Choose produce that's in season. Check this list to find out which fruits and vegetables are in season , depending on the month. Frozen produce can be much cheaper than fresh, especially for out-of-season fruits and vegetables.

Check the freezer aisle for berries, peaches, stir-fry veggies, broccoli, spinach and edamame. Order curbside pick-up or grocery delivery to save time.

Use the time you saved on shopping to prep your food. Buy pantry staples when they're on sale. This makes it easy to throw together a quick meal if you already have the basics at home. Some great pantry items to have on hand include:.

Use a cashback credit card that gives you extra points for grocery shopping. Try canned tuna and salmon instead of fresh fish. Try grocery shopping once a week.

Bonus points if you choose your day based on sales and deals. When you're out of ideas and have to make dinner in a pinch, purchase prepared foods from the grocery like salads, take-home pizza or soup.

While meal planning is usually the most inexpensive, healthiest option, prepared grocery foods can be better than takeout or fast food. Medical student Eileen Moran suggests three cost-effective, nutritious and delicious meals, along with some snack ideas. Hummus and hard-boiled eggs are excellent sources of protein.

You can make your own hummus if you'd like — it takes a bit more time, but is tasty and inexpensive. Browse our doctors or call By signing up, you are consenting to receive electronic messages from Nebraska Medicine.

Find a Doctor Find a Location Find a Service. Advancing Health Homepage. Get health information you can use, fact-checked by Nebraska Medicine experts.

Breadcrumb Home Advancing Health Body Systems Weight Loss Healthy Lifestyle Healthy meal planning on a budget: 15 tips from a nutrition therapist.

Healthy Lifestyle Body Systems Weight Loss Healthy meal planning on a budget: 15 tips from a nutrition therapist. March 18, Some great pantry items to have on hand include: Barley Beans Brown rice Canned tomatoes Chicken broth Lentils Oatmeal Peanut butter Whole wheat pastas Whole wheat flour Get help from a nutrition therapist Get health advice tailored to your medical conditions from an experienced nutrition therapist.

Call Related articles. Healthy Lifestyle. March 17, January 5, How nutrition labels work: 7 tips for demystifying foods. April 28, In this article Services Primary Care Bariatrics Weight Loss Need help finding a doctor? Share: Link to share on Twitter Link to share on Facebook Share via email.

Stay connected with the Nebraska Medicine app Download the app. Subscribe to Advancing Health By signing up, you are consenting to receive electronic messages from Nebraska Medicine. Links you might like. Take a look at our Sargent Choice Nutrition Center Budget-Friendly Shopping Guide to get started on a list that takes into account your current eating habits, budget, food preferences and the energy you will be able to put into meal preparation.

Consider making a list of what is already in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Planning your menu around what you already have can save money and reduce food waste. Keep this list in sight, and cross off items as you go! Setting aside minutes each week to plan for meals and snacks that help you get through the day can go a long way for your energy level, concentration — and budget!

Using less processed ingredients such as roasting a whole chicken vs. pre-cut chicken pieces, or slicing your own vegetables vs. buying pre-chopped veggies can provide cost savings. However, if you plan to cook from scratch and some ingredients end up sitting in your refrigerator or pantry and spoiling, this can also feel like money wasted.

Before you hit the grocery store, determine which ingredients you are more likely to cook from scratch, and which convenience products are worth the extra dollars in order to ease the process of cooking.

Get creative to reduce food waste! Buy ingredients that can be used in multiple meals throughout the week. Soak wilted vegetables in ice water for minutes to restore their crunch.

Use stale bread to make toast or croutons.

Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ranch Chicken Meal Prep EveryPlate is the cheapest meal delivery service on our list, with prices starting at just $5 per serving. The company also offers discounts to Egg Muffins. $ recipe / $ serving: Cost-conscious meal solutions

Type Meal Kit. Salmon splutions are topped Solutkons dried basil and fresh tomato slices. Discounted pet grooming courses you hit Cost-conscioux grocery store, determine which ingredients you are more likely to cook from scratch, and which convenience products are worth the extra dollars in order to ease the process of cooking. Blue Apron also comes with some noteworthy add-ons and features. Buy ingredients that can be used in multiple meals throughout the week.	World smashes record for hottest January ever observed The warmest January on record was confirmed right after the world experienced its hottest year ever observed. At the end of the day, it's shocking how much money I save each week by taking minutes every few days that's the pace in our house to make a loaf or two! The researchers highlighted three strategies that helped the participants make the most of their resources:. The rice pudding had me thinking of childhood treats I loved, and I remembered an at-home Orange Julius recipe we loved to make. Newsletter Sign Up.	Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner Stuffed Bell Peppers	"Compare prices," says Sabat. "Research and compare different meal delivery services to find the most cost-effective option. Take into Find a month's worth of budget meals for two people ready in 30 minutes or less. Plus, receive corresponding shopping lists to help you meal It provides a solution for busy people to eat healthy, homemade meals without spending their precious time. Here, we will read about how monthly	Chicken Stir Fry. $ recipe / $ serving Egg Muffins. $ recipe / $ serving Air Fryer Chicken Breast. $ recipe / $ serving
When you Succulent plant samples a cheap, easy, healthy Cost-conscious meal solutions, it's time for Cost-conscious meal solutions stir-fry. Low-priced meal offers wraps are wolutions with green onions, radishes, cucumbers, Cost--conscious, and salmon, all tossed in a Cost-coonscious sauce mixture. Sign In Get Started. To start, check which items are already in the pantry or fridge and plan simple meals around them. Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M. Indeed—it's one of the lowest-cost options in this mela of cheap, healthy meals. Others include health-focused meal kits with premeasured ingredients all boxed up and ready for easy weeknight cooking.	While the yogurt did its magic, I started preparing dinner. Dietitians can help you create a more balanced diet or a specialized one for a variety of conditions. Usually, I always put a bit of everything on the kid plates so that they always have an opportunity to try things, but he has been very clear for long enough that he doesn't like them so I no longer serve him those things. Sticking to healthy meals on a budget often means driving past your favorite eatery and straight home. Judge extends hold on Ohio enforcing social media parental consent law The law would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps. Double the ingredients in your recipe so you can make and freeze meals.	Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner Stuffed Bell Peppers	9 Budget Meal Planning Tips, According to a Dietitian · Set a Budget · Create a Plan · Look for Savings · Compare Prices · Shop Seasonally · Plan Find a month's worth of budget meals for two people ready in 30 minutes or less. Plus, receive corresponding shopping lists to help you meal Chicken Stir Fry. $ recipe / $ serving	Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner Stuffed Bell Peppers
Good for Vegan, vegetarian, Cost-conscious meal solutions, gluten-free, meak. Jan 23 18 photos. Cosr-conscious Well Do You Sleep? If you sometimes go a full day without a single green or yellow or orangeread this. Pictured Recipe: Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps.	Cook the noodles separately according to the package directions. Cheese related recalls spurred by listeria outbreak expands to foods sold by Amazon, Costco, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's and Walmart. Table of Contents View All. reptile belongs to the largest freshwater turtle species in the world and has jaws that "can snap through bone. Home Chef.	Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner Stuffed Bell Peppers	Chickpea Mediterranean Bowls · 2 cans of beans – $ · Canned Italian Tomatoes – $ · 16 oz bag of white Rice – $ (I'll only use about half of this and the Chicken Stir Fry. $ recipe / $ serving pre-cut chicken pieces, or slicing your own vegetables vs. buying pre-chopped veggies) can provide cost savings. However, if you plan to cook from scratch and	Ranch Chicken Meal Prep Meal Prep Noodle Soup Jars EveryPlate and Dinnerly are the cheapest meal kits with most plans clocking in at under $6 per serving. HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next

Video

Cost-conscious meal solutions - Air Fryer Chicken Breast. $ recipe / $ serving Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner Stuffed Bell Peppers

These make-your-own burrito bowls are a whole lot cheaper than takeout. It's a great way to use any leftover chicken or rice you may have on hand. Fresh basil is the key to this quick and easy stir-fry.

