Can you really do Paleo for $50 a week?

In many places, for one person, yes — with eggs, cheap cuts and frozen produce. Your local prices decide it, so cost the generated list before you commit.

What is the cheapest Paleo meal?

Three eggs with frozen spinach costs very little and takes five minutes.

Paleo Meal Plan Under $50

This is the most restrictive budget plan on the site: one person, cheapest proteins only, minimum ingredient variety. Prices vary by country and store, so price the generated list at your own supermarket.

Goal

Duration

Max cooking time

Budget

People

Estimated 1643 kcal and 109 g protein per person per day. Figures are rough planning estimates, not measured values.

Your 7-day Paleo meal plan

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snack
Monday	Spinach & mushroom omelette	Ground beef taco bowl	Turkey & vegetable chili	Carrots + guacamole
Tuesday	2-ingredient banana pancakes	Egg salad plate	Paleo meatballs & zucchini noodles	Banana + almond butter
Wednesday	Make-ahead egg muffins	Chicken & vegetable soup	Roast chicken & root vegetables	Tuna on cucumber rounds
Thursday	Hard-boiled eggs + fruit	Chicken & roasted sweet potato box	Sheet-pan chicken thighs & broccoli	Celery + almond butter
Friday	Eggs & avocado	Chicken salad bowl	Turkey & vegetable chili	Two hard-boiled eggs
Saturday	Hard-boiled eggs + fruit	Tuna & avocado boats	Paleo meatballs & zucchini noodles	Apple + almonds
Sunday	2-ingredient banana pancakes	Beef patties & slaw	Roast chicken & root vegetables	Leftover chicken strips

Grocery list

Scaled for 1 person across 7 days.

Meat & Protein

Canned tuna — 1.5 can
Chicken breast — 520 g
Chicken thighs — 2 thighs
Eggs — 25 eggs
Ground beef — 600 g
Ground turkey — 300 g
Whole chicken — 0.5 chicken

Vegetables & Fruit

Apples — 3 apple
Avocado — 2.5 avocado
Banana — 3 banana
Bell peppers — 2.5 pepper
Broccoli — 1 head
Cabbage — 0.2 head
Carrots — 6 carrots
Carrots — 2 carrot
Celery — 1 stalk
Celery — 2 stalks
Cucumber — 0.8 cucumber
Garlic — 2 cloves
Lemons — 0.5 lemon
Lettuce (romaine) — 0.3 head
Mixed salad leaves — 4 handfuls
Mushrooms — 60 g
Spinach — 2 handful
Sweet potatoes — 3 medium
Tomatoes — 1 tomato
Zucchini — 2 zucchini

Pantry

Almond butter — 2 tbsp
Almonds — 25 g
Chicken broth — 1.5 cups
Coconut oil — 2 tsp
Crushed tomatoes — 2 can
Ground cumin — 3 tsp
Olive oil — 3 tsp
Olive oil — 5 tbsp

Sunday 60-minute meal prep

Cook these components once and the rest of the week is assembly.

1. Ground beef taco bowlBrown ground beef with cumin and paprika, spoon over shredded lettuce and salsa.
2. Turkey & vegetable chiliBrown turkey mince, add tomatoes, peppers and spices, simmer 20 minutes.
3. Carrots + guacamoleMash avocado with lemon and salt; dip carrot sticks.
4. Egg salad plateChop boiled eggs with avocado instead of mayo, serve over leaves.
5. Paleo meatballs & zucchini noodlesBake beef meatballs bound with egg, simmer in crushed tomatoes, serve over zoodles.
6. Banana + almond butterSliced banana with a spoon of almond butter.

The rules for a $50 Paleo week

Variety is the first thing to sacrifice, and quality is the last.

Eggs for breakfast every day — cheapest complete protein there is
One whole chicken, roasted Sunday, carried through three meals
Ground beef and canned tuna for the rest of the protein
Frozen broccoli and spinach instead of fresh
Bananas, apples and carrots as the only produce bought fresh

Where people overspend

Almond flour, coconut wraps, Paleo bars and grass-fed everything. None of them are required. A $50 week is meat, eggs, frozen vegetables and cheap fruit.

Cheapest meals in the library

Eggs & avocado

breakfast · 10 min · 20 g protein · ~420 kcal

Fry or scramble 3 eggs in olive oil, serve with half an avocado and sea salt.

Eggs, Avocado, Olive oil

Hard-boiled eggs + fruit

breakfast · 10 min · 19 g protein · ~330 kcal

Boil eggs 9 minutes in a batch on Sunday; grab with a piece of fruit.

