Cheap healthy meals: 10 dinners with the cost and protein worked out

The short answer: the cheapest healthy meals are built on dried beans, lentils, eggs, rice, potatoes and cabbage. At September 2026 US average prices, our lentil soup and egg fried rice cost about $0.94 a serving, and pinto beans with rice cost $0.95 with 26g of protein. All 10 dinners below cost under $2.15 a serving.

Every cost is an estimate from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) US average prices for September 2026. For foods BLS no longer tracks, such as onions and lentils, we used USDA’s 2023 average retail prices. Local prices vary.

What are the cheapest healthy meals to make?

The 10 dinners, ranked by cost per serving. The last column shows how much protein each dollar buys.

How we worked it out: price per pound times the raw weight used, divided by 4. Protein is raw weight times USDA’s protein per 100g. Oil, salt, garlic and spices aren’t counted, so budget a little extra.

Beans and lentils win on protein per dollar, matching our list of the cheapest protein foods. Our guide to how much protein you need explains why many people aim for 25 to 30g at a meal. To lift a cheaper dinner, add an egg: about 6g of protein for 19 cents.

What are 10 cheap healthy dinners?

Each recipe serves 4. Use a food thermometer for meat: the FDA’s minimums are 165°F for poultry, 160°F for ground meat and 145°F for pork chops, with a 3-minute rest.

1. Pinto beans and rice with fresh salsa

$0.95 a serving, 26g protein. 12 oz dried pinto beans, 1 cup long-grain rice, 2 medium tomatoes, 1 medium onion, 2 oz cheddar, ground cumin.

Soak the beans overnight, then simmer in fresh water until soft. Cook the rice. Chop the tomatoes and half the onion for salsa. Fry the rest of the onion with cumin, stir in the beans, and serve over rice with the salsa and cheese.

2. Lentil, carrot and cabbage soup with toast

$0.94 a serving, 22g protein. 1½ cups dried brown lentils, 2 carrots, 1 onion, a 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes, ¼ head of green cabbage (about ½ lb), 4 slices of bread.

Soften the onion and carrots in a little oil. Add the lentils, tomatoes and about 6 cups of water, and simmer until the lentils are tender. Stir in the shredded cabbage near the end. Serve with toast.

3. Egg fried rice with peas and carrots

$0.94 a serving, 20g protein. 1½ cups rice, cooked the day before, 8 eggs, a 10-oz bag of frozen peas and carrots, 1 onion, soy sauce.

NC State Extension advises cooling cooked rice as soon as possible, so chill it promptly. Fry the onion, add the frozen vegetables, then push them aside and scramble the eggs. Add the cold rice and soy sauce and toss until steaming hot.

4. Lentil spaghetti bolognese

$1.09 a serving, 25g protein. 12 oz spaghetti, 1 cup dried brown lentils, a 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 carrot, dried oregano.

Soften the finely chopped onion and carrot. Add the lentils, tomatoes and 2 cups of water, then simmer until the lentils are soft and the sauce is thick. Toss with the cooked spaghetti.

5. Potato and pepper frittata with slaw

$1.35 a serving, 21g protein. 1½ lb potatoes, 8 eggs, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 2 oz cheddar. For the slaw: ½ head of green cabbage (about 1 lb), 1 carrot, vinegar.

Fry the sliced potatoes, onion and pepper in an ovenproof skillet until tender. Add the beaten eggs and cheese, cook until the edges set, then broil until firm. Toss the shredded cabbage and carrot with vinegar and oil.

6. Chicken, broccoli and rice skillet

$1.77 a serving, 33g protein. 1 lb boneless chicken breast, 1½ cups rice, a 12-oz bag of frozen broccoli, 1 onion, garlic.

Brown bite-size chicken pieces, then the onion and garlic. Add the rice and 3 cups of water, cover and simmer until nearly done. Lay the broccoli on top, cover until hot, and check the chicken reaches 165°F.

7. Beef and bean chili

$2.04 a serving, 26g protein. ½ lb ground beef, 8 oz dried pinto beans (cooked first), a 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 10 oz frozen corn, chili powder.

Brown the beef with the onion and pepper. Add the chili powder, tomatoes, cooked beans and corn, then simmer until thick.

8. Eggs in tomato sauce with toast

$1.50 a serving, 21g protein. 8 eggs, a 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 5 oz frozen spinach, 8 slices of bread, paprika and cumin.

Simmer the onion, pepper, spices and tomatoes into a thick sauce, then stir in the spinach. Crack in the eggs, cover, and cook until whites and yolks are firm. Serve with toast.

9. Black bean stuffed sweet potatoes

$0.96 a serving, 21g protein. 4 sweet potatoes (about 5 inches long), 10 oz dried black beans, 2 oz cheddar, 1 tomato, 1 small onion, cumin.

