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Budget meal plan

A seven-day 1800 kcal plan that leans on the cheapest reliable sources of protein and energy: oats, eggs, legumes, rice, potatoes and chicken. The most expensive ingredients — salmon, steak, cod, tuna — are left out entirely.

This is a template, not a prescription. It is generated to hit a round calorie target from a fixed recipe bank; it cannot see your energy needs, allergies, budget or any medical condition. Check it against your own target and adapt it — or ask a registered dietitian for a plan built for you.

1 800 kcaldaily target
1 790 kcalweek average
≈ 112 g/dayprotein
4meals a day

Low costFour meals a day

Eating well on a budget is mostly about staples and repetition, which is exactly what a template like this provides. Swap any recipe for another in the same slot if a particular ingredient is cheaper where you are.

The week at a glance

Seven days at a 1 800 kcal target. The day total shows the real figure and its gap from the target — portions are scaled to approach 1 800 kcal, not forced onto it.
DayBreakfastLunchDinnerSnackDay total
Day 1Oats with skyr and berries
441 kcal · 36 g protein		Pork with buckwheat
529 kcal · 32 g protein		Turkey rice
618 kcal · 46 g protein		Edamame
212 kcal · 19 g protein		1 800 kcal
133 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 2Oat porridge with banana and peanut butter
441 kcal · 16 g protein		Egg rice with vegetables
529 kcal · 24 g protein		Chicken with cauliflower and carrot
618 kcal · 44 g protein		Oat bar
212 kcal · 6 g protein		1 800 kcal
90 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 3Eggs on toast with avocado
441 kcal · 26 g protein		Baked potato with cottage cheese
529 kcal · 30 g protein		Oven chicken with vegetables
618 kcal · 51 g protein		Berry smoothie
212 kcal · 7 g protein		1 800 kcal
114 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 4Vegetable omelette
441 kcal · 29 g protein		Turkey mince pasta
529 kcal · 37 g protein		Baked turkey with pepper
618 kcal · 50 g protein		Yogurt with honey
212 kcal · 15 g protein		1 800 kcal
131 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 5Greek yogurt with granola
441 kcal · 24 g protein		Greek chicken salad
529 kcal · 42 g protein		Tofu stir-fry with vegetables
618 kcal · 30 g protein		Cucumber with cottage cheese
212 kcal · 20 g protein		1 800 kcal
116 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 6Cottage cheese on rye with cucumber
441 kcal · 33 g protein		Chicken with rice and broccoli
529 kcal · 43 g protein		Lentil stew
618 kcal · 31 g protein		Bowl of berries
140 kcal · 2 g protein		1 728 kcal
109 g protein · −72 vs target
Day 7Rice porridge with apple and cinnamon
441 kcal · 9 g protein		Turkey wrap with salad
529 kcal · 39 g protein		Roast pork with apple
618 kcal · 38 g protein		Rice cake with honey
212 kcal · 3 g protein		1 800 kcal
89 g protein · +0 vs target

Across the week this plan averages 1 790 kcal and 112 g of protein a day against its 1 800 kcal target. The day-to-day variation you can see in the table is normal and, for most goals, harmless: what matters is the average over a week, not whether any single day landed on the number.

Every recipe, written out

Each recipe appears once below with the portion this plan uses. A recipe that recurs during the week uses the same portion each time, so these are the amounts to cook.

Breakfast

🥣 Oats with skyr and berries

441 kcal · 36 g protein · 50 g carbs · 9 g fat · no-cook · 5 min

You need: rolled oats, 63 g; skyr, 210 g; berries, 105 g; honey, 11 g.

  1. 1. Put 60 g oats in a bowl.
  2. 2. Add 200 g skyr. Stir so the oats are wet.
  3. 3. Top with 100 g berries.
  4. 4. Drizzle 1 tsp honey. Eat now, or wait 10 min for softer oats.

Tip: Prep at night — berries in the morning.