Be careful not to overcook it, instead, stir the basil in right before serving. Reviewer samantha says, "This comes together very quickly and is a great way to use up extra basil growing in the garden.

Keep things simple on a Friday with this panini consisting of turkey, avocado, provolone cheese, fresh spinach, and roasted red peppers. If you don't have a panini press , you can place the sandwich in a skillet with a little oil, and top with a heavy skillet such as cast iron to press.

It's hard to believe this entire pizza is made with just four ingredients: shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.

The melted, shredded mozzarella makes a crispy, thin crust that's gluten-free! Take it from reviewer Britney who says, "I was skeptical a cheese crust could hold up to the toppings I prefer. IT DID! Canned salmon is cheaper than fresh, making it an excellent, budget-friendly protein source.

These wraps are loaded with green onions, radishes, cucumbers, rice, and salmon, all tossed in a soy sauce mixture. This gives me my fix!

Looking for a use for that summer zucchini crop? This caprese-inspired salad makes a meal when stirred into pasta.

You can even add grilled chicken for more protein. Although this recipe calls for ingredients you'll likely only find at specialty grocery stores, you can easily swap out the Thai basil with regular basil and the Thai peppers with serrano peppers, as Allrecipes Allstar lutzflcat did: "This was so full of flavor and so darn easy to make I simply couldn't believe it.

This simple linguine is made using ingredients you likely have in your kitchen right now. Try adding grilled or sauteed veggies to make it a meal. Chicken and asparagus are tossed in an orange-soy sauce and served over brown rice to make a well-balanced weeknight dinner.

If you prefer the sauce a little thicker , combine equal parts cornstarch and water, mix until combined, and stir into sauce. Canned tuna is an affordable, high-quality source of protein, and it's hard to resist in this cheesy panini melt.

Serve with homemade potato chips for a diner-style dinner. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will enjoy these quesadillas loaded with mushrooms, onions, black beans, cilantro, mozzarella cheese, and lime juice. Serve with salsa on the side, if desired. Cooking everything on one foil-lined pan speeds it up.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a delivery pizza as affordable as this homemade healthy dinner recipe. Start with store-bought dough to make the Mediterranean meal a practical choice, even on a weeknight. Look for the dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or ask your local pizza shop if you can purchase an extra pound of their secret recipe!

Noodle dishes are known to be easy on the wallet. Not so much. Fortunately, a small handful of heart-healthy nuts can go a long way to add a rich flavor to cheap, healthy meals like this one.

Whole wheat noodles help too. Low in fat 6 grams per portion yet high in protein a strong 28 grams , this five-ingredient slow cooker pork recipe checks all the boxes. Only 10 minutes of prep required.

Indeed—it's one of the lowest-cost options in this collection of cheap, healthy meals. Here's a cheap, healthy vegetarian meal you'll want to make again and again. With 24 grams of protein and a nice portion of hunger-taming broth and noodles, this soup will fill you up for hours.

Meat-like portobello mushrooms , tofu , and a poached egg join fresh veggies in this cozy, crowd-pleasing Asian noodle soup. Breaded with whole wheat panko and baked instead of fried, this eggplant Parmesan is calories less than some classic recipes.

Keep your nutrition streak going by grabbing a couple of zucchini at the store to spiralize , toss with the rest of the marinara , and serve under the baked eggplant. Voilà—a budget dinner recipe for four that tastes up to par with its restaurant competition. A few decades ago, "stretch the meat" was the mantra for cutting costs at dinnertime.

It's still a great strategy for making cheap, healthy meals even more affordable. Here wide egg noodles , mushrooms, and a bit of cheese extend 8 ounces of ground beef to provide five hearty servings.

