What meal can I make with $20?

You can make five complete meals using pantry staples like lentils, rice, oats, eggs, chickpeas, and frozen vegetables. These ingredients overlap across dishes, making it easy to stretch a small budget into full plates.

What is the cheapest meal to make on a budget?

Soups, wraps, and stir-fries are some of the cheapest meals to make. They use affordable base ingredients like lentils, canned tomatoes, rice, and tortillas—great for feeding multiple people with little cost.

How do you feed a family of 5 for $10 at home?

Plan bulk meals using cost-effective proteins like beans or eggs, grains like rice, and frozen vegetables. One pot of lentil soup or a tray of veggie egg quesadillas can easily serve five people for under $10.

What meal can I make for $10?

Try a chickpea stir-fry with brown rice and frozen veggies, or a baked pasta with canned tomato sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. These meals are filling, simple, and stay under budget.

5 Meals for $20: Budget Meal Prep That Feeds You All Week

Name: 5 Meals for $20 Budget Meal Prep
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 5 meals
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb dry lentils; 1 lb brown rice; 2 cans chickpeas; 2 cans tomatoes; Dozen eggs; Frozen mixed vegetables; Old-fashioned oats; Tortillas; 1 small jar peanut butter; 4 bananas

5 Meals for $20: Budget Meal Prep That Feeds You All Week

Print Recipe

This 5 meals for $20 plan makes budget meal prep easy, filling, and stress-free. Use low-cost staples to cook a week of healthy meals without breaking the bank.

Author: Hana Martin
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 5 meals 1x
Category: Meal Prep, Budget
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb dry lentils
1 lb brown rice
2 cans chickpeas
2 cans tomatoes
Dozen eggs
Frozen mixed vegetables
Old-fashioned oats
Tortillas
1 small jar peanut butter
4 bananas

Instructions

1. Cook lentils with canned tomatoes and frozen vegetables to make soup.

2. Stir-fry chickpeas and frozen veggies with rice.

3. Mash chickpeas with seasoning and stuff into tortillas.

4. Scramble eggs with veggies and cook in tortillas for quesadillas.

5. Layer oats, banana slices, peanut butter, and milk in jars for overnight oats.

6. Store meals in containers and refrigerate.

Notes

All ingredients total under $20.
Meals stay fresh for up to 4 days.
Freeze rice and lentils in batches.
Customize with pantry seasonings or sauces.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 container
Calories: 300
Sugar: 4g
Sodium: 150mg
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Unsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 13g
Cholesterol: 60mg

Keywords: 5 meals for $20, budget meal prep, cheap recipes, low-cost meal plan

Find it online: https://www.hanaeats.com/5-meals-for-20-budget-meal-prep/