🍌 Oat porridge with banana and peanut butter

441 kcal · 16 g protein · 67 g carbs · 14 g fat · pot · 13 min

You need: rolled oats, 59 g; water, 245 g; banana, 118 g; peanut butter, 20 g; cinnamon, 5 g.

  1. 1. Heat 250 ml water to a gentle simmer.
  2. 2. Add oats, turn low. Cook 4–5 min, stirring.
  3. 3. Take off the heat when thick and the oats are soft.
  4. 4. Slice banana on top, 1 tbsp peanut butter and a pinch of cinnamon.

Tip: If it sticks, add 2 tbsp water.

🍳 Eggs on toast with avocado

441 kcal · 26 g protein · 29 g carbs · 22 g fat · pan · 13 min

You need: eggs, 110 g; wholegrain bread, 64 g; avocado, 74 g; olive oil, 7 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Heat a pan to medium, a drop of oil.
  2. 2. Crack 2 eggs. Cook 3–4 min until the white is set and the yolk still soft.
  3. 3. Toast the bread until crisp (2 min per side).
  4. 4. Mash avocado on the toast, salt. Eggs on top.

Tip: Want a firmer yolk — lid on for 1 min.

🥚 Vegetable omelette

441 kcal · 29 g protein · 9 g carbs · 32 g fat · pan · 12 min

You need: eggs, 170 g; bell pepper, 90 g; onion, 45 g; olive oil, 9 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Chop pepper and onion small.
  2. 2. Medium pan, oil. Fry veg 3 min until the onion is translucent.
  3. 3. Beat 3 eggs with salt. Pour in.
  4. 4. Cook 3–4 min. Done when the top is set but the centre is still moist.

Tip: Do not stir after pouring — or you get scrambled eggs.

🥛 Greek yogurt with granola

441 kcal · 24 g protein · 52 g carbs · 15 g fat · no-cook · 4 min

You need: Greek yogurt, 215 g; granola, 43 g; berries, 86 g; honey, 9 g.

  1. 1. Spoon yogurt into a bowl.
  2. 2. Scatter granola just before eating so it stays crisp.
  3. 3. Add berries and a little honey.
  4. 4. Eat right away.

Tip: If granola is soft, crisp 4 min at 160 °C.

🍞 Cottage cheese on rye with cucumber

441 kcal · 33 g protein · 42 g carbs · 12 g fat · no-cook · 5 min

You need: cottage cheese, 232 g; rye bread, 81 g; cucumber, 93 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Slice cucumber thin.
  2. 2. Spread cottage cheese on the rye.
  3. 3. Cucumber on top, pinch of salt.
  4. 4. Eat now so the bread stays firm.

Tip: Dill or pepper on top if you want.

🍚 Rice porridge with apple and cinnamon

441 kcal · 9 g protein · 86 g carbs · 4 g fat · pot · 17 min

You need: rice, 77 g; water, 309 g; apple, 132 g; cinnamon, 5 g; honey, 11 g.

  1. 1. Rinse the rice. Pot: rice + water.
  2. 2. Simmer covered 10–12 min until the water is gone and the grain is soft.
  3. 3. Grate the apple in, stir 1 min.
  4. 4. Cinnamon and honey on top. Plate it.

Tip: Leftover goes in the fridge; tomorrow a splash of water and reheat.

Lunch

🥩 Pork with buckwheat

529 kcal · 32 g protein · 46 g carbs · 19 g fat · pan · 26 min

You need: pork, 132 g; buckwheat, 62 g; onion, 44 g; olive oil, 7 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Simmer buckwheat 10 min, drain.
  2. 2. Pat pork dry. Hot pan, oil. 5 min until brown.
  3. 3. Onion 3 min in the same pan.
  4. 4. Buckwheat on the plate, meat and onion on top. Salt.

Tip: Do not cook pork grey — a blush is fine if the centre hit 70 °C.

