Are you looking for healthy meals on a budget to feed the whole family? Meals that fit your diet but won’t break the bank. I have a whopping 40 suggestions for you.

I have some great recipes here for you for meals that will feed a family of 4 for less than £5. Some of the meals are much less.

Not only this but all fit well into a healthy eating plan like Slimming World!

Don’t let people tell you that it is more expensive to eat healthily because it doesn’t have to be with meals on a budget!

pile of coins with a hand adding another coin coppering up for Slimming World meals on a budget
Money saved from making meals on a budget

Just Average Jen is an independent blog. It is not connected with any weight loss plan. None of the contributors have received training from them or worked for them.

The reader is responsible for checking nutritional values, such as Slimming World syn values and WW points. Additionally, they must check any other allowances; any given are approximate.

The recipe links below are to recipes both on my website and also those of others, all shared with their permission and all look amazing!

If you follow Slimming World, Weight Watchers (WW), Noom or any other weight loss plan you can usually count the ingredients within these recipes in your allowances.

It is of course important to check any plan you follow and remember all nutritional information and ingredients are found in the individual recipe cards.

Unofficial Cheap Slimming World meals on a budget with pasta

Why pasta?

Pasta is a cheap easy staple ingredient that is so cheap it features in many budget meals and here are just a few of my favourites.

If you look in the supermarket many have a big bag which works out even cheaper if you are prepared to buy 3-4kg at once!

I buy it from Farmfoods sometimes too.

Have you seen microwave pasta cookers for quick cooking of pasta? I have a whole guide full of pasta recipes I am sure you will enjoy.

Spicy sausage pasta bake

This is a great meal to make if you have sausages that need using up and you don’t fancy a sausage casserole or sausages and mashed potato.

Garlic Mushroom and Spinach Pasta Bake

I absolutely love this one and great when you have spinach to use up! Frozen spinach is cheap too.

Slimming World garlic mushroom pasta in a beige bowl with a black background

Spaghetti Primavera

Tasty and looks lovely without looking cheap. The vegetables can be easily swapped for cheaper seasonal choices if you prefer.

This cheap healthy meal is tasty and a bit different to the usual tomato-based pasta dishes.

Leek macaroni cheese

This recipe is great for the whole family and hides a lot of vegetables in a cheesy dish.

It is great if you are looking for cheap meals on a budget for all the family as even kids like macaroni cheese.

Pasta Arrabiata

An easy and delicious Italian pasta recipe that can be made in batches and on a budget. This is great for Unofficial cheap Slimming World meals on a budget.

pasta sauce meal in a white bowl
Pasta

Chicken Fajita Pasta Bake

This can be made cheaper using frozen chicken, which would come in just over £5 using fresh chicken

Creamy Cheese and Ham Fusilli Bake

This one comes in very close to £5 but depends on where you shop and if things are on offer!

Spaghetti Bolognese

A great one for hiding vegetables if you have a picky eater! Whether you chop them small or blend them you can pack loads in!

This is definitely one to consider if you are looking for cheap healthy meals on a budget.

Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne

Using vegetables and being thrifty with where you shop you could just about do this one for a fiver, lasagne is such a popular food it would have been a shame to not include it!

Hearty vegetable pasta soup

This tasty vegetable pasta soup is full of nutrients and so easy to make as a cheap budget family meal.

More soups are below as we know soup is a great one to make on a budget.

hearty vegetable pasta soup made on a budget with frozen vegetables

Why are soups cheap?

Soup is a great way to use up cheap vegetables that are getting a little past their best.

If you bulk buy a big pack of carrots for example and do not want to waste any then making soup is usually perfect. It freezes well too.

Mushroom Soup

A great one if you buy lots of mushrooms reduced! It freezes well too.

mushrooms
Shiitake Mushrooms

Easy Tomato Soup

This recipe is super easy and super cheap. A real family favourite on a budget. Around £2 for the lot!

Buy cheap brands of each item as you really won’t taste the difference.

Slimming World tomato soup
Tomato and Basil soup

Broccoli and Stilton soup

This is so easy to make and really cheap. A good way to make use of a little bit of leftover cheese.

Minestrone Soup

Sounds good and so cheap too! A great way to use up random vegetables!

Bowl of Slimming World minestrone soup
Homemade delicious minestrone soup with basil

Rich Tomato Soup 

A great one if you buy lots of fresh tomatoes reduced!

Cheao Slimming world meals on a budget - tomatoes are a cheap way of adding vegetables
plum tomatoes

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Super cheap and tasty!

carrot soup
carrot soup

Unofficial Slimming World meals on a budget with rice

Rice as a budget meal

Rice is extremely cheap and if you are on a budget then increasing the amount of a cheap ingredient like rice in your diet and reducing the amount of meat saves a lot of money whilst still keeping you full.

Asparagus pilaf

This asparagus pilaf is such a cheap and easy meal to make you will soon wonder why you didn’t try it sooner.

