In this budget meal plan 120, we've curated 5 dinner recipes that are not only mouthwatering but also gentle on your wallet. Our goal is to save you time and money, so we've included a handy prep guide cheat sheet and a complimentary shopping list.
Affordable and Effortless: A Meal Plan for Everyone
Whether you're seeking budget-friendly lunches or quick, hassle-free dinner options, our meal plan caters to every family member's taste. Discover valuable tips for saving on groceries without compromising nutrition. With our FREE shopping list and one-week meal plan, you can enjoy both scrumptious and budget-friendly dishes.
Aldi Budget Meal Plan Like this recipe? Pin it to your Meal Planning pinboard! Follow SavvyBites on Pinterest
More Choices, More Savings
Explore our regular meal plans or opt for our £25 budget plans. Whichever you choose, rest assured that you'll relish affordable dinners that will please the entire family, without requiring any costly services.
Healthy family meal plan
Click here to print this week's meal plan and shopping list.
It's always helpful to have some pantry and freezer staples on hand to help get dinners on the table quickly. Below, I've listed some staples that I always have, in order to pull together healthy and easy dinners quickly.
You can also check out our other recipe collections like these easy chicken pasta recipes, vegetarian recipes, or these easy curry chicken dinners.
Pantry Staples
If you're new to Aldi or new to the website I'll give you a quick rundown of the pantry staples and favourite fresh food that I always like to have on hand.
- olive oil
- brown rice
- white rice or basmati
- tinned beans- black beans, kidney beans and chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- soy sauce- light and dark
- small flour tortilla- great for making tortilla chips or wraps
- coconut oil- please don't even ask me why coconut oil is so expensive everywhere else, but for some reason, in Aldi, it's a fraction of the price. It's also great for skincare, so it's a great pantry item.
- tinned tomatoes- or you can use passata which is a smooth tomato sauce Perfect for making this tomato and spinach gnocchi.
- peanut butter- honestly, the smooth pb from Aldi is on par with any high-end brand name. And it's a key ingredient in these Asian chicken lettuce wraps or use it to make the peanut sauce for these quick and easy Chinese noodles.
- Fresh vegetables, fruits and whole foods ground beef (mince)
- chicken breasts
- grape tomatoes
- green onions
- feta cheese
- cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt- I change it up weekly
- sour cream or creme fraiche
- Cheese- this usually depends on what types of cheese feature in that week's Aldi meal plan that I'm creating
About the Budget Meal Plan
Our budget dinner ideas are constantly evolving, featuring a mix of classic Savvy Bites recipes and new additions each week. Each recipe specifies the number of servings and provides nutritional information. Most recipes serve a family of 4 with leftovers, while slow cooker recipes typically cater to up to 6 people. Plus, we offer tips on storing and reheating leftovers to minimize food waste.
Join us in creating delightful, inspiring, and healthy meals without breaking the bank. Let's savour the goodness while being mindful of our resources!
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Need help with meal planning? You can find our (Aldi ingredients only) weekly meal plans here! Sign up to receive them free every week or take our quick meal planning course and grab the blank meal planner and use all these recipes to create your own meal plans.
Antony
Hi Deborah,
I really love this website and your brilliant recipes! Of the few I've made so far, they have tasted wonderful and been so easy to make. I'm excited to make more, specifically the one pot dishes, but I was wondering if you could recommend an essential and versatile 'one pot' to use on induction for 2-3 people? Should I opt for a dutch oven or a high-sided skillet? Or both?
Thanks!
Deborah Rainford
Hi Anthony. So happy that you love the recipes! As for the perfect "one pot" I absolutely love cast iron. It works great on induction, holds heat and can easily go from hob, to oven to table top without any issues. Ideally, a Dutch oven (this one https://amzn.to/3OF9mAG from Amazon is good) and a set of cast iron skillets. These (https://amzn.to/47epTmy) are the exact ones I have and they are incredible value for money! That really is all you'll need for most cooking you'll do. If you can only get one right now, then I think you'll get more use out of the Dutch oven. Depending on when you're looking to make your purchase, Aldi usually stocks a large range of cast iron cook ware, but probably not until late September or October. I have several of their pieces and can confirm the quality is excellent and the prices are even better than Amazon. I hope that helps answer your question. If you've got any other questions, just let me know. Always happy to help! Thanks so much for reading and cooking along with the recipes! It really is so appreciated! 🙂
Antony
Thank you so much for this comment btw! I bought the Dutch oven from the link you posted and it has been amazing so far. I really enjoy cooking with it.
Deborah Rainford
Oh Amazing! I was wondering how you got on. This makes me incredibly happy that you've got one and love it! My Dutch oven is my favourite piece of cookware too!