21 Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss on a Budget (2024)

Want to lose weight on a budget? These 21 healthy recipes will get you started on the right foot! Includes a printable 7 day diet plan for weight loss, so you can start dropping pounds quickly.

Let’s face it. Weight loss can be an expensive hassle. The weight loss industry is worth over 70 billion dollars (yes, you read that right– 70 BILLION) and is filled with expensive diet programs, magical weight loss pills, and weird chalky “protein” powders that cost a fortune and just don’t work!

If you’re like me, you’ve tried several of these expensive weight loss “miracles” with disappointing results. And you’re left with just one question– is it really possible to lose weight on a budget without purchasing expensive products??The answer is yes! It’s totally possible to lose weight on a budget by focusing on healthy recipes made with wholesome and affordable ingredients.

So to help you lose weight quickly and cheaply, I’ve compiled 21 of my favorite healthy recipes for weight loss on a budget. If you’re looking for healthy and filling meals for weight loss that won’t break the bank, these 21 recipes have you covered!

In this post, you’ll find a whole week’s worth of easy, simple, and delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to lose weight on the cheap!

Pro Tip: Healthy eating came sometimes be a challenge with stress eating, cravings, and other obstacles to weight loss. Check out this free guided Meditation for Healthy Eating to help you stick to your healthy diet. Great for beginners!

What should I eat to lose weight on a budget?

In order to lose weight on a budget, you should focus on whole, nutritious foods that are affordable. The 21 healthy recipes I’ve selected are all weight loss and budget friendly. They contain healthy ingredients that are low calorie and cheap, but will still fill you up! These healthy recipes to try will show you which ingredients will give you the most weight loss for your buck!

What are some cheap foods for weight loss?

In addition to the healthy recipes in this post, you may also be curious about which cheap foods are best for fast weight loss. Here are some budget friendly foods that will also help you lose weight fast:

• Canned tuna
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Beans
• Brown rice
• Bagged spinach or kale
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Onions
• Carrots
• Oatmeal
• Bananas
• Lemon
• Eggs
• Ground beef
• Ground turkey
• Canned tomatoes
• Canned beans
• Frozen veggies (such as, corn or peas)
• Frozen berries

Many of the healthy recipes below use these cheap ingredients for weight loss!

Looking for a new way to lose weight? Check out the free Meditation for Weight Loss eBook! It will teach you easy step-by-step meditation techniques for losing weight without diet or exercise. Meditation changes your behavior around food for easy and sustainable weight loss.

Sign up below to receive your free copy of the Meditation for Weight Loss eBook delivered straight to your inbox!

21 Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss on a Budget (Quick, Easy, and Cheap!)

1. Easy Mushroom Curry from Hungry Healthy Happy

Photo Credit: Hungry Healthy Happy

Mushrooms are nutritious, low calorie, and delicious! They’re a cheap alternative to steak or chicken due to their meaty texture. This Mushroom Curry is super easy and quick to make, so it’s a great weight loss recipe for when you’re on a busy schedule! You can add extra veggies for a nutrition boost (baby spinach works well) and serve with a 1/2 cup of brown rice for a healthy and filling meal.

2. Baked Italian Meatballs from Tasty Galaxy

Photo Credit: Tasty Galaxy

These weight loss meatballs are made with just a few simple and cheap ingredients! They’re deliciously low carb and filled with zesty Italian herbs for a flavor kick. You can serve them with a side salad for a healthy and filling weight loss meal on a budget. They also freeze well, so make extras!

3. Turkey Cabbage Asian Bowls from Yellow Glass Dish

Photo Credit: Yellow Glass Dish

Ground turkey and shredded cabbage are ingredients that are healthy, filling, and cheap! These Turkey Cabbage Asian Bowls are cheaper than takeout and better for your waistline too. If you want to lose weight on a budget with a busy schedule, this quick and cheap recipe is perfect for you! It’s also low carb and keto friendly.

4. Eggs in Purgatory from Claudia Canau

Photo Credit: Claudia Canu

If you’re looking for a cheap and flavorful breakfast recipe for weight loss, you’ll love this creative egg dish. It’s a healthy recipe featuring cheap ingredients, such as eggs, onions, and canned tomatoes. This easy and delicious weight loss meal will make you forget you’re on a budget (or a diet!)