If you want to swap the asparagus for something else that is easy too.

asparagus and Rice

Butternut Squash Risotto

This is one of my all-time favourites! I am a big butternut squash fan and even wrote a whole post about butternut squash tips and recipes!

Mushroom Stroganoff

This is so tasty and creamy that you really won’t remember you are trying to eat healthily on a budget!

If you buy lots of reduced mushrooms this is a great way to use them.

Nigerian Jollof Rice

This is a lovely dish to have on its own or with other meals. It is great cold for lunch the following day too and so easy to make.

Slimming World Nigerian jollof rice
Nigerian jollof rice

Vegetable Biryani

This is so tasty and you really wouldn’t realise how cheaply it can be made if you have the spices already!

Garlic Mushroom Risotto

This is one of my favourite cheap healthy meals as it is so easy! You can make this stronger by adjusting the quantity of garlic!

Vegetable-based meals for less than £1 a portion

Vegetables are often really cheap when they are in season or when the shop has to sell them off as they are approaching their best-before date.

Vegetables often last far beyond this date, however, especially when stored well so can make a cheap tasty healthy meal.

Spinach and pea frittata

This is easy to make and great for all the family. Easy to make with my spinach and pea frittata recipe.

Slimming World frittata

Noodles and Vegetable Stir Fry

Depending on the budget you can add meat or Quorn. This doesn’t really need a recipe just chuck in your favourites and give them a fry for easy meals on a budget.

Check out my selection of healthy Chinese fakeaway recipes for inspiration.

Slimming World stir fry being stirred in a wok
Stir Fry

Sweetcorn Fritter

In the summer this is one of my favourite cheap healthy meals on a budget as it is easy to make in advance and perfect for sitting outside in the garden!

Simple but a good budget meal which is great for lunches on the go.

Mini Pepper Quiches

Whilst these are not a meal themselves they could be served with a salad to make a nice cheap meal.

Mushy Pea Curry

Sounds weird but is lovely! Even if, like me, you hate mushy peas you will be surprised at this.

I have an easy-to-follow video for this recipe too but once you have made it once you really won’t need it!

mushy pea curry can be made for a couple of pounds on a budget
Mushy Peas

Vegetable couscous

This is a tasty meal perfect for taking for lunch at work the following day.

Couscous is really cheap so a perfect way to make healthy meals on a budget.

A plate of food with Salad and Couscous
Couscous

Sweet and Sour Vegetables

Popular with kids too this is great with egg noodles!

Healthy meals on a budget with potatoes

Why are potatoes great?

Potatoes are so cheap all year round so using them in recipes is always a great way to make a budget meal.

If you struggle to know which potatoes are good for different dishes check out my potato guide.

Don’t discount the humble jacket potato, there are so many fillings you can have with them!

Aloo gobi

This Aloo Gobi is amazingly cheap and easy to make it could easily become one of your go-to family meals.

bowl of aloo gobi

Roast plum, sweet potato and quinoa salad

This quinoa salad is a delicious but also cheap family recipe.

plum and quinoa salad

Homity Pie

This is one of my favourite really cheap and easy meals on a budget to make for all the family, well worth trying out for fussy children.

Slimming World homity pie
Homity pie

Gardener’s Pie

Great for around Christmas when supermarkets often have root vegetables on offer!

Cheesy leek and potato pie

Lovely and tasty for all the family, children who love mashed potatoes will love them and not notice the sneaky vegetables inside.

Healthy meals on a budget with meat

How to make them cheaply

Using the cheapest cuts of meat is often better in the slow cooker. Tougher meats tend to be much cheaper but when they are slow-cooked they can be just as good, if not better.

Frozen meat is often a lot cheaper too and really makes very little difference. Try frozen 5% fat mince next time you go shopping!

Using cheap items like healthier sausages can be cheap meat to add to a meal too.

For fish, the cheapest meals on a budget to make involve perhaps a cheap can of tuna or a fish pie pack containing a mixture of bits.

Chicken cauliflower fried rice

This chicken cauliflower rice recipe is a great budget meal to make whilst also being low in carbs. If you aren’t so keen on cauliflower rice you could make it half and half with your usual rice.

Slimming World chicken fried rice

Sausage Tray Bake

This is so easy to make and perfect for all the family. The overall cost depends on the sausage you use but can easily come in under a fiver.

Ultimate Lazy Tuna Fishcakes

Could be served with salad, vegetables or whatever you fancy really!

Homemade tuna cakes
Homemade Tuna Cakes with Lemon and Tartar Sauce

Chilli con carne

This is a great easy recipe for the slow cooker or hob depending on what time you have available.

chilli con carne with rice and salad
Chilli con carne with rice

Tasty Cowboy Potato Bake

This meals on-a-budget recipe is a favourite in our house, as is a similar recipe for cowboy pie.