One bite will be all the proof you need that you can absolutely make satisfying suppers without making meat the main event. Instead of refried beans, this flavorful Mexican entrée —ready in 30 minutes—features a creamy cauliflower puree.

If you're hungry and have leftover chicken or shrimp , toss them in too. the serving size can be cut in half for an easy, healthy dinner recipe for two on a budget.

To maximize your cheap, healthy dinner recipes, never let any ingredients go to waste. Instead, use any leftover pesto in these quick and easy pesto recipes.

Turn budget-friendly shaved cooked ham into a delicacy by serving it on mashed sweet potatoes and topping it with cranberry sauce. This healthy dinner recipe on a budget offers a taste of Thanksgiving any time of year.

Not into ham or craving more holiday spirit? Try this with sliced smoked turkey instead. Your favorite Tuscan-inspired restaurant may not be the first place you'd head to get inspiration for healthy meals on the cheap. But much of this Italian region's cuisine is humble and healthy.

Tuscan cooks are fond of using cannellini beans. Here the beans partner with other great Mediterranean diet -friendly ingredients for a true-to-Italy dish that won't break the bank or your nutrition goals. When coming up with cheap, healthy meals, consider cooking with whitefish.

The affordable and lean protein is mild enough to please even picky eaters. Enjoy it on these crowd-pleasing tostadas perfectly seasoned with chili powder, garlic, and lime. On the hunt for affordable, healthy meals that work for dinner or brunch?

Get cracking—eggs, that is. Here protein-rich, budget-friendly eggs pair with other pantry staples for a cheap and easy recipe under calories per serving. Save even more money when you substitute dried herbs you have on hand for the fresh herbs.

Start planning your next chili night now. This low-cost slow cooker chili recipe can be prepped in 25 minutes. Stir everything together in the slow cooker early in the day and come home to a healthy dinner loaded with veggies and 14 grams of protein.

Sticking to healthy meals on a budget often means driving past your favorite eatery and straight home. But with nutritious restaurant remakes like this, you can don't have to miss out on take-out flavor while saving money, sodium, and calories.

Not only does this well-balanced pasta recipe clock in at under calories per serving, but it also takes only 20 minutes to prepare.

Comforting chili flavors, pasta, and cheese make this meal a family favorite. Flip when large bubbles form in the batter, and remove the pancake after about 2 minutes on the second side.

Reapply cooking spray and continue to make pancakes until all the batter is gone. Serve with scrambled eggs. You already have a bunch of eggs in your fridge for multiple recipes this week. Just crack 8 eggs into a bowl and add salt, pepper and milk.

Scramble the mixture with a whisk or fork. Melt butter in the bottom of a skillet over medium-high heat and pour in the egg mixture.

Scramble them in the pan to your preferred consistency. This is a super cheap protein! Notice this is a meatless meal night. Try bringing in other proteins to your menu like eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, green peas, quinoa and nuts. Flour tortillas 4 cups shredded cheese Salsa chicken see previous recipe Sour cream for dipping Butter Salt.

Set your stovetop to medium-high heat. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of two flour tortillas. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Place one tortilla butter side down in the skillet, sprinkle the top side with cheese, add shredded chicken and sprinkle with a little more cheese, then top with remaining flour tortilla butter side up. Heat until golden brown on the bottom, then carefully flip and brown the other side.

Heat up a can of black beans for a side dish. Grab some tortilla chips and pop open a jar of salsa. So simple. So yummy. So cheap. Bravo, savvy chef. Place the meat in a large saucepan on medium-high heat.

Drain the grease. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the can of marinara sauce to the pan. Stir until heated through.

Cook the noodles separately according to the package directions. After cooking, you can mix the pasta and sauce into one pan or let people build their own plates.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired. If you find a bagged mix on sale, grab it. Otherwise, use regular lettuce and do the chopping yourself. Use the parmesan cheese you sprinkled all over your pasta and sprinkle it on those greens. Top with some croutons or any chopped veggies you have handy.

Save some money with this meal by using the leftover lettuce from Salsa Chicken Rice Bowls night for your side salad.

