How to eat healthily on a budget
“Healthy food is expensive” is only true if healthy food means avocados, salmon and bars with “fit” on the label. The cheapest things in the shop are often among the most useful.
Information checked on 2026-09-28. General information, not medical advice. How we calculate
The cheapest sources of protein
In our food database every item has a price level (cheap – medium – pricey), with no specific amounts. These sit in the cheapest group and still give the most protein per 100 g:
| Food | Protein / 100 g | Fibre / 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Green lentils (dry) | 24.6 g | 10.7 g |
| Split peas (dry) | 24.6 g | 25.5 g |
| Skinless chicken thighs | 19.7 g | 0 g |
| Pickled herring | 14.2 g | 0 g |
| Oats | 13.2 g | 10.1 g |
| Egg | 12.6 g | 0 g |
Note that the first two rows are dry products: cooking roughly doubles their weight or more, so a portion works out cheaper still. How much protein you need a day is in the protein guide.
One trick with mince
Meat is usually the most expensive part of the plate. A simple fix: replace half the mince with lentils (cooked red ones – they break down and all but disappear). The portion keeps plenty of protein, gains fibre, and needs half the meat. It works in pasta sauce, cabbage rolls and chilli.
The cheapest fibre
Fibre keeps you full and matters for gut health, and its cheapest sources sit on the dry goods shelf: split peas (25.5 g / 100 g), pearl barley (15.6 g), lentils (10.7 g), oats (10.1 g) and buckwheat (10 g). For comparison, most fresh vegetables have 2–3 g / 100 g – they're there for other reasons.
Seven things that really cut the bill
- Dry pulses instead of tinned. Soak them overnight, or cook a bigger pot and freeze half.
- Frozen vegetables and berries. Nutritional value close to fresh, often cheaper, and above all they don't go off.
- Seasonal, local vegetables. Through autumn and winter, cabbage, carrots, beetroot, onions, potatoes and squash are the cheapest things in the shop.
- Read the price per kilo. The shelf label shows “price per kg” – the only number that lets you compare two different pack sizes honestly.
- A bigger pack only if you'll actually eat it. Food in the bin is the most expensive offer there is.
- A whole chicken or thighs instead of breast. Nearly as much protein, lower price, more flavour.
- Tap water and coffee at home. Boring, but over a month it's often the single biggest line on the list.
Where the money quietly goes
- Ready-made snacks and “fit” bars. Their price per kilo is among the highest in the shop, and they barely fill you.
- Ready sauces and spice mixes. At home they come together from yogurt, mustard, garlic and lemon in two minutes.
- Juices and sweet drinks. Plenty of calories, zero fullness.
- “Weight” supplements and detoxes. The cheapest part of them is the part you didn't buy.
- Food in the bin. A large share of what households throw away is simply forgotten food.
How to stop throwing food away
- Take stock of the fridge before the shopping list. The menu starts from what's already there.
- An “eat me first” shelf. One spot in the fridge for whatever will go off soonest.
- The freezer as a pause button. Bread, leftovers, too many berries, half a stew – it all belongs there.
- A date on the box. Cool cooked food quickly, keep it covered and eat it within 2–3 days.
The whole system for turning this into a week is in how to plan a week of meals.
Where to start this week
Take a ready example: the budget weekly menu has a full week of meals and a shopping list. For single dishes, see budget recipes, and when time is short, quick recipes. Calories and nutrition for every ingredient are in the calorie table.
Frequently asked questions
Is eating healthily really more expensive?
Not always. The expensive part is usually not healthy food but prepared food: snacks, “fit” bars, ready-made sauces and deliveries. The cheapest items on the list – pulses, grains, eggs, seasonal vegetables – are also among the most useful.
What is the cheapest protein?
In our food database the cheapest price group includes eggs, chicken thighs, lentils, split peas, herring, oats, kefir and milk. Dry pulses give the most protein for the least money.
Are frozen vegetables fine?
Yes. They're frozen right after harvest, so their nutritional value stays close to fresh, and they often cost less. The biggest advantage is that they don't go off, so you throw less away.
What should I buy when the budget is very tight?
The base: grains (oats, buckwheat, pearl barley), dry pulses (lentils, peas, beans), eggs, frozen vegetables, seasonal root vegetables and cabbage, milk or kefir. That already makes a whole week of filling food.
Does Dumpli show what a week's shopping will cost?
Not yet. Our price sheet isn't filled in, and we don't want to guess: the app will only show an approximate cost for a shopping list once we have real, sourced prices for most of the items.
Read next
- How to plan a week of meals – A simple system: a repeating frame, one shopping list and one cooking evening. No spreadsheets, no burnout.
- How much protein do you need a day? – How much protein you need for your weight and goal, where to find it cheaply, and when to ask your doctor.
- How to count calories (and when you don't need to) – Weighing, labels, hand-sized portions and the most common mistakes – simply, without obsessing.