BBQ Chicken

If you have the store cupboard ingredients already and use frozen chicken this can be under £5 or use a cheaper cut like chicken thigh instead.

An alternative is a BBQ-pulled jackfruit.

bbq pulled jackfruit with rice and vegetables
BBQ pulled jackfruit

Chicken or Tofu kebabs

These are a great way of using whichever vegetables you have that need using. You can use a variety of sauces or spices to flavour your chicken or tofu.

Cheap Slimming World meals on a budget - kebabs
kebabs

Sausage Casserole

I find this the best value meal on a budget when you use cheap but healthy sausages.

Moroccan chicken casserole

This is a great meal for all the family and so easy to make on a budget as it uses chicken thighs which are cheaper than breasts.

Slimming World Moroccan chicken casserole
Moroccan chicken casserole

Unofficial Slimming World meals on a budget using beans and pulses

How to use them for budget meals

Beans and pulses like lentils, chickpeas and similar are so cheap they are a great way to make a meal on a budget.

You could substitute half of the mince in a bolognese for lentils and no one would even notice! Why not give it a try?

Spanish chickpeas, spinach and egg

Full of nutrients this Spanish chickpeas spinach and egg recipe is easy to make and cheap too.

Closeup of spanish chickpeas and eggs on multicoloured plate

Lentil and vegetable moussaka

This probably comes in a little over the £5 budget but it is well worth it and can be adapted to make it cheaper using frozen vegetables.

Slimming World moussaka
lentil and vegetable moussaka

Keema Curry

This is so easy to pop in the slow cooker before a long day out of the house. When you come back the house smells delicious and your tea is ready.

To save more money add lentils as well as mince!

Other ideas

Jacket Potatoes

Various fillings can be done with the potatoes very cheaply, such as cottage cheese, baked beans, grated cheese, tuna, mushy peas, and served with a salad. Check out my jacket potato topping ideas.

lunch of jacket potato with cheese and beans

Leek and potato soup

This is such a cheap meal choice but so tasty too.

Slimming World leek and potato soup

Spicy vegetable soup

Another soup you might want to try is spicy vegetable soup.

You can easily adapt it to the vegetables in season to lower the cost as much as possible.

soup in a mug with fruit

Pasta Salad

Cook some pasta and chuck it in a salad to make the salad a bit more filling! I have a Morrisons low-calorie salad dressing I like to add too.

bowl with Soup and Pasta

Make your own curry recipe

Chuck it in Curry – Add lots of vegetables and anything that needs use to the slow cooker with a bit of curry powder!

bowl of curry and rice

Omelette

A simple omelette with homemade chips and salad can be cheap and easy to make.

If you struggle to turn over an omelette just cook it on the bottom then pop it under the grill to cook the top!

Slimming World omelette

Bubble and Squeak

Bubble and Squeak is essentially mashed potato and leftover vegetables all fried up with some gravy on or even homemade gravy using a stock cube or stockpot if you want to be low calorie!

A tray of food, with Potato and Fishcake

Tips for making healthy meals on a budget

If you are looking for 5% beef mince cheaply try Iceland. They have a great value bag of frozen mince that is only 5% fat so ideal for cutting costs.

Frozen vegetables can cut costs and be just as healthy.

If something is on offer for example on the Aldi super six then I often try to base meals around that to reduce cost!

If you are looking for more healthy recipes check the others in my recipes tab.

Check out my Quark recipe ideas and my Slow Cooker recipe ideas.

More you may find helpful

Fancy 4 weeks of Slimming World lunches already planned out for you? Check this lunch plan out.

I have other guides to recipes with specific ingredients/diets so do go and have a look at those too.

Recipes with chicken, vegetarian and vegan recipes, how to use quark and recipes with it, how to cook perfect rice and recipes with rice, butternut squash tips and recipes and many more just check out my recipes directory.

Be sure you check out anything though to look at the tasty desserts I share.

Check this post for all the lowest syn sausages and both meat and vegetarian to keep you on plan!

selection of colourful vegetables

If you found this helpful please share!

Just Average Jen Shopping Guides

My guides to help you spend your money wisely on whatever you need for your happy healthy lifestyle.

About Author

Hi, I’m Jen Mellor; I live in Nottingham, UK. and use my knowledge and experience in weight loss and confidence to help you become your own cheerleader and best friend. I am usually seen wearing colourful leggings and love to wear bright colours. Wear what you love, and be proud of your style and choices!

One Comment

  1. Hi, Im loving ur budget meals, i have done slimming world before and lost 6 stone over 18 months but i stopped going to classes it soon went bk on again. I found slimming world to be very successful but also very expensive and with having a family it got to the point where i was spending more on food a month than my rent lol. Cant wait to try out these recipes along with ur shopping lists.
    Keep up the good work, if it wasnt for ppl like u i’m sure a lot of us would have given up a long time ago
    .

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