5. Parsley Parmesan Pasta from Brooklyn Farm Girl

Photo Credit: Brooklyn Farm Girl

Yes, you can enjoy pasta in moderation and still lose weight! This quick and healthy pasta dish takes just 15 minutes to make and costs less than $4. You can swap the regular pasta for whole wheat to make it even more weight loss friendly (whole wheat contains more nutrients and fiber!) You can add a small chicken breast and a side salad for a complete weight loss meal on a budget.

6. Veggie Scrambled Eggs from Low Carb Africa

Photo Credit: Low Carb Africa

These beautiful veggie scrambled eggs are a healthy recipe to lose weight fast! Eggs are a cheap and protein-filled food that will help you lose weight and the veggies pack a nutritional punch. You’ll stay full for hours with this cheap weight loss recipe. You can omit the turmeric to make this recipe even more budget friendly. Also, feel free to use regular milk or any other milk you already have in your fridge instead of the coconut milk.

7. Healthy Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from 2 Share my Joy

Photo Credit: 2 Share My Joy

Sweet potatoes are an amazing cheap food that’s great for weight loss on a budget. They’re a good source of fiber plus they’re filled with vitamin C and beta carotene. This colorful stuffed sweet potato dish costs just $2.50 per serving. It’s easy to prepare making it a cheap and healthy recipe to lose weight fast even on a busy schedule. If avocados are too expensive, you can leave out the guacamole. You can also add some ground beef for extra protein.

8. Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats from The Moments at Home

Photo Credit: The Moments at Home

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats are an amazing budget-friendly weight loss meal because you get your veggies and your meat all in one! No need to spend money on an extra side salad. This is a healthy and filling chicken recipe for weight loss that your whole family will love. Pro tip: You can cut down on the calories and fat in this recipe by using neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese. You can also cut the amount of Monterrey Jack cheese down to a 1/2 cup.

9. Sausage, Potatoes, and Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner from The Rising Spoon

Photo Credit: The Rising Spoon

This is an easy weight loss meal that contains budget-friendly ingredients, such as potatoes and onions. Sausage is a cheap ingredient that’s full of protein. This quick 15 minute dinner will help you lose weight fast and cheaply. You can swap the regular potatoes for sweet potatoes and add extra cabbage for a more nutritious meal (see the bulleted section in the recipe post!)

10. Mediterranean Chopped Salad from Savory Tooth

Photo Credit: Savory Tooth

Salads make amazing healthy meals for weight loss on a budget. This colorful salad is filled with cheap and healthy ingredients like lettuce, cucumbers, and garlic. Pistachios can be on the expensive side, so I suggest replacing them with 4 ounces of grilled chicken for extra protein!

11. Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Rhubarbarians

Photo Credit: Rhubarbarians

No more wasting money on the Broccoli Cheddar soup at Panera! This healthy version tastes just as good and is much better for your waistline. It even contains a secret ingredient that’s budget-friendly and adds extra protein. This healthy soup recipe will help you lose weight fast!

12. Pakistani Kima Beef Curry from Whole New Mom

Photo Credit: Whole New Mom

Ground beef is a budget-friendly protein that is great for weight loss (you can choose lean 92/8 ground beef to cut down on fat and calories). This healthy curry recipe contains canned tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peas, and other cheap ingredients. You can omit the turmeric to make the recipe even more budget-friendly.

13. Healthy Mediterranean Breakfast Burrito from Food Meanderings

Photo Credit: Food Meanderings

Who doesn’t love a good breakfast burrito? This healthy and budget-friendly version is filled with eggs, spinach, and canned refried beans. The refried beans are an amazing and cheap way to add extra protein to this healthy weight loss recipe. It’s a complete and filling meal wrapped in a flour tortilla for those busy mornings!

14. Apple Cranberry Steel Cut Oats from Muscle & Manna

Photo Credit: Muscle & Manna

Oatmeal is a budget-friendly whole grain that is fantastic for weight loss because it has a high fiber content to keep you full longer! This easy Instant Pot oatmeal recipe is healthy comfort food at its finest. Use just a little sweetener to keep the calories low and prevent blood sugar spikes. A delicious and filling breakfast for weight loss on a budget!

