Healthy and Budget-Friendly Dishes, Mediterranean-Inspired
Grocery List
+ 1L milk
+ 3.5 cups dry oats
+ 6oz Greek yogurt
+ 1.75 cups frozen fruit
+ 8oz hummus - any flavor (save $$$ with this DIY recipe)
+ 1 bunch of celery
+ 5 hard-boiled eggs
+ 1 tbsp mustard
+ 3 tbsp dill
+ 1 loaf of bread (14 slices)
+ 6 Russet poatoes
+ 1 small red onion
+ 12 tbsp nut butter (save $$$ with this DIY recipe)
+ 5 chicken breasts
+ 4 cups parsley
+ 3 tomatoes
+ 3 lemons
+ 12 falafels (save $$$ with this DIY recipe)
+ 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (or rice, couscous, etc.)
+ 4 pita bread
+ 1 cucumber
+ 1 yellow onion
+ 1 garlic clove
+ 1 tbsp ground coriander
+ 1 tbsp ground cumin
+ 6 cups vegetable broth (you can make your own with the scraps from previous cut veggies)
+ 1.5 cups spinach (frozen is fine)
+ 2 cups lentils
Budget advice: This is one that I usually follow when it comes to chicken, since meat is typically the most expensive item on my shopping list. If you notice that the breast is larger than normal, you can slice them in half to get 2 filets.
Some seasonings and condiments aren’t listed, as most people have the basics on hand. And remember, let’s make the most of your budget by buying what is on a deal at your grocery store and substitute! For example, chicken thighs are usually noticeably cheaper than breasts.
Breakfast (all 7 days)
Overnight Oats
For 7 meals: 1L milk, 3.5 cups dry oats, 1.75 cups frozen fruit
I recommend making this each night before you eat them the following morning, but you can also store these for up to 3 days if you want to make a small batch.
For 1 meal - In a jar or bowl, combine 140 mL milk and 1/2 cup dry oats.
Simply stir it all up and store it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add 1/4 cup frozen fruit of your choice, and it’s ready to eat!
Lunch (days 1-3)
Egg Salad Sandwich
For 3 meals: 5 hard-boiled eggs, 1 celery stalk, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp dill, 1/4 cup (2oz) Greek yogurt, 6 slices of bread, 3 Russet potatoes
Combine diced eggs, diced celery, mustard, dill, and Greek yogurt in a large bowl. Mix together and add salt and black pepper to taste. Split into 3 portions and serve between 2 slices of toasted bread for lunch. Or, if you want to aim for less carbs, trade the bread for some leafy greens.
As a side for this sandwich, go ahead and cut 3 potatoes in either wedge shape or thick fries. Bake in the oven at 400F. Every 10 minutes, flip and toss them around. Continue this until the outside is crispy. Add any seasonings after it’s finished cooking. Divvy this up into 3 portions.
Lunch (days 4-7)
Chicken Salad Sandwich
For 3 meals: 2 chicken breasts, 9 celery stalks, 1/2 small red onion, 1 tbsp dill, 1/4 cup (2oz) Greek yogurt, 12 tbsp nut butter, 8 slices of bread
Cook and shred the chicken breasts, and of course, season to your liking. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, 1 diced celery stalk, 1/2 diced red onion, 1 tbsp dill, and 1/4 cup Greek yogurt. Split this into 4 portions and serve between 2 slices of toasted bread for lunch. Or, if you want to aim for less carbs, trade the bread for some leafy greens.
As a side for this sandwich, we’ll use the remaining stalks of celery. Cut them in fourths and serve with 3 tbsp of nut butter for each meal.
Dinner (days 1 and 2)
Falafel Bowl
For 2 meals: 2 cups parsley, 2 tomatoes, 1 lemon, 6 falafels, 1/2 cucumber, 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked), 2oz (4 tbsp) hummus, 1 pita bread
I suggest halving the recipe and making this fresh each night.
In a bowl, simply add all the ingredients (chop them to your preference first), except the pita bread and lemon.
For the pita bread, cut it into small triangles. Serve it all together with 1/2 a lemon squeezed over as dressing.
Dinner (day 3 and 4)
Mediterranean Spinach and Lentil Soup
What you’ll need: 1 yellow onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 6 cups vegetable broth, 1.5 cups spinach, 2 cups lentils, 1 tbsp flour, 4 cups water, 1 lemon, 2 cups parsley
In a large pot, add 2 tbsp of oil. Add chopped onions and cook until golden brown. Add chopped garlic, a tbsp of flour, and all the spices. Cook this for about 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly.
Next, add the vegetable broth and water and bring it all to a boil. Add the spinach and lentils, cook for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook this for about 20 minutes. Half way through cooking, check the liquid levels, you may need more water as the lentils may soak it up quickly. The final dish will be very thick, but it shouldn’t be dry.
Once the lentils are fully cooked, stir in the juice from 1 lemon and add chopped parsley. Remove from the heat and let this sit for about 5 minutes. Divvy this up for 2 dinners and save the rest for snacks later in the week.
Dinner (days 5-7)
Open-Face Chicken Gyros
For 3 meals: 3 chicken breasts, 1 tomato, 3 pita breads, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 red onion, 1/4 cup (2oz) Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp dill, 1/2 lemon, 3 Russet potatoes
First, prepare your tzatziki sauce. I recommend do this the night before, as it only gets better with time. In a bowl, mix 1/4 Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp dill, juice from 1/2 lemon, and 1/4 of a cucumber that’s been finely diced.
Next, get started with baking cubed potatoes in the oven at 400F. Every 10 minutes, flip and toss them around. Continue this until the outside is crispy. While the potatoes are baking, add diced chicken to a pan and cook over medium-high heat. Bonus points if you have a grill pan. Feel free to season this as you wish - garlic salt and black pepper are suggested.
On a plate, add the pita bread, cooked chicken, cucumber slices, tomatoes slices, red onion slices, and drizzle tzatziki sauce over top. Serve with potatoes.
Snacks
Falafel and Hummus
For 3 days: 6 falafels, 3oz (6 tbsp of hummus)
Eat 2 falafels with 2 tbsp of hummus. If you bought lemons in bulk, feel free to squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top.
Mediterranean Spinach and Lentil Soup
For 4 days: Enjoy the leftovers from your lentil soup that you had prepared on day 3.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert. I’m just a broke girl in her mid-20’s who likes to cook and eat (what I consider) healthy. This meal plan simply works as a starting point. You can create the dishes exactly as they are, or you can alter them.
I initially wrote and shared this for those on my weekly newsletter that I send out every Friday morning. Each week I try to pick a different theme, next week will be Asian-inspired for anyone interested! You can join the fun here. Would love to hear if you try any of these!
bon appetit
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