10 Meal Prep Recipes That Will Save You $100 a Month

# 10 Meal Prep Recipes That Will Save You $100 a Month Here is a number that should get your attention. The average American spends over $300 per month on food outside the home. That means lunches bought at work, dinners ordered through delivery apps, and coffee grabbed on the way to the office. Now imagine cutting that number by a third or more, just by spending two hours on a Sunday afternoon cooking. That is the power of meal prep. It is not about eating the same bland chicken and rice every day. It is about having delicious, ready-to-eat meals waiting in your fridge so you never have a reason to hit the drive-through or open a delivery app. The 10 recipes below are specifically designed for meal prep. They store well, reheat beautifully, and cost under $2.50 per serving. ## The Math Behind Saving $100 a Month Let us break this down. If you currently buy lunch five days a week at an average of $12 per meal, that is $60 a week or $240 a month just on lunch. Replace those five lunches with meal-prepped portions that cost $2.50 each, and you spend $12.50 a week instead. That is a savings of $47.50 per week, or roughly $190 per month. Even if you only replace half of your bought lunches, you are still saving close to $100 monthly. The savings add up fast, and the food is often better than what you were buying. ## 1. Chicken Teriyaki Bowls This is the gold standard of meal prep, and our recipe makes it incredibly easy. Chicken thighs are glazed with a homemade teriyaki sauce that takes five minutes to make, then served over steamed rice with roasted broccoli. Each bowl reheats perfectly in the microwave, the sauce keeps the chicken moist even after several days, and the flavor actually improves as everything marinates together in the fridge. [Meal Prep Chicken Teriyaki Bowls](/recipes/meal-prep-chicken-teriyaki-bowls) ## 2. Korean Beef Bowls Sweet, savory, and slightly spicy, these beef bowls are one of the most popular meal prep recipes on our site. Ground beef simmers in a sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger, then gets served over rice with quick-pickled cucumbers and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. The entire batch costs about $10 to make and yields five generous portions. That is $2 per meal for something that tastes like a $14 restaurant bowl. [Korean Beef Bowls](/recipes/korean-beef-bowl) ## 3. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork A pork shoulder on sale for $1.50 per pound is one of the best deals in the grocery store, and the slow cooker turns it into fork-tender pulled pork with almost no effort. Season the roast, set it in the slow cooker in the morning, and come home to enough pulled pork for at least eight meals. Use it for sandwiches, tacos, rice bowls, loaded baked potatoes, or quesadillas throughout the week. The versatility alone makes this worth a permanent spot in your meal prep rotation. [Slow Cooker Pulled Pork](/recipes/slow-cooker-pulled-pork) ## 4. Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls This vegetarian meal prep option is hearty, flavorful, and dirt cheap. Roasted sweet potato cubes, seasoned black beans, rice, corn, and a quick lime-cilantro dressing come together in a bowl that is packed with nutrition and flavor. Each serving costs about $1.75, making this the most budget-friendly recipe on the list. The sweet potatoes and beans provide enough protein and fiber to keep you full all afternoon. ## 5. Turkey Meatball Marinara Baked turkey meatballs are a meal prep hero. They freeze well, reheat without losing their texture, and pair with almost anything. Make a big batch of meatballs, simmer them in marinara sauce, and portion them out over pasta, in sub rolls, or on their own with roasted vegetables. The meatballs keep for five days in the fridge or three months in the freezer. Cost per serving lands around $2.25. ## 6. Chicken Burrito Bowls Similar to the black bean bowls above, but with seasoned chicken as the star. Cook chicken thighs with cumin, chili powder, and garlic, then shred and divide among your containers with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, and pico de gallo. Keep the sour cream and guacamole on the side to add fresh at lunchtime. These bowls feel like a treat every single day and cost about $2.50 per serving. ## 7. Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Bake Italian sausage links sliced into rounds and roasted with bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, and potatoes make an easy sheet pan meal that divides perfectly into meal prep containers. The sausage provides plenty of flavor so you do not need a complicated sauce or marinade. Just toss everything with olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning, then roast until golden. Five servings for about $11 total. ## 8. Egg Roll in a Bowl All the flavors of an egg roll without the wrapper. Ground pork or turkey cooks with shredded cabbage, carrots, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a single large skillet. It comes together in 15 minutes and yields five servings at roughly $2 each. Serve it on its own for a low-carb option, or over rice if you want something more filling. It reheats surprisingly well, and the cabbage stays firm even after a few days. ## 9. Lentil and Sausage Soup Soup is one of the best things you can meal prep because it actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two. This lentil and sausage soup is thick, hearty, and incredibly cheap to make. Smoked sausage, dried lentils, carrots, celery, onion, and canned tomatoes simmer together in a seasoned broth until the lentils are tender and the whole pot is rich and flavorful. A massive batch costs about $8 and serves six to eight people. ## 10. Beef and Broccoli with Rice A takeout classic turned meal prep staple. Thin-sliced beef and crisp broccoli florets in a glossy, savory sauce served over white or brown rice. The key to great reheated beef and broccoli is not overcooking the broccoli during the initial cook. Keep it bright green with a little crunch so it holds up to reheating during the week. Each serving comes in at about $2.50 and takes 20 minutes to make in a single skillet. ## Your Complete Meal Prep Strategy Knowing the recipes is only half the battle. Here is a simple strategy to make meal prep work for you week after week. **Pick two to three recipes per week.** Variety prevents burnout. If you make the same thing every week, you will quit within a month. Rotate through this list and mix in your own favorites. **Shop with a list and stick to it.** Before your prep day, write out exactly what you need for your chosen recipes. Check your pantry first so you do not buy duplicates. A focused shopping trip saves money and time. **Invest in good containers.** Glass containers with locking lids are worth the upfront cost. They do not stain, they are microwave safe, they last for years, and your food stays fresher longer. A set of 10 to 12 containers costs about $20 and pays for itself within a week of meal prepping. **Batch your cooking tasks.** Start with the thing that takes longest, usually rice or a slow cooker item. While that cooks, prep vegetables, make sauces, and cook proteins. Working in parallel cuts your total prep time significantly. Most people can knock out five days of meals in about 90 minutes once they get into a rhythm. **Label everything.** Use a piece of tape and a marker to write the recipe name and date on each container. This helps you eat the oldest meals first and prevents any mystery containers from lurking in the back of your fridge. **Freeze what you will not eat in four days.** If you prep on Sunday, meals for Monday through Thursday can go in the fridge. Friday's meal should go in the freezer and be moved to the fridge Thursday night to thaw. This keeps everything fresh and safe. ## What About Breakfast? While this list focuses on lunch and dinner, breakfast is another huge opportunity for savings. Overnight oats, egg muffin cups, and breakfast burritos all freeze and reheat well. Adding a prepped breakfast to your routine can save you another $30 to $50 per month on coffee-shop breakfasts and fast food. ## Start Small and Build the Habit If you have never meal prepped before, do not try to overhaul your entire week overnight. Start by prepping just your weekday lunches. Once that feels easy, add a couple of prepped dinners. Before you know it, meal prep will be a habit that saves you real money every single month. These 10 recipes are a solid foundation for anyone looking to save money, eat better, and spend less time wondering what is for dinner. Pick two for this week and see how it feels. We are confident you will be hooked after the first round.