I’m sure most of you have noticed how crazy expensive everything including groceries lately! The prices of meat skyrocketed and everything else you need to go along with it to make your normal meals.

Let’s look at some meals that you can make, that still provide you with plenty of protein and nutrients, keep you full (no need to snack throughout the day), and taste great!

Though, I will admit, it’s a little hard to make lentils look pretty. However, they are pretty amazing. 😉

With these meals, you can make 3 meals a day for 7 days for less than $10. For a family of 3 that is less than $30 or family of 6 $60 for the whole week!

The master grocery list

Here is what I got to make these meals for a little under $10, though it will vary depending on where you live.

• Stars pasta from Spanish aisle
• Bag of brown rice for
• 15 oz can mixed veggies
• Loaf of 100% whole wheat
• Bag of lentils
• Dozen eggs
• Produce: onion, apple, garlic, jalapeno
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• Pinto beans (dried)
• Bag of oats (about 4 cups)

Everything I bought was the generic brand (Great Value at Walmart) when it was available, which is great for saving money and still getting what you need.

Breakfast Days 1-5

Apple and cinnamon oatmeal:

• Apple
• Bag of oats
• Ground cinnamon
• Water

Cut the apple into little pieces and place it in a bowl with oats (just under a cup of oats), a cup of water, and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon (optional) microwave for 2 mins.

By day 5 I ran out of apples but it wasn’t a huge deal it still tastes great.

Breakfast Day 6-7

For the last two breakfast’s I had two boiled eggs that I made in the instant pot but you can also just do it in a pot with water as well. Then I served the eggs with 1 slice of toast with some salt and pepper.

Prep needed for lunch and dinner meals:

Cooked Pinto Beans:

• 8-9 cups water
• 1 bag of pinto beans
• 1 ½ tsp of salt
• ¼ of the onion
• 2 cloves of garlic

Rinse the pinto beans (the whole bag). 

In a large pot add about 8-9 cups of water, rinsed beans, 1 ½ tsp of salt, ¼ of the onion, and 2 cloves of garlic, and stir it all together. 

Simmer everything for 2 hours on low or until the pinto beans are tender. 

Remove the beans from heat, let them cool down, and then store them in an airtight container.

Lunches Days 1-3

Rice and lentils hash:

• 2 tbsp of water or olive oil 
• 1 tbsp of garlic
• 1 tbsp onion
• 1 cup lentils 
• 1 cup brown rice
• 5 cups water 
• Season with salt and pepper 
• Option seasonings 

Saute onion and garlic with water or olive oil until fragrant in a large pot or dutch oven.

Once everything is together, simmer over low heat covered for 40 minutes.

Then chop up ¼ of a tomato and jalapeno to your taste.

Place ⅓ of the cooked lentil and rice combination in a bowl and top it with the tomato and jalapeno or chopped onions and any other seasonings you might want and serve with a slice of toast.

Store the remaining cooked lentils and rice for lunch for the next 2 days in an airtight container.

Lunches Days 4-7

Scrambled or fried egg sandwich:

• 2 pieces of bread
• 2-3 thin slices of tomato
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp garlic
• ½ cooked pinto beans
• Season with salt and black pepper

Crack the eggs into the pan, add salt and pepper to your liking, and scramble the eggs right in the pan. 

Once the eggs are cooked, add the cooked pinto beans and mix them all together until they are warmed. 

Then serve between two slices of toast with a couple of slices of tomatoes. 

This would also be great with a slice of cheese as well (if you have it on hand)!

Note: you could also just fry the egg if you prefer instead of scrambled and then just heat the beans in the microwave.

Dinner days 1-3

Tomato lentils and pasta:

• Half bag of pasta stars
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 4 oz tomato sauce
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to packaging. Once cooked, strain the pasta and pour it back into the pan. 

Then add in the cooked pinto beans, and tomato sauce, and then season with salt and pepper to your liking. 

Stir everything together cooking it over low heat and let the pasta and lentils simmer until everything is cooked through. This should take about 3-5 minutes.

Serve it up by topping it with a bit more salt and pepper if you’d like and any additional seasonings you might have on hand that sound delicious or with a little parmesan cheese.

Store the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container until the next dinner.

Dinner days 4-7

Vegetable pasta lentil soup: 

• 2-3 tbsp water 
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup of onion
• 4 oz tomato sauce
• 15 oz can vegetables (not drained)
• 1 ½ cup cooked pinto beans
• ½ bag of pasta stars
• ¼ cup of lentils
• 8 cups water

Add water, onion, and garlic to a large pot over medium-high heat and stir until they become fragrant. 

Then add in the tomato sauce, can of vegetables, cooked pinto beans, pasta stars, and dried lentils.

Once that is all in the pot, pour about 8 cups of water into the pot and stir it all together. 

Bring all the ingredients to a simmer. Then turn the heat down to low, place the lid on, and allow the soup to cook for another 25 minutes while stirring occasionally.

When the lentils are tender the soup is ready to eat! Serve up a bowl, top with either more tomatoes or jalapenos, and serve it with a side of toast.

So how was it…really…

Obviously this will vary for everyone, but I truly enjoyed every one of these meals! My husband even tried them too and absolutely loved them.

Plus, one thing I really loved about these is that since they are super high in protein and pretty nutrient-dense, they kept me full throughout the day. No snacking is needed. (except for a few hot Cheetos I snagged from my husband – oops!)

But overall, even if you aren’t needing to try and find the cheapest meals you can to make sure everyone can eat and be full, these recipes are super delicious, made with simple pantry ingredients, and are super simple to make.

I call that a win-win!

More budget-friendly meals:

If you love this extreme budgeting recipes list, then make sure to check out out my list of 10 cheap family meals under $10!

Quick links for making dinner easy:

• Family meal plans
• Tools for the kitchen and more
• The best cookbook for family dinner recipes
• FREE budget meal plan
• Cooking videos to watch

If you give these recipes a try, make sure to tag us on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!