{"id":2292,"date":"2026-04-08T15:59:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=2292"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:59:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:59:31","slug":"eat-5-budget-friendly-meal-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/eat-5-budget-friendly-meal-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"5 budget-friendly meal ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You absolutely can enjoy healthy meals on a budget with Slimming World! Fill your plate with cheap-to-eat staples like pasta, potatoes, rice and veg \u2013 all fab Free Food if you\u2019re following Slimming World’s eating plan<\/a> \u2013 to enjoy delicious, low-cost meals and<\/em> get a great result on the scales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help your food shop go further, we\u2019ve pulled together our top five cheap dinner ideas. Take a look at these healthy recipes for weight loss on a budget, plus our top tips to help you shop, save and slim\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

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Slimming World budget recipes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cheesy minestrone soup<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Cost per portion: \u00a31.15 per person  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soup is a fantastic \u2018throw anything in\u2019 dish, ideal for using up what you have \u2013 and there are dozens of cheap soup recipes on our member app and website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savvy saver: Love your leftovers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unused meat and veggies can be easily added to stir-fries, curries or stews. Or whizz up leftover veg with stock in your blender for a quick and easy soup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dirty rice<\/a> <\/h3>\n\n\n
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Cost per portion: \u00a31.30 per person 
Vegan <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Cajun-style dish is a fabulously frugal meal because it works with whatever fresh, frozen or canned veg you have to hand. If you haven\u2019t got black-eyed beans, any tinned beans or even a can of chickpeas will work just as well.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savvy saver: Make a meal plan<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deciding on your breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the week ahead means you can cook things that use similar ingredients, cutting down on waste and the cost of your shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Research shows that our members don\u2019t spend more on food than people who aren\u2019t trying to lose weight. In fact, swapping takeaways for fakeaways, buying fewer expensive treats like chocolate, snacks and alcohol, and picking up money-saving tips from group each week means that our members often report saving \u00a3\u00a3\u00a3s as well as losing lbs!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tuna pasta<\/a> <\/h3>\n\n\n
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Cost per portion: \u00a31.50 per person <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This simple recipe mostly uses cupboard basics, so it\u2019s the perfect choice when you\u2019re between supermarket trips \u2013 and you can pick up bags of pasta for pennies, making cheap pasta recipes an easy win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savvy saver: Stock up on staples<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your shelves are well-stocked, you\u2019ll always have the makings of a slim-safe meal. Dried herbs and spices are great for adding flavour, while bags of rice, dried pasta and canned veggies last for ages, so you can buy in bulk and use them as the basis for a whole host of meals, saving you even more money in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tikka masala fries<\/a> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Cost per portion: \u00a31.73 per person<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These chips are generously loaded with chicken, so you could probably use less without anyone noticing to make the dish even more budget-friendly. You could also switch out the chicken breasts for leftover roast chicken or chicken curry to get two cheap chicken meals out of one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savvy saver: Make friends with your freezer <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Store everything from meat and bread to fruit, vegetables and herbs in there to help reduce waste. And if you just can\u2019t finish off your filling Food Optimising meal, pop what\u2019s left in the freezer, ready to defrost at a later date for a quick lunch or dinner (to check it\u2019s suitable for freezing, look for the snowflake symbol on the recipe). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on the blog: Slimming World members share their best money-saving ideas<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Massaman curry<\/a> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Cost per portion: 95p per person<\/strong> 
Vegan <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want a curry in a hurry? This quick and easy dinner is packed with cheap, store cupboard staples \u2013 and will be ready in less time than it takes to get a takeaway. Chickpeas and potatoes make a great base for cheap vegetarian meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savvy saver: Shop smart <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a few easy swaps to your food shop can result in big savings. Here\u2019s how: <\/p>\n\n\n\n