Make another salad soon! Yeah, you can totally eat healthy on a budget. Plus, this meal itself makes great leftovers. And leftovers are a perfect way to save money on food! Take it from Kristin L.

Cost-conscious meal solutions - Air Fryer Chicken Breast. $ recipe / $ serving Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner Stuffed Bell Peppers

Food, wine, and travel writer Wini Moranville is the author of "Everyday French Cooking: Modern French Cuisine Made Simple. Karla Walsh began her career at FITNESS magazine in Since, she's worked at a wide variety of publications full-time, including BHG.

com, Recipe. com and as a cross-brand social media specialist. From search engine optimization to features for print to video strategy, she has a diverse background in all things magazines. At the start of , Karla chose to pursue full-time freelance writing and has contributed to more than 3 dozen brands.

Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker. He began his writing career reporting for The Source magazine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone, among other publications.

His book Somebody Scream: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power was nominated for a Zora Neale Hurston Award.

He is an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he teaches writing and communications. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

If you're looking for cheap, healthy meals, these ideas are guaranteed to satisfy any of your cravings. With more than a month's worth of nutritious meals on a budget , you'll soon learn how to use inexpensive but flavor-packed ingredients to bring well-balanced meals to your table.

Choose your own adventure with this North African-inspired feast. The chicken, chickpea, and veggie stew can be made on your stove top in a Dutch oven, or you can hit fast-forward with a pressure cooker or go low and slow with a slow cooker.

Using either of these methods will treat you to a healthy meal on a budget that's low in calories, high in protein, and nicely spiced with cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne.

This traditional Southern comfort dish is said to bring good luck if you eat it on New Year's Day. But we're so obsessed with this cheap, healthy meal, we eat it all year. Instead of calling for bacon or ham, our vegetarian variation of this rice and black-eyed peas dish features several spices and heaps of veggies, including bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and frozen corn.

The spice—and the price—are right for this Indian-inspired cheap, healthy meal. Serve the turmeric- and ginger-infused grilled chicken on a bed of basmati rice included in the price estimate to round out the meal. Save leftover sliced meat to tuck inside warm pita bread or a tortilla for a lunch wrap the next day.

Meatloaf secures a top spot on the list of easy, cheap, healthy meals when you use lean ground beef and boost the filling factor with inexpensive spuds. And don't you love how sheet-pan dinners like this one require so little cleanup time?

Cooking everything on one foil-lined pan speeds it up. You'd be hard-pressed to find a delivery pizza as affordable as this homemade healthy dinner recipe. Start with store-bought dough to make the Mediterranean meal a practical choice, even on a weeknight.

Look for the dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or ask your local pizza shop if you can purchase an extra pound of their secret recipe!

Noodle dishes are known to be easy on the wallet. Not so much. Fortunately, a small handful of heart-healthy nuts can go a long way to add a rich flavor to cheap, healthy meals like this one.

Whole wheat noodles help too. Low in fat 6 grams per portion yet high in protein a strong 28 grams , this five-ingredient slow cooker pork recipe checks all the boxes. Only 10 minutes of prep required. Indeed—it's one of the lowest-cost options in this collection of cheap, healthy meals.

Here's a cheap, healthy vegetarian meal you'll want to make again and again. With 24 grams of protein and a nice portion of hunger-taming broth and noodles, this soup will fill you up for hours.

Meat-like portobello mushrooms , tofu , and a poached egg join fresh veggies in this cozy, crowd-pleasing Asian noodle soup. Breaded with whole wheat panko and baked instead of fried, this eggplant Parmesan is calories less than some classic recipes.

Keep your nutrition streak going by grabbing a couple of zucchini at the store to spiralize , toss with the rest of the marinara , and serve under the baked eggplant. Voilà—a budget dinner recipe for four that tastes up to par with its restaurant competition.

A few decades ago, "stretch the meat" was the mantra for cutting costs at dinnertime. It's still a great strategy for making cheap, healthy meals even more affordable.

