Cheap Meal Plans #2: Summer Foods

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Do you need to create a menu for your family for this week? I’ve already got you covered! Here’s a simple meal plan with clean foods that you can buy and make for your family of 4 for less than $130.

Below you will find the shopping list, estimated prices (from Walmart, using generic ingredients when available), the meal plan for the week, and the recipes you will need to make. Prices are based on pricing at my closest Walmart store in Wyoming.

To make this meal plan for a family of 2, you can cut everything in half. For a family of 6, add 50% of the ingredients. For a family of 8, double all the ingredients.

🛒 Shopping List

• Chicken thighs, boneless 3 lb (buy 2) ≈ $9.87 each
• Yogurt 32oz (buy 3) ≈ $2.76 each
• Frozen Fruit 48oz ≈ $6.86
• Wheat Bread (3 loaves) ≈ $1.42 each
• Peanut Butter 16oz ≈ $1.94
• Ground beef 1 lb ≈ $5.44
• Turkey or Ham Lunchmeat 1lb ≈ $5.97
• Canned black beans (buy 2) ≈ $0.92
• Canned Pinto Beans ≈$0.92
• Canned Tuna (buy 2) ≈ $0.88 each
• Brown rice 2 lb ≈ $1.64
• Whole‑wheat pasta (spaghetti) 1 lb ≈ $1.43
• Large eggs, 1 dozen ≈ $2.97
• Zucchini (5 medium) ≈ $1.02 each
• Roma tomatoes (3) ≈ $0.36 each
• Bell peppers (2) ≈ $0.72 each
• Corn on the cob (4 ears) ≈ $0.50 each
• Salad greens ≈ $2.48
• Romaine Lettuce ≈ $3.53
• Bananas (8) ≈ $2.24
• Oranges ≈ $4.96
• Cucumber ≈ $0.67
• Apples (8) ≈ $3.50
• Red Onion ≈ $1.07
• Yellow Onion (buy 3) ≈ $0.85 each
• Russet Potatoes 5lbs ≈ $3.48
• Cilantro ≈ $0.83
• Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables 20oz ≈ $2.72
• Canned Corn ≈ $0.76
• Olive oil small bottle ≈ $5.94
• Soy sauce small bottle ≈ $1.58
• Mayo 15oz ≈ $2.12
• Tortilla Chips ≈ $1.97
• Salad Dressing ≈ $1.97
• Fresh lime ≈ $0.25
• Cheese 8oz ≈ $1.97
• Sour Cream 8oz ≈ $1.24
• Salsa 16oz ≈ $1.92
• Pasta Sauce 24oz ≈ $1.67
• Spices (garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon) ≈ $4.00

Estimated Total ≈ $126.09

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📅 Cheap Meal Plan #2: Summer Food

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Mon	Yogurt Bowls with frozen fruit	Ham or Turkey Sandwiches with apples	Grilled chicken thighs, corn on the cob, salad greens
Tue	Egg in a Hole with oranges	Tuna/chicken salad in pita pockets with lettuce	Loaded Baked Potatoes
Wed	Yogurt Bowls with frozen fruit	Cold bean salad with black beans, corn, onion, lime juice with chips	Grilled chicken kebabs (chicken + pepper + zucchini, onion) with side salad and rice
Thu	Peanut Butter Banana Toast	Tuna/chicken salad in pita pockets with lettuce	Tacos
Fri	Egg in a Hole with oranges	Ham or Turkey Sandwiches with apples	Mixed vegetable pasta primavera with zucchini.
Sat	Yogurt Bowls with frozen fruit	Cold tacos or rice bowl using leftovers	Chicken stir-fry (leftover chicken + frozen veg + soy sauce) over rice
Sun	Peanut Butter Banana Toast	Use up remaining leftovers (leftover buffet)	Use up remaining leftovers (leftover buffet)

Print a PDF file with the menu plan HERE.

🥪Recipes and Instructions

Breakfast Recipes

Yogurt Bowls with Fruit

In a glass or bowl, layer yogurt at the bottom. Add a layer of granola on top. Top with fresh or frozen fruits. Repeat layers as desired.

Peanut Butter Banana Toast

Toast slices of whole-grain bread. Spread a generous layer of peanut butter on each slice. Top with slices of ripe banana. Drizzle with honey for extra sweetness if you have some.

Egg in a Hole

Use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut a hole in the center of each bread slice. Heat a skillet and melt a bit of butter. Place the bread slices in the skillet and crack an egg into each hole. Cook until the eggs set, then flip and cook until the bread is toasted and the eggs are cooked to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with orange slices.

Lunch Recipes

Sandwiches

Use ham or turkey or your favorite lunch meat to create a sandwich with a bit of mayo, lettuce, and cheese slices. Serve with apple slices.

Tuna or Chicken Salad with Pita Pockets

Here’s the recipe for pita pockets. Make your own chicken or tuna salad by mixing together canned tuna or leftover shredded chicken, diced cucumber, mayo, and spices like dill, onion powder, salt, pepper, and garlic. You could add in diced apple for a little sweetness as well. Stuff in the pita pocket with some lettuce leaves.

Cold bean salad with black beans, corn, onion, lime juice with chips

Use this recipe but skip the avocado. Serve with chips.

Supper Recipes

Grilled chicken thighs, corn on the cob, salad greens

Grill chicken thighs (one per person) on the grill topped with your favorite spices. Grill corn on the cob as well to go with it. Serve with a side salad.

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Loaded Baked Potatoes make a great meal because potatoes are almost always cheap and you can top them with whatever you have on hand, even if it’s just a bit of butter and salt. We personally like to top potatoes with Home Canned Beans (pinto beans or black beans work best) and then a little cheese and sour cream if we have them on hand. Add lettuce or onions or any other toppings you have.

Grilled chicken kebabs (chicken + pepper + zucchini, onion) with side salad and rice

Dice the chicken into pieces and place in a marinade made with 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger root, 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Place the chicken on a skewer with peppers, onion, and zucchini, and grill until chicken is cooked through. Serve with a side salad and some brown rice.

Grill up some extra chicken (that has been in the marinade) for a supper later this week.

Tacos

Cook 1lb of ground beef until no pink remains. Add in 1 can of drained black beans and taco seasoning. Serve on tortillas with your favorite taco toppings like lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Vegetable Pasta

Use this recipe here to make a yummy summer pasta recipe for a meatless meal this week.

Chicken stir-fry over rice

Use leftover chicken from earlier this week. Place a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables in a large frying pan and cook until heated through. Add in the chicken. Serve over rice.

Helpful Tips on Meal Planning

You can, of course, get these prices down even further if you already have some of these items on hand such as the pantry staples. My menu assumes you at least have flour, sugar, salt, and pepper on hand.

There will be items leftover from this menu that you can use next week if you need to or you can add into some of these meals to bulk them up.

You could also make some of these items from scratch to save even more! If you have flour and yeast you can make your own bread for less. You could also make things like dinner rolls to add to these recipes to bulk them up. Here are some tips on making frugal meals stretch and more filling.

Keep all the recipes in a Meal Planning Binder.

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