Here's How To Eat Healthy For A Week With Just $50
Monday, April 13, 2020
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DAY 1
Breakfast: Hearty Oatmeal
Wendy Lopez
300 calories; 10g fat, 45g carbs, 12g sugar, 9g protein.
This recipe is as basic as they come, which is a good thing. Just cook 1/2 cup of oatmeal according to the package directions and top with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and half a banana, sliced. We added cinnamon to amp up the flavor, but it’s not mandatory.
Morning Snack: Greek Yogurt and Fruit
Wendy Lopez
179 calories, 1g fat, 17g carbs, 9g sugar, 17g protein.
Layer 1 kiwi, sliced, with 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt. This makes a great work snack; just pop on the lid, throw in your bag, and enjoy when you’re ready.
Lunch: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl
Wendy Lopez
413 calories, 15g fat, 63g carbs, 8g sugar, 12g protein.
Cut a sweet potato in half, poke several holes all over it with a fork, and bake at 400ºF until tender (this usually takes about 40 minutes). Then layer it with 1/2 cup of cooked black beans, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice*, 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli florets, and a quarter of an avocado, sliced. To spice up the flavor, we added smoked paprika, cayenne, and ground black pepper.
Afternoon Snack: Apple and Peanut Butter
Wendy Lopez
174 calories, 8g fat, 25g carbs, 17g sugar, 4g protein.
Slice 1 apple thinly (which makes it feel like you're eating more) and dip in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. If you want to take the flavor up another notch, top with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Dinner: Sautéed Spinach Tacos
Wendy Lopez
538 calories, 28g fat, 54g carbs, 3g sugar, 21g protein
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté 3 cups fresh spinach with 1 sliced clove of garlic until the spinach wilts. Remove spinach from pan and heat 3 tortillas in the pan (one at a time) for 2-3 minutes or until soft; you can also heat them in the oven. Then stuff the tortillas evenly with the spinach, 1/2 cup of cooked black beans, and 1 ounce of shredded cheese. We topped these tacos with smoked paprika and sea salt to bring together all the flavors.
Total nutrition for day one: 1,603 calories, 61g fat, 205g carbs, 46g protein, and 63g sugar.
DAY 2
Breakfast: Power Smoothie
Wendy Lopez
221 calories, 6g fat, 25g carbs, 17g sugar, 20g protein.
Smoothies are perfect for breakfast; they’re simple and take less than 5 minutes to make. Just blend 2 cups of fresh spinach, 1 cup of almond milk, ¾ cup of Greek yogurt, and half a banana until smooth. Tip: Add the almond milk (or liquid) first for better blending.
Morning Snack: Two Hardboiled Eggs
Wendy Lopez
156 calories, 10g fat, 1g carbs, 1g sugar, 12g protein.
For tips on how to perfectly hard-boil an egg, click here. We topped with salt and fresh cracked pepper for more flav.
Lunch: Warm Kale Quinoa Salad
Wendy Lopez
532 calories, 26g fat, 46g carbs, 5g sugar, 25g protein.
Head to our site to get the recipe for this beauty.
Afternoon Snack: Apple and Peanut Butter
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers
Wendy Lopez
521 calories, 3g fat, 103g carbs, 9g sugar, 23g protein.
Start by cutting the top off a green bell pepper and remove the flesh and seeds inside of it. Stuff the pepper with 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1 cup of cooked black beans, 2 tablespoons of chopped onion, and 1 clove of garlic, chopped. Some of the stuffing may spill onto the baking dish, which is totally fine. Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes. Top with half a large tomato, chopped, and add salt and pepper to taste. We also season this PYT with a dash of cumin and smoked paprika.
Total nutrition for day two: 1,610 calories, 54g fat, 201g carbs, 51g sugar, 84g protein.
DAY 3
Breakfast: Hearty Oatmeal
Morning Snack: Two Hardboiled Eggs
Lunch: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl
Afternoon Snack: Frozen Banana "Nice Cream"
Wendy Lopez
110 calories, 0g fat, 30g carbs, 19g sugar, 1g protein.
All you do here is chop up one banana and freeze it. Once it's frozen, let the food processor work its magic; blend until a smooth, creamy texture is reached. This “nice cream” works best if the banana is super ripe.
Dinner: Avocado and Black Bean Taquitos
Wendy Lopez
623 calories, 21g fat, 98g carbs, 5g sugar, 23g protein.