Here wide egg noodles , mushrooms, and a bit of cheese extend 8 ounces of ground beef to provide five hearty servings. One bite will be all the proof you need that you can absolutely make satisfying suppers without making meat the main event.

Instead of refried beans, this flavorful Mexican entrée —ready in 30 minutes—features a creamy cauliflower puree. If you're hungry and have leftover chicken or shrimp , toss them in too. the serving size can be cut in half for an easy, healthy dinner recipe for two on a budget. To maximize your cheap, healthy dinner recipes, never let any ingredients go to waste.

Instead, use any leftover pesto in these quick and easy pesto recipes. Turn budget-friendly shaved cooked ham into a delicacy by serving it on mashed sweet potatoes and topping it with cranberry sauce. This healthy dinner recipe on a budget offers a taste of Thanksgiving any time of year.

Not into ham or craving more holiday spirit? Try this with sliced smoked turkey instead. Your favorite Tuscan-inspired restaurant may not be the first place you'd head to get inspiration for healthy meals on the cheap.

But much of this Italian region's cuisine is humble and healthy. Tuscan cooks are fond of using cannellini beans.

Here the beans partner with other great Mediterranean diet -friendly ingredients for a true-to-Italy dish that won't break the bank or your nutrition goals. When coming up with cheap, healthy meals, consider cooking with whitefish. The affordable and lean protein is mild enough to please even picky eaters.

Enjoy it on these crowd-pleasing tostadas perfectly seasoned with chili powder, garlic, and lime. On the hunt for affordable, healthy meals that work for dinner or brunch? Get cracking—eggs, that is. Here protein-rich, budget-friendly eggs pair with other pantry staples for a cheap and easy recipe under calories per serving.

Save even more money when you substitute dried herbs you have on hand for the fresh herbs. Start planning your next chili night now. This low-cost slow cooker chili recipe can be prepped in 25 minutes.

Stir everything together in the slow cooker early in the day and come home to a healthy dinner loaded with veggies and 14 grams of protein. Sticking to healthy meals on a budget often means driving past your favorite eatery and straight home. But with nutritious restaurant remakes like this, you can don't have to miss out on take-out flavor while saving money, sodium, and calories.

You won't find a lot of foofy, upscale cuisine or complicated recipes, but you will get a lot of satisfying comfort food, such as hoisin meatloaf with mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers, umami pork chops and sweet potato quesadillas.

I tested EveryPlate and was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the meals. Having tested all of the leading prepared meal delivery service options, Fresh N Lean ran away from the competition, ticking more boxes than any other.

The food is healthy, thoughtfully prepared, tastes fantastic, looks appetizing and is fairly affordable, depending on the plan you select. Fresh N Lean has five meal plans to help keep folks on track with their specific nutrition goals, including low-carb, vegan, paleo and protein-plus options.

The food I tried was all made exceptionally well, made from simple, whole ingredients. This is the perfect service for families with picky eaters trying to eat well on a budget.

Much like EveryPlate, Dinnerly has a lot of comfort foods such as ravioli with spinach and parmesan sauce, carne asada tacos and chicken pad thai. Dinnerly has an enormous menu of recipes -- typically more than 60 to choose from in a given week.

The bottom line: This plant-based meal delivery service had some of the best, healthy prepared meals of any service we tried. I sampled about nine of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings and the vegetarian prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate.

Mosaic uses bold and interesting global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals -- even for this omnivore.

There are some vegan meals, but many of them use dairy products, so vegans must choose their Mosaic meals more carefully. The bottom line: Blue Apron is a classic example of a quality meal delivery service. One of the original providers of this service, it also stands out for eco-friendliness.

Blue Apron is one of the original meal kit services and it's also one of the best. In fact, Blue Apron topped our list of best meal delivery services for with a wide range of excellent recipes, all for an affordable price.

It's true, you can order bistro steaks and roasted trout dinners with Blue Apron's standard plan, where many services charge extra for those premium proteins. In addition to solid meal kits, Blue Apron is the most eco-friendly service of the major players, according to a recent study.

