount of seeds from the packaging will go a long way. Plus, it’s done in 5 minutes.

Leave it in the freezer overnight. When you wake up in the morning, get your daily portion and spice it with a sweetener, nuts or cinnamon. You can keep the jar in a cold spot for several days.

4.      Healthy Chicken Tacos

Use the chicken left from yesterday to make the healthiest tacos ever. You’re saving both time and money. Also grab those avocados you have from the last shopping spree, a lime, onions and tortillas.

The chicken can last for two or three days, so before making the tacos, you can simply heat it up. Also, heat the tortillas, stuff them with all the ingredients and your meal is ready to go. The total time is, believe it or not, less than 10 minutes.

5.      Easiest Banana Pancakes

These banana pancakes won’t hurt your budget, since obviously bananas are the most affordable fruits out there. Grab two from your pantry, together with two eggs, half a cup of oats and some cinnamon.

You read it right, that’s all you need and 20 minutes. Start by mashing the bananas, and continue to stir in the cinnamon, eggs and oats. Grease the pan with butter and cook the pancakes. They are amazingly delicious served cold as well.

6.      Penne Pasta With Olives & Tomatoes

Who doesn’t love pasta? It’s cheap and makes the most delicious meals. Next time you go shopping, get some penne pasta, olives, salami, artichokes, and tomatoes.

While you boil the penne according to the instructions, you can heat some olive oil in a small skillet. Include the olives, salami and artichoke hearts in the oil. Cook them for 3 minutes and add the tomatoes. At the end just mix the sauce with the pasta. Voila!

7.      Super-Fast Black Bean Rice

Rice is a great source of energy in every way you cook it. Today we bring you one of the best budget-friendly make-ahead ideas with a range of ingredients that are the most affordable and healthy at the same time. This recipe is easy to make and you probably already have white rice at home.

8.      Grilled Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

Forget about regular fries, we bring you a much tastier and healthier version. Buy a whole pack of chicken breasts and you’ll be saving up a lot. This is a two-ingredient recipe, so you already know that it’s totally affordable.

Grill the chicken breast the way you always do. While you’re doing that, put the sweet potato fries in the oven. Add some olive oil and spices. Everything will be ready in half an hour. Get the food containers and pack everything for a few days ahead.

9.      Turkey Salad Sandwiches

Sandwiches are always the best option when you start thinking about cheap meal prep. And you can also make them super-healthy by improvising with the ingredients you have at home. This recipe features turkey breast, which is among the more affordable types of meat.

Use your favourite bread, cover it with a slice of lettuce and add the turkey salad on top. Not a bad idea for sandwiches that are ready in 15 minutes.

10. Cold Carrot Soup

Cold soups make the perfect make-ahead meal ideas, since you don’t actually have to worry about warming them. You’ve already heard about the stunning health benefits of ginger. Well, this soup is made with ginger and carrots, both won’t break the bank. If you have a soup maker at home, feel free to use it.

11. Tasty Pork Loin Roast

You can find pork loins at such a low price especially right before the holiday season. Stock up and leave it in the freezer so that you can try out this amazing roast recipe. This will be equally delicious the next day.