Best Lowcost Healthy Meal Ideas
By planning meals around rice, pasta and potatoes you will use lower-cost ingredients. Use vegetables in season and store-brand frozen veggies in season. Think of meat as a condiment. Best of all, cook more and you can use it the next day or freeze for days when you are too busy to cook.• Beans and rice• Chili• Bean soup• Split pea soup• Lentils with rice• Chicken and rice• Stirfry over rice• Pasta and lentils• Paella• Risotto• Lasagna• Tuna and macaroni• Pasta with veggies• Vegetable soup• Stew with potatoes and chicken• Baked potato stuffed with broccoli
| Compare cost per ounce: | |
| Rice | .03 |
| Potatoes | .03 |
| Bananas | .04 |
| Cabbage | .04 |
| Carrots | .05 |
| Dried beans | .06 |
| Apples | .06 |
| Oranges | .07 |
| Oatmeal, grits | .07 |
| Pasta | .08 |
| Yogurt | .09 |
| Frozen veggies | .09 |
| Peanut butter | .09 |
| Soup | .09 |
| Broccoli | .12 |
| Tuna, canned | .15 |
| Chicken breast | .18 |
| Egg white | .20 |
| Cereal | .25 |
| Beef | .25 |
| Frozen meal | .29 |
| Bread | .30 |
| Chips | .34 |
| Cookies | .38 |
| Fish (frozen) | .39 |
| Cheese | .46 |
| Crackers | .47 |
| Cake, bakery | .50 |
| Deli meat | .65 |
Nutrition Education Store
Look What's New in Our Store
Build-a-Plate Teaching Kit with Food ModelsView in store →
Meet the Kernel Whole Grain Replica BundleView in store →
Lunchtime Hero 3D Award Figure + Activity GuideView in store →
How Much Sugar? Test TubesView in store →
NEW! 3D-Printed Sugar Cubes: Stack the SugarView in store →
How Much Salt? Test TubesView in store →
How Much Fat? Test TubesView in store →
The New Pyramid Poster 2026 (18"×24")View in store →
New 2026 Food Pyramid TearpadView in store →
MyPlate Handout TearpadView in store →
Food Label Math Poster (18"×24")View in store →
Sip Smart Hydration TearpadView in store →
Are You Drinking Candy? Banner on Stand (24"×67")View in store →
MyPlate Portion Plates (Pack of 10)View in store →
Fruit & Vegetable Pens (Pack of 10)View in store →
Fruit-Shaped Note Pads (Pack of 10)View in store →
NEW! Eat Real Food Wristbands (Pack of 20)View in store →
NEW! Habit Stack Wristbands (Pack of 20)View in store →
NEW! Are You Drinking Candy? Wristbands (Pack of 20)View in store →