Chop onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and mix with the juice of half a lime to make a simple "salsa." Heat 3 or 4 tortillas for 2-3 minutes or until soft, using a grill press or pan. Then stuff them evenly with 1 cup of cooked black beans, 3/4 of an avocado, mashed, and the homemade salsa. Top the tacos with smoked paprika and sea salt.
Total nutrition for day three: 1,601 calories, 56g fat, 237g carbs, 45g sugar, 57g protein.
Day 4
Breakfast: Spinach and Cheese Omelet
Wendy Lopez
284 calories, 18g fat, 10g carbs, 6g sugar, 22g protein.
Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Sauté 1 cup spinach with 1 sliced garlic clove until soft, and then remove from pan. Repeat with 1 cup sliced mushrooms and 1 tablespoon chopped onion and set aside. Beat 2 eggs with salt and pepper until blended. Spread the egg mixture around the pan — it should set immediately at the edges. Once the egg mixture has mostly set, fill with sautéed vegetables, 3 slices of tomato, and 1 ounce of shredded cheese, and then fold in half. Flip one or two times until cooked and then serve!
Morning Snack: Greek Yogurt and Fruit
Lunch: Broccoli and Cheddar Baked Potato
Wendy Lopez
378 calories, 16g fat, 42g carbs, 4g sugar, 21g protein.
Poke some holes around 1 large potato, and then wrap it in aluminum foil. Pop it in the oven at 425ºF for 45 minutes. Uncover the potato, slice in half, top with 1 cup of broccoli florets and 2 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for another 10 minutes. Enjoy with smoked paprika (I’m sure by now you can tell we love this stuff), cracked black pepper, and salt to taste.
Afternoon Snack: Apple and Peanut Butter
Dinner: Sauteed Spinach Tacos
Total nutrition for day four: 1,648 calories, 78g fat, 152g carbs, 38g sugar, 88g protein.
Day 5
Breakfast: Power Smoothie
Morning Snack: Apple & Peanut Butter
Lunch: Sautéed Pepper Quesadillas
Wendy Lopez
461 calories, 19g fat, 52g carbs, 9g sugar, 20g protein.
Slice up 1 bell pepper, 1/2 cup mushrooms, and 1/4 of an onion. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, and sauté the sliced vegetables for about 4-5 minutes or until soft. Salt to taste, layer half of the sautéed vegetables onto a corn tortilla, top with 1 ounce of shredded cheese, and cover with the other corn tortilla. Repeat with the remaining veggies, cheese, and 2 more tortillas for your second quesadilla. Pop these on a grill press or cook them on a pan until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese has melted. Sprinkle a dash of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper for some pop.
Afternoon Snack: Two Hardboiled Eggs
Dinner: Cucumber and Quinoa Salad
Wendy Lopez
You can get the recipe for this salad on our website.
Total nutrition for day five: 1,604 calories, 78g fat, 162g carbs, 50g sugar, 73g protein.
Day 6
Breakfast: Spinach and Cheese Omelet
Morning Snack: Apple and Peanut Butter
Lunch: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl
Afternoon Snack: Greek Yogurt and Fruit
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers
Total nutrition for day six: 1,761 calories, 63g fat, 222 carbs, 57g sugar, 90g protein.
Day 7
Breakfast: Hearty Oatmeal
Morning Snack: Frozen Banana "Nice Cream"
Lunch: Avocado and Black Bean Taquitos
Afternoon Snack: Apple and Peanut Butter
Dinner: Cucumber Quinoa Salad
Total nutrition for day seven: 1,711 calories, 67g fat, 244g carbs, 57g sugar, 53g protein.
And that’s it. Week’s up. We did it!
The verdict:
Eating healthy meals on a $50 budget was definitely a bit of a challenge (we were scanning for deals and coupons throughout the supermarket). Nonetheless, it's doable — and delicious.
The MOST important strategy for success is proper meal planning. If you need tips for planning, check out our video here.
Was this enough food? This meal plan was super filling. We had a full three meals and two snacks per day, which satisfied our 5'2", 120-pound, and 5'4", 131-pound female frames, respectively.
If you feel like you need more or less food, you have two options. Either eat fewer snacks ( = fewer calories) or increase the portion sizes of the meals and/or snacks ( = more calories). Just keep in mind that this will affect how much you spend on groceries.
Now: We want to hear from you! What are your go-to affordable healthy meals? Let us know in the comments below what you chow on when you are trying to keep it healthy on a budget.