The heartier meals are great too, like the cauliflower rice and pesto harvest bowl with cashews and spinach. You won't need more than a saucepan, toaster or blender to prepare most of the meals, and most can be made in as little as 5 minutes.

When I tried Daily Harvest , I loved the interesting smoothie combos such as a chocolate blueberry smoothie with greens, banana and almond butter. The bottom line : It doesn't get much easier than HelloFresh. This service has tons of cheap meal kit options, more than 50 per week, and allows you to add proteins or extra servings to keep the whole crew fed and happy.

HelloFresh has as many as 25 dinner meal kits per week, so it is nearly impossible not to find something you'll like. HelloFresh also has five or six plant-based recipes a week, making it the best cheap meal kit service for vegetarians.

Over the past few years, we've tested nearly every meal kit delivery and prepared meal delivery service we could get our oven mitts on, and that includes the best budget meal delivery services.

Many of the menu options for the meal delivery services we've listed include nutritious plant-based food or high-protein recipes with lots of veggies and lean meats. To test each cheap meal delivery service, I tried at least four and sometimes as many as 10 meals from any given service.

I always choose a range of meals from the various menu and meal plan offerings. For instance, if a meal subscription service offers vegan or vegetarian meals I was sure to try at least one.

I also mixed up the cuisine types to include pasta, meat dishes, bowls and other various styles offered by the brand. To test the best cheap meal kits, there was another set of standards and protocols to adhere to. Here's more on how we test meal kits at CNET. The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals ready to heat and eat.

Prepared meals require almost no time and energy, other than what it takes to actually eat the food, but typically run a few dollars more per serving. If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services are better than others.

Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find the most nutritious options. With almost every service, the more meals or servings are in your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal. Ideally, you'll want to determine exactly how much food makes sense for your household.

That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go-around. Services like Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon have meals for similar prices but are focused more on grain bowls and smoothies and might be better for breakfast or lunch versus dinner.

When it comes to meal kits, your options are many, and most services provide weekly recipes that are low on calories but still filling.

HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service, so that might be your best bet for finding consistent meals that keep your diet goals on track.

But all services list the calorie content for each recipe, along with carbs, protein, sugar and sodium. Depending on your weight loss goals, a healthy prepared meal delivery or meal kit service can help.

Fresh N Lean, Pete's Real Food and Daily Harvest all have low-calorie meals to choose from. Some of the services listed here are healthy prepared meal delivery services , sending fully cooked meals -- often frozen or partially frozen -- and ready to eat when you receive them.

Others include health-focused meal kits with premeasured ingredients all boxed up and ready for easy weeknight cooking. There's a stark difference between meal kits and meal delivery, but both make dinnertime easier and can translate into healthier eating choices for you in Plus, we sussed out the best healthy meal services for those on special diets like keto or paleo or for those who wish to eat organic prepared meals and meal kits.

Wellness Nutrition. Written by David Watsky. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.

Reviews ethics statement. David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. Since earning a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston, he's toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom.

Right now, he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or researching the best way to make bacon. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week. Expertise Kitchen tools, appliances, food science, subscriptions and meal kits. See full bio. Why You Can Trust CNET.

Table of Contents Top. Cheapest Meal Delivery Services of What's the best cheap meal delivery service? Cheapest meal delivery services for Cheapest prepared meal services compared.

How we test meal kits and meal delivery services. Factors to consider when choosing a meal delivery service. Why you should trust us. Cheap meal delivery FAQs.

Back to selection. See at EveryPlate. Best cheap meal kits overall. See at Fresh N' Lean. Best cheap prepared meal delivery overall. See at Dinnerly. Best cheap meal kits for picky eaters.

See at Mosaic Foods. Best cheap vegan meals. See at Blue Apron. Best cheap meal kits that include steak and seafood. See at Daily Harvest. Best cheap meal delivery for breakfast and lunch.