🍳 Egg rice with vegetables

529 kcal · 24 g protein · 63 g carbs · 16 g fat · pan · 16 min

You need: eggs, 122 g; rice, 81 g; carrot, 61 g; bell pepper, 61 g; olive oil, 10 g; soy sauce, 8 g.

  1. 1. Use cooled rice (fresh rice clumps).
  2. 2. Hot pan, oil. Veg 2 min.
  3. 3. Rice in, 2 min, toss.
  4. 4. Make a well, pour eggs, stir 1 min until set. Soy.

Tip: Yesterday’s rice is best for this.

🥔 Baked potato with cottage cheese

529 kcal · 30 g protein · 61 g carbs · 15 g fat · oven · 33 min

You need: potato, 296 g; cottage cheese, 191 g; olive oil, 6 g; herbs, 5 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 210 °C. Prick the potato, oil and salt on the skin.
  2. 2. Bake 25 min (small) or until a fork slides in.
  3. 3. Cut a cross, push the inside open.
  4. 4. Cottage cheese and herbs in. Eat now.

Tip: Microwave 8 min, then 5 min in the oven for a crisp skin faster.

🍝 Turkey mince pasta

529 kcal · 37 g protein · 53 g carbs · 16 g fat · pot · 24 min

You need: turkey mince, 137 g; wholegrain pasta, 73 g; tomato sauce, 128 g; onion, 46 g; olive oil, 5 g; garlic, 5 g.

  1. 1. Boil pasta in salted water, drain.
  2. 2. Fry mince in oil 5 min, break it up, until grey-brown.
  3. 3. Onion and garlic 2 min. Sauce 3 min.
  4. 4. Pasta in, toss. Serve hot.

Tip: The mince should brown, not stew in liquid.

🫒 Greek chicken salad

529 kcal · 42 g protein · 21 g carbs · 28 g fat · pan · 20 min

You need: chicken breast, 159 g; tomato, 106 g; cucumber, 85 g; cheese, 32 g; olive oil, 11 g; lemon, 11 g.

  1. 1. Fry chicken 6 min until gold, slice.
  2. 2. Slice tomato and cucumber.
  3. 3. Bowl: veg, chicken, cheese cubes.
  4. 4. Oil and lemon, toss lightly.

Tip: Cottage cheese works if you have no feta.

🍗 Chicken with rice and broccoli

529 kcal · 43 g protein · 49 g carbs · 13 g fat · pan · 28 min

You need: chicken breast, 151 g; rice, 66 g; broccoli, 142 g; olive oil, 8 g; garlic, 5 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Boil rice in salted water 12 min, drain. Broccoli 4 min in the same water — it should stay crisp.
  2. 2. Cut chicken into 1.5 cm pieces, pat dry.
  3. 3. Medium-high pan, oil. Chicken 5–6 min without much stirring, until gold outside and white inside.
  4. 4. Add crushed garlic 30 s. Plate rice, broccoli, chicken.

Tip: Chicken is done when the juices run clear, not pink.

🌯 Turkey wrap with salad

529 kcal · 39 g protein · 45 g carbs · 18 g fat · pan · 16 min

You need: turkey, 143 g; wholegrain wrap, 71 g; lettuce, 41 g; tomato, 61 g; Greek yogurt, 41 g; olive oil, 6 g.

  1. 1. Fry turkey strips in oil 5–6 min until brown.
  2. 2. Warm the wrap on a dry pan 20 s per side.
  3. 3. Spread yogurt, then lettuce, tomato, meat.
  4. 4. Roll tight, cut in half. Eat warm.

Tip: Do not overfill or it splits.

Dinner

🍚 Turkey rice

618 kcal · 46 g protein · 60 g carbs · 15 g fat · pan · 24 min

You need: turkey, 176 g; rice, 88 g; bell pepper, 88 g; onion, 44 g; olive oil, 9 g; soy sauce, 9 g.

  1. 1. Boil rice, cool a little.
  2. 2. Fry turkey 5 min.
  3. 3. Veg 3 min. Rice in 2 min.
  4. 4. Soy, toss. Serve hot.