Eggs, Apples

Spinach & mushroom omelette

breakfast · 10 min · 21 g protein · ~350 kcal

Beat 3 eggs, cook flat, fold over wilted spinach and mushrooms.

Eggs, Spinach, Mushrooms, Olive oil

Make-ahead egg muffins

breakfast · 15 min · 24 g protein · ~360 kcal

Whisk eggs with chopped veg, bake in a muffin tin 20 min, refrigerate up to 4 days.

Eggs, Bell peppers, Spinach

2-ingredient banana pancakes

breakfast · 10 min · 16 g protein · ~400 kcal

Mash banana into beaten eggs, cook small pancakes in coconut oil.

Banana, Eggs, Coconut oil

Chicken salad bowl

lunch · 10 min · 40 g protein · ~480 kcal

Toss pre-cooked chicken with salad leaves, cucumber, olive oil and lemon.

Chicken breast, Mixed salad leaves, Cucumber, Olive oil, Lemons

Tuna & avocado boats

lunch · 10 min · 34 g protein · ~430 kcal

Mix canned tuna with lemon and olive oil, pile into avocado halves.

Canned tuna, Avocado, Lemons, Olive oil

Ground beef taco bowl

lunch · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~550 kcal

Brown ground beef with cumin and paprika, spoon over shredded lettuce and salsa.

Ground beef, Lettuce (romaine), Tomatoes, Ground cumin

Chicken & vegetable soup

lunch · 15 min · 32 g protein · ~380 kcal

Simmer shredded chicken with carrot, celery and broth; freezes well in portions.

Chicken breast, Carrots, Celery, Chicken broth

Egg salad plate

lunch · 10 min · 24 g protein · ~400 kcal

Chop boiled eggs with avocado instead of mayo, serve over leaves.

Eggs, Avocado, Mixed salad leaves

Chicken & roasted sweet potato box

lunch · 15 min · 42 g protein · ~560 kcal

Assemble from Sunday prep: chicken, roast sweet potato, roast broccoli.

Chicken breast, Sweet potatoes, Broccoli

Beef patties & slaw

lunch · 15 min · 36 g protein · ~540 kcal

Grill seasoned patties, serve with cabbage slaw dressed in olive oil and lemon.

Ground beef, Cabbage, Carrots, Olive oil

Sheet-pan chicken thighs & broccoli

dinner · 30 min · 42 g protein · ~600 kcal

Thighs skin-side up with broccoli and garlic, 200C for 30 minutes.

Chicken thighs, Broccoli, Garlic, Olive oil

Paleo meatballs & zucchini noodles

dinner · 30 min · 40 g protein · ~570 kcal

Bake beef meatballs bound with egg, simmer in crushed tomatoes, serve over zoodles.

Ground beef, Eggs, Crushed tomatoes, Zucchini

Roast chicken & root vegetables

dinner · 30 min · 46 g protein · ~640 kcal

Roast a whole chicken over carrots and sweet potato; leftovers feed two lunches.

Whole chicken, Carrots, Sweet potatoes, Olive oil

Turkey & vegetable chili

dinner · 30 min · 42 g protein · ~520 kcal

Brown turkey mince, add tomatoes, peppers and spices, simmer 20 minutes.

Ground turkey, Crushed tomatoes, Bell peppers, Ground cumin

Apple + almonds

snack · 10 min · 6 g protein · ~250 kcal

One apple with a small handful of almonds.

Apples, Almonds

Carrots + guacamole

snack · 10 min · 4 g protein · ~220 kcal

Mash avocado with lemon and salt; dip carrot sticks.

Carrots, Avocado

Two hard-boiled eggs

snack · 10 min · 13 g protein · ~160 kcal

From the Sunday batch, with salt and pepper.

Eggs

Celery + almond butter

snack · 10 min · 6 g protein · ~210 kcal

Two celery stalks filled with almond butter.

Celery, Almond butter

Tuna on cucumber rounds

snack · 10 min · 22 g protein · ~200 kcal

Half a can of tuna spooned onto thick cucumber slices.

Canned tuna, Cucumber

Leftover chicken strips

snack · 10 min · 30 g protein · ~190 kcal

Sliced cold roast chicken from the Sunday batch.

Chicken breast

Banana + almond butter

snack · 10 min · 6 g protein · ~280 kcal

Sliced banana with a spoon of almond butter.

Banana, Almond butter

Frequently asked questions

Can you really do Paleo for $50 a week?: In many places, for one person, yes — with eggs, cheap cuts and frozen produce. Your local prices decide it, so cost the generated list before you commit.
What is the cheapest Paleo meal?: Three eggs with frozen spinach costs very little and takes five minutes.