How to Create an Inexpensive Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Eating healthy on a budget may seem impossible, but with smart planning and preparation, you can lose weight without breaking the bank. This comprehensive guide provides tips and strategies for creating nutritious, inexpensive meal plans to help you reach your weight loss goals affordably.

Benefits of Meal Planning for Weight Loss on a Budget

Creating structured, budget-friendly meal plans provides many advantages:

• Saves money compared to dining out
• Controls calories for safe, steady weight loss
• Allows you to buy ingredients in bulk when on sale
• Reduces impulse purchases and food waste
• Provides variety so you don’t get bored
• Saves time by simplifying cooking and eating
• Lets you customize menus for your tastes and dietary needs
• Teaches healthy cooking skills
• Helps you avoid costly takeout on busy days

Even with just $30-50 per week for groceries, you can prepare healthy, satisfying meals through strategic planning.

How to Determine Your Calorie Needs

To lose weight sustainably through calorie restriction, you must first determine your maintenance level calories to know your deficit.

Calculate your BMR

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the minimum calories needed for basic functioning if resting all day. Use this formula:

For men: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5 For women: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161

Factor in your activity

Multiply your BMR by an activity factor:

• Sedentary (little exercise): BMR x 1.2
• Light activity (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderate activity (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
• Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725
• Extremely active (physically demanding job + exercise): BMR x 1.9

The result is your maintenance calories. Create a 500 calorie per day deficit from that number for weight loss.

10 Tips for Creating a Meal Plan on a Budget

Follow these guidelines for budget-friendly weight loss meal prep:

1. Pick cheaper proteins – Eggs, canned tuna, beans, lentils, chicken thighs.
2. Prioritize vegetables – Buy whatever is in-season or frozen.
3. Utilize carbs wisely – Whole grains, potatoes, oats keep you full.
4. Cook once, eat twice – Repurpose leftovers creatively.
5. Do it yourself – Make your own sauces, dressings, coffees.
6. Drink water – Skip costly, sugary beverages.
7. Weigh savings – Calculate price per unit to find best deals.
8. Generic brands are fine – Opt for store brand canned goods, spices, condiments.
9. Shop sales and discount stores – Check ads, clip coupons, price match.
10. Meal plan wisely – Plan recipes that reuse ingredients. Shop with a list.

12 Cheap Foods for Meal Prep

Stock up on these budget-friendly staples:

• Eggs
• Beans and lentils
• Oats
• Rice
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Frozen fruits and vegetables
• Canned tuna
• Chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Greek yogurt
• Bananas
• Generic spices and sauces

Sample 1500 Calorie Meal Plan

Here is a sample daily meal plan that comes out to around $3.50 per day:

Breakfast: Overnight oats made with oats, chia seeds, milk and banana (350 calories)

Lunch: Spinach salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber and Greek yogurt dressing (410 calories)

Dinner: Burrito bowls with rice, black beans, salsa and guacamole (430 calories)

Snacks: Apple with peanut butter (250 calories) and Greek yogurt (60 calories)

Grocery Shopping Tips

Implement these strategies to get nutritional bang for your buck:

• Make a list organized by store section and buy only what you need
• Shop perimeter first for affordable produce, eggs, meat
• Check ads for sale items and coupons to match
• Opt for store brands over name brands
• Buy proteins like chicken in bulk when possible and freeze portions
• Choose fruits/veggies that are in-season for the lowest prices
• Shop discount grocers like Aldi’s for the best deals
• Buy dry grains and canned goods in largest sizes for best unit price
• Focus on cheap staples like rice, beans, bananas
• Skip the processed snacks, cereals, sugary drinks

Meal Prep Tips to Save Time and Money

Streamline your prep with these helpful guidelines:

• Pick a regular meal prep day like Sunday to shop, cook, pack lunches
• Prep versatile ingredients to use across recipes – cooked chicken, rice, roasted veggies
• Make double batches of recipes like soups, chilis to have leftovers
• Portion out snacks like carrots, hardboiled eggs in containers for easy grabbing
• Invest in reusable containers to store prepped meals and keep food fresh
• Freeze meal portions to preserve them for later – labeled with dates
• Reheat frozen meals gently – thaw first, use lower temp, add moisture
• Repurpose leftovers later in the week for new meals – example: use extra chicken in salad or wraps
• Cook once, eat twice! Cook extra with planned leftovers.

Sample Thrifty Dinner Recipes

These budget-friendly dinners cost around $2 per serving:

Spaghetti with Lentil Meatballs – Cooked lentils formed into balls and cooked with pasta and tomato sauce. Add frozen spinach.

Sheet Pan Fajitas – Chicken thigh strips, peppers and onions roasted together. Stuff into tortillas.

Red Beans and Rice – Canned kidney beans cooked with onions, garlic, spices and brown rice.

Veggie Coconut Curry – Chickpeas, sweet potato and frozen veggies cooked in coconut milk curry sauce. Serve over rice.

Breakfast for Dinner – Omelet with hash browns and fruit. Quick, easy and feeds a crowd.

Final Tips for Success

• Find accountability and support through weight loss apps and communities
• Be prepared for cravings – have approved snacks on hand
• Drink water before meals to aid weight loss
• Slow down eating – take 20 minutes, sip water between bites
• Prioritize exercise – take a walk, follow bodyweight routines on YouTube
• Focus on sustainability – create lasting habits over extreme restriction

Eating well on a budget is very doable with smart planning. Use these guidelines to create a customized meal plan that fits your budget, tastes and weight loss goals.