Budget-Friendly Nutrition Tips
Easy ways to keep grocery and food costs down, plus a sample budget friendly meal plan!
Eating healthy doesn’t have to drain your wallet. With planning and smart shopping, you can fuel your body with nutritious meals without overspending. This is especially important for athletes looking to take their performance to the next level.
As an athlete who is training hard and has big goals, nutrition matters—so how you plan matters too.
When you understand how to fuel your body well, you get to focus more on what really matters—your training.
Instead of spending time stressing about what to eat next, you'll have a clear plan that supports your goals.
Below, we’ll cover a few tips to make nutrition feel easier, so you can spend less time thinking about food and more time thinking about your lifts, recovery, and progress.
Budget-Friendly Meal Planning Tips
⚡ use versatile Protein Bases:
Cook a simple protein like plain shredded chicken that can be repurposed throughout the week. Use it for BBQ chicken burgers, buffalo chicken wraps, chicken stir-fry, and taco bowls. This saves both time and money while keeping meals interesting. When you prep the protein, keep it simple with minimal seasoning—just salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Throughout the week, spice things up with different sauces or seasonings like sriracha, buffalo sauce, teriyaki glaze, or taco seasoning. This approach keeps meals flavorful without extra prep work.
⚡buy in Bulk:
Purchase staple items like oats, rice, quinoa, frozen vegetables, and proteins such as chicken breasts or ground turkey when they're on sale. Buying in bulk reduces the cost per serving and ensures you have essentials on hand. Focus on non-perishable items or freezer-friendly foods to prevent waste. Warehouse stores, local co-ops, and even online bulk suppliers can offer great deals.
⚡ shop Seasonal Produce:
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are often cheaper and fresher. Incorporate them into your meals for variety and better taste. Check local farmers' markets, roadside stands, or grocery stores with seasonal sales. Produce like berries, squash, leafy greens, and root vegetables often rotate in price based on the season. Plus, seasonal produce tends to be at its nutritional peak, giving you more bang for your buck in both flavor and health benefits.
⚡ try big Batch Cooking:
Prepare large batches of meals and freeze portions for later. Dishes like chili, soups, casseroles, and stews are budget-friendly, easy to reheat, and packed with nutrients. Big batch cooking helps reduce food waste because you can repurpose ingredients across multiple meals. For example, make a large pot of turkey chili and enjoy it as-is, then use leftovers in burrito bowls or as a baked potato topping. Freezing portions helps with meal prep for busy weeks, saving both time and money.
⚡ use those Leftovers intentionally:
Transform leftovers into new meals to keep things exciting and reduce food waste. For example, roasted vegetables can become a wrap filling, salad topping, or part of a grain bowl. Leftover grilled chicken can be turned into quesadillas, pasta dishes, or added to soups. The key is to plan for leftovers when cooking, making slightly larger portions with the intention of using them in different ways throughout the week.
⚡ stretch your proteins:
Incorporate protein options that go a long way, like ground beef, ground turkey, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, and egg whites. Stretch ground meat by mixing it with fiber-rich ingredients like beans, lentils, or chopped vegetables—this not only increases the volume but adds nutrients and keeps you full longer. For example, add black beans and canned corn to taco meat or lentils to spaghetti sauce.
Budget-Friendly Meal Planning
Meal planning saves money by reducing food waste and avoiding last-minute takeout. Below is an example of a budget friendly meal plan for give days:
Day 1-5 Meal Plan:
Breakfast:
Overnight oats with oats, Greek yogurt, frozen berries, and chia seeds
Scrambled eggs with spinach and toast
Lunch:
BBQ chicken wraps with coleslaw mix
Ground turkey taco bowls with rice, black beans, and salsa
Dinner:
Chicken stir-fry with seasonal vegetables and brown rice
Spaghetti with ground turkey meat sauce and steamed broccoli
Chili with ground beef, beans, and cornbread
Snacks:
Hard-boiled eggs
Cottage cheese with pineapple
Carrot sticks with hummus
Rice cakes with peanut butter
Ready to Make the Most of Your Time and Nutrition?
Don’t let the cost of well-rounded nutrition hold you back. As an athlete who is training hard and has big goals, nutrition matters—so how you plan matters too.
When you understand how to fuel your body well, you get to focus more on what really matters—your training.
Instead of spending time stressing about what to eat next, you'll have a clear plan that supports your goals.
Schedule a discovery call today, and we will create a personalized nutrition strategy that saves you time and supports your performance, recovery, and progress. All in the name of focusing less on food, and more on crushing your goals!
Hi, I’m Katie!
I work with strength and team athletes. Over the years, I’ve worked with countless athletes helping them to best fuel for their sport.
I work with athletes to ensure they cover their individual nutrient needs while still enjoying their favorite foods. We start with learning about nutritional fundamentals and shift towards an intuitive eating practice.
I would love to hear from you and your specific goals!