15. Zucchini Enchiladas from Kicking Carbs

Photo Credit: Kicking Carbs

Enchiladas with all the cheese and none of the carbs? It’s a dream come true with this low carb and veggie-filled weight loss recipe. It has shredded chicken for extra protein and budget-friendly ingredients like onions and sour cream. A healthy and filling meal for weight loss that is SO good, you’ll want to make it twice!

16. Chicken Tortilla Soup from What a Girl Eats

Photo Credit: What a Girl Eats

Chicken Tortilla Soup is a healthy and filling weight loss meal that’s great for lunch or dinner. This version uses leftover chicken for convenience, as well as budget-friendly ingredients like canned beans, canned tomatoes, onions, and frozen corn. Eat with a small side salad for a complete meal that’s perfect for weight loss on a budget!

17. Smoked Salmon and Quinoa Salad from Hint of Healthy

Photo Credit: Hint of Healthy

This healthy salad for weight loss has just 4 budget friendly ingredients. Salmon is a high protein food filled with omega-3 fats to help decrease belly fat (read more about the health benefits of salmon here). Fresh salmon can be expensive, so I chose a recipe with smoked salmon to lower the cost. If you can’t find smoked salmon or if it’s too expensive, you can substitute it with canned salmon or tuna.

18. Pumpkin Smoothie from Cooking with Mamma C

Photo Credit: Cooking with Mamma C

Canned pumpkin is a cheap weight loss food with lots of health perks, such as Vitamin A and antioxidants. Healthline calls pumpkin a nutrient dense and low calorie food that can promote weight loss. This yummy pumpkin smoothie also has banana, a cheap fruit that is high in potassium. I recommend omitting the walnuts (which can be expensive) and using the optional oats instead. You can also use regular milk in place of almond milk.

19. Instant Pot Yellow Dal from My Kitchen Love

Photo Credit: My Kitchen Love

If you’ve never had Dal before, you’re in for a treat! This flavorful Indian dish is made with budget-friendly yellow split peas (you can also substitute lentils). It’s low calorie, vegetarian, and contains very little oil. This healthy weight loss meal will be one of your new favorites!

20. Zucchini Slice Muffins from Sweet Caramel Sunday

Photo Credit: Sweet Caramel Sunday

Zucchini muffins are a clever way to get your veggies in! These healthy muffins contain budget-friendly ingredients like frozen corn and eggs. They’re the perfect cheesy breakfast that will fill you up with a healthy dose of protein, fiber, and carbs. A cheap and portable way to lose weight fast!

21. Greek Lemon Potatoes from Fuss Free Flavours

Photo Credit: Fuss Free Flavours

Did you know that potatoes have a ton of health benefits? One medium sized potato has just 110 calories but packs half your daily value of vitamin C and more potassium than a banana! It’s also an amazing source of resistant starch which is helpful for weight loss. Most importantly, potatoes are cheap! You can serve these healthy Greek Lemon Potatoes alongside egg whites or turkey bacon for a complete weight loss breakfast. You can also serve them as a side dish with grilled chicken and steamed veggies. The choice is yours!

I hope you enjoyed this full week of healthy weight loss meals on a budget! These 21 delicious recipes are sure to keep you full and happy on your weight loss journey.

Bonus: Free Meditation for Weight Loss eBook

Even with these delicious and healthy recipes, it can be a challenge to consistently eat healthy. The sugar cravings and stress eating can sometimes be difficult to resist. That’s why I’ve created the Meditation for Weight Loss eBook.

Meditation is gaining popularity as a science-based way to lose weight quickly and consistently without diet or exercise.In fact, arecent study from McGill University found meditation to bemore effective than diet and exercise for long-term weight loss.When you meditate for weight loss, it changes your thought processes and behaviors around food. It teaches your brain to turn off cravings, to stop reaching for food out of stress or boredom, and to make healthier choices.

The Meditation for Weight Loss eBook will give you the tools you need for sustainable weight loss. Fill out the form below to receive the free eBook straight to your inbox!

Want the full comprehensive weight loss plan? Check out my exclusive Meditation for Weight Loss Program to lose 10+ pounds in the next 30 days with easy and effective meditation techniques!

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