Tip: Cooled rice fries better.

🥦 Chicken with cauliflower and carrot

618 kcal · 44 g protein · 49 g carbs · 20 g fat · pan · 22 min

You need: chicken breast, 210 g; carrot, 148 g; potato, 185 g; olive oil, 12 g; garlic, 6 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Boil potato 10 min. Carrot in the same water 5 min.
  2. 2. Fry chicken 6 min until gold.
  3. 3. Garlic 20 s. Veg into the pan 2 min.
  4. 4. Salt. Plate.

Tip: This one skips the big spinach hit.

🍗 Oven chicken with vegetables

618 kcal · 51 g protein · 38 g carbs · 21 g fat · oven · 32 min

You need: chicken breast, 192 g; potato, 192 g; carrot, 85 g; olive oil, 11 g; garlic, 6 g; herbs, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 200 °C. Chunk potato and carrot, oil, salt, on a tray.
  2. 2. Pat chicken dry, rub oil, garlic, herbs. Next to the veg.
  3. 3. Bake 20–22 min.
  4. 4. Done when chicken centre is 74 °C / juices clear and potato is soft.

Tip: Rest the chicken 3 min before slicing.

🦃 Baked turkey with pepper

618 kcal · 50 g protein · 37 g carbs · 21 g fat · oven · 30 min

You need: turkey, 206 g; bell pepper, 172 g; onion, 69 g; olive oil, 11 g; herbs, 5 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 200 °C.
  2. 2. Turkey and veg with oil, salt, herbs on a tray.
  3. 3. Bake 18–20 min.
  4. 4. Done when the meat juices are clear and the pepper is soft.

Tip: Turkey dries out easily — do not leave it longer.

🥡 Tofu stir-fry with vegetables

618 kcal · 30 g protein · 61 g carbs · 25 g fat · pan · 20 min

You need: tofu, 227 g; rice, 88 g; broccoli, 151 g; bell pepper, 101 g; soy sauce, 15 g; olive oil, 13 g.

  1. 1. Boil rice 12 min.
  2. 2. Tofu dry, cubes. Fry 6 min until crisp. Set aside.
  3. 3. Veg in the same pan 4 min.
  4. 4. Tofu back, soy 30 s. Plate with rice.

Tip: No lid — or the tofu goes soft.

🍲 Lentil stew

618 kcal · 31 g protein · 81 g carbs · 12 g fat · pot · 38 min

You need: lentils, 119 g; carrot, 119 g; onion, 83 g; tomato sauce, 166 g; olive oil, 10 g; garlic, 6 g.

  1. 1. Fry onion, carrot, garlic 5 min.
  2. 2. Add lentils, sauce and 400 ml water.
  3. 3. Low heat 25 min until lentils are soft and the liquid is thick.
  4. 4. Salt. Eat hot from a bowl.

Tip: If it dries, add water, not oil.

🥩 Roast pork with apple

618 kcal · 38 g protein · 40 g carbs · 26 g fat · oven · 32 min

You need: pork, 169 g; apple, 120 g; potato, 179 g; olive oil, 10 g; herbs, 5 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 200 °C.
  2. 2. Pork, potato and apple slices with oil and salt on a tray.
  3. 3. Bake 20–22 min.
  4. 4. Done when the meat centre is 70 °C and the apple is soft.

Tip: The apple keeps the pork juicy.

Snack

🟢 Edamame

212 kcal · 19 g protein · 14 g carbs · 7 g fat · pot · 9 min

You need: edamame, 141 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Boil pods 5–6 min in salted water.
  2. 2. Drain. Salt on top.
  3. 3. Squeeze beans out with your teeth. Do not eat the pod.

Tip: Frozen straight into water, do not thaw.

🍫 Oat bar

212 kcal · 6 g protein · 28 g carbs · 8 g fat · no-cook · 1 min

You need: oat bar, 50 g.

  1. 1. Open and eat. Have water with it.

Tip: Check sugar — pick under 10 g per bar.