Bake the sweet potatoes until soft. Cook the beans, then warm them with the onion and cumin. Split the potatoes, fill with beans, and top with tomato and cheese.

10. Sheet-pan pork chops, potatoes and green beans

$2.12 a serving, 30g protein. 1 lb boneless pork chops, 1½ lb potatoes, a 1-lb bag of frozen green beans, 1 onion, oil, paprika.

Roast the cut potatoes and onion first. Add the chops and green beans to the pan and roast until the pork reaches 145°F, then let it rest for 3 minutes.

What should be on a cheap healthy shopping list?

These staples cover every dinner above.

In USDA’s 2023 data, the cheapest vegetables per cup were dried pinto beans ($0.23), dried black beans ($0.26), potatoes ($0.30), lentils and carrots ($0.31 each) and green cabbage ($0.35). For monthly protein prices since 2021, see our protein price tracker.

How can you make cheap meals even cheaper?

1. Buy dried beans. In USDA’s 2023 prices, a cup of pinto beans cost about $0.23 cooked from dried and $0.72 from a can.
2. Stretch meat with beans. Chili made with a full pound of ground beef would need $6.79 of beef for 78g of protein. Half a pound of beef plus 8 oz of dried pintos costs $4.23 and gives 88g.
3. Choose frozen vegetables. Frozen broccoli cost $1.00 per cup in USDA’s data, against $1.32 for fresh heads.
4. Watch prices. In our tracker, 30g of protein from eggs cost $0.90 in September 2026, down 35% in a year.
5. Cook once, eat twice. The FDA says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow containers. Cooked meat dishes keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and soups and stews freeze for 2 to 3 months. Extras make easy lunches for work.
6. Build a week from the cheapest five. The five lowest-cost dinners share rice, beans, lentils and onions, and cost about $19.53 for 20 servings.

Are cheap meals healthy?

They can be. Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate suggests half a plate of vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole grains and a quarter healthy protein, and it counts beans as a healthy protein.

The trade-off: Harvard advises limiting refined grains such as white rice and white bread, the cheapest versions. In May 2026, the latest month BLS reported both, whole-wheat bread cost $2.81 a pound against $1.83 for white. Swap it in if you can. Our article on whether white rice is healthy covers the rice question.

For more, try our one pot meals, healthy dinner ideas or high protein slow cooker recipes, and check any plate with the meal protein calculator. Our free week of meals has one grocery list. For a whole month planned, The Menopause Meal Plan has 4 weeks of high-protein meals with grocery lists and prep plans.

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Quick questions

What is the cheapest healthy meal?

Lentil soup and egg fried rice were the cheapest on our list, at about $0.94 a serving using September 2026 US average prices. Pinto beans and rice cost $0.95 and gave the most protein per dollar, 26.8g. In our ranking, every bean, lentil and egg dinner cost less than the meat dinners.

What are cheap healthy foods?

In USDA’s 2023 price data, the cheapest vegetables per cup were dried pinto beans at $0.23, dried black beans at $0.26, potatoes at $0.30, lentils and carrots at $0.31 and green cabbage at $0.35. For protein, dried beans cost $0.52 for 30g in September 2026, and eggs cost $0.90.

Are beans and rice a healthy meal?

Yes, especially with vegetables added. Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate counts beans as a healthy protein. Our pinto beans and rice with fresh salsa gives 26g of protein for about $0.95 a serving. Harvard suggests limiting white rice, so swap in brown rice if you can, and fill half the plate with vegetables.

How much do cheap healthy meals for a family of 4 cost?

Each dinner in this article serves 4, and a full pot costs between about $3.75 and $8.47 at September 2026 US average prices. The five cheapest together cost about $19.53 for 20 servings. Those totals leave out oil, salt and spices, and local prices will differ from the national average.

How do you make cheap meals for one?

Cook a full 4-serving recipe and portion it out. The FDA says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers. Cooked meat dishes keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and soups and stews can be frozen for 2 to 3 months, so one pot can cover several meals.

Is it cheaper to buy dried or canned beans?

Dried beans are much cheaper. In USDA’s 2023 retail prices, a cup of pinto beans cost about $0.23 when cooked from dried and $0.72 from a can, roughly a third of the price. Canned beans save soaking and cooking time, so they’re still a good choice on busy nights.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Costs are estimates based on US average prices and will differ where you shop. If you have kidney disease, diabetes, a food allergy or a diet set by your doctor, ask what suits you.

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. CPI Average Price Data (series AP), September 2026, via the BLS public data API v2
• USDA Economic Research Service. Fruit and Vegetable Prices, 2023 data
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy data
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Healthy Eating Plate
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Safe Food Handling
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart
• NC State Extension. Safety of Leftover Rice