🥤 Berry smoothie

212 kcal · 7 g protein · 36 g carbs · 4 g fat · blend · 4 min

You need: berries, 134 g; banana, 67 g; oat drink, 167 g.

  1. 1. Everything in the blender.
  2. 2. Blend 30 s. Drink now.

Tip: If too thick, a splash more oat drink.

🍯 Yogurt with honey

212 kcal · 15 g protein · 22 g carbs · 5 g fat · no-cook · 2 min

You need: Greek yogurt, 224 g; honey, 12 g.

  1. 1. Yogurt in a bowl, honey on top. Stir. Eat.

Tip: Go easy on the honey — the yogurt already carries it.

🥒 Cucumber with cottage cheese

212 kcal · 20 g protein · 8 g carbs · 8 g fat · no-cook · 3 min

You need: cucumber, 169 g; cottage cheese, 141 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Slice the cucumber.
  2. 2. Cottage cheese on top, pinch of salt.
  3. 3. Eat.

Tip: Dill fits.

🫐 Bowl of berries

140 kcal · 2 g protein · 28 g carbs · 0 g fat · no-cook · 1 min

You need: berries, 263 g.

  1. 1. Rinse berries. Bowl. Eat.

Tip: Let frozen ones sit 5 min.

🍘 Rice cake with honey

212 kcal · 3 g protein · 40 g carbs · 4 g fat · no-cook · 2 min

You need: rice cakes, 32 g; honey, 16 g.

  1. 1. Drizzle honey on the cake. Eat now.

Tip: A sweet hit when there is no banana.

Shopping list for the week

Every ingredient across all seven days, added up. Quantities are in grams to match the recipes; round up to the nearest pack when you shop.

Produce

IngredientTotal for the week
Potato852 g
Berries588 g
Bell pepper512 g
Carrot413 g
Cucumber347 g
Onion331 g
Broccoli293 g
Apple252 g
Banana185 g
Tomato167 g
Avocado74 g
Lettuce41 g
Garlic28 g
Herbs20 g
Lemon11 g

Meat and fish

IngredientTotal for the week
Chicken breast712 g
Turkey525 g
Pork301 g
Turkey mince137 g

Dairy and eggs

IngredientTotal for the week
Cottage cheese564 g
Greek yogurt480 g
Eggs402 g
Skyr210 g
Cheese32 g

Plant proteins

IngredientTotal for the week
Tofu227 g
Edamame141 g
Lentils119 g
Peanut butter20 g

Grains and bread

IngredientTotal for the week
Rice400 g
Rolled oats122 g
Rye bread81 g
Wholegrain pasta73 g
Wholegrain wrap71 g
Wholegrain bread64 g
Buckwheat62 g
Oat bar50 g
Granola43 g
Rice cakes32 g

Pantry

IngredientTotal for the week
Tomato sauce294 g
Oat drink167 g
Olive oil145 g
Honey59 g
Salt and pepper55 g
Soy sauce32 g
Cinnamon10 g

Source: Recipes, portions and macros: TempoLife recipe bank (lib/recipe_bank.php), the same tested data the in-app meal planner uses · checked 2026-09-02

Frequently asked questions

How many calories is the budget meal plan?

It targets 1 800 kcal a day and works out to about 1 790 kcal on average across the week, with 112 g of protein. Each day's real total is in the table above — portions are scaled to approach the target, not forced to hit it exactly.

Do I have to follow it in order?

No. The days are interchangeable and any meal can be swapped for another recipe in the same slot. The plan is a template; the order is just a way to spread variety across the week.

Is the shopping list for the whole week?

Yes. The list at the bottom adds up every ingredient across all seven days, so it is a single shop for the week. Quantities are in grams to match the recipes.

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2000-calorie plan

The 2000 kcal day used as the reference on food labels — a realistic maintenance level for many adults.

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2500-calorie plan

A higher-energy day at 2500 kcal for active adults, taller frames or a gaining phase.

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High-protein plan

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