Eating health doesn’t have to drain your wallet. The Mediterranean diet can actually be so budget-friendly (while also being good for you). This diet prioritizes ingredients like beans and lentils, which are incredibly inexpensive, it also focuses on in-season veggies and fruit that are in abundance when bought in-season, and grains like rice, oats and barley. You’ll find that eating healthy truly doesn’t need to break the bank. It can actually be cheaper than buying processed foods. Here is my comprehensive guide to saving money on a Mediterranean diet.

Why the Mediterranean Diet Is Naturally Budget-Friendly

The Mediterranean diet focuses on things like:

• Beans and lentils
• In-season fruits and veggies
• Olive oil
• Whole grains

All of these key ingredients are very budget-friendly, even olive oil you can buy when it’s on sale and if you’re prioritizing in-season, locally grown food, you can usually save money since the food isn’t marked up to make up for the travel time of importing it.

Wallet-Wise Pantry Staples 🛒

If you want to form a pantry that sets you up for success on the Mediterranean Diet, make sure to stock these key ingredients:

• Brown Rice
• Barley
• Oats
• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Canned or Jarred Tomatoes
• Canned or Dried Beans (chickpeas, kidney beans, butter beans, etc.)
• Canned or Dried Lentils
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Herbs & Spices (oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme)
• Nuts & Seeds
• Canned Fish
• Frozen Fruit & Veggies (buy them when they’re in-season and freeze them to prolong shelf life)

The $50 One-Week Mediterranean Meal Plan

This list assumes you have basic pantry staples like olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs and spices. Prices are an estimate and may vary by location.

Monday

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey, frozen fruit, and/or a handful of nuts and seeds
• Lunch:
• Dinner: Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes). This recipe is a perfect start to the week. Make a large batch to have it for more than one meal

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt parfait
• Lunch: Leftover lentil soup from Monday’s dinner
• Dinner: Greek Chicken & Butter Beans Sheet Pan. Make extra to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Whole grain toast with hummus and sliced cucumber or tomato and eggs
• Lunch: Leftover sheet pan chicken and veggies
• Dinner: Greek Barley Salad

Thursday

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt and/or whole grain toast with fresh veggies/fruit, and eggs
• Lunch: Leftover Mediterranean Barley Salad from dinner on Wednesday
• Dinner: Healthy Tuna Stuffed Avocadoes

Friday

• Breakfast: Toast with hummus and sliced tomatoes, and cottage cheese or Greek yogurt for an added protein boost
• Lunch: Mediterranean bowl – cook up some brown rice, and then use up any of your veggies in your fridge to make a tasty bowl. You can make these delicious shrimp for protein to add on top. Make extra for dinner!
• Dinner: Shrimp tacos – use leftover shrimp from lunch to make tacos! Top them with a drizzle of Greek yogurt, cilantro, and coleslaw

Saturday

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with fresh fruit (like chopped cucumber and lemon juice, as the Greeks do it)
• Lunch: Greek Lentil Salad
• Dinner: Sheet Pan Greek Meatballs with Potatoes

Sunday

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with a piece of whole grain toast, and fresh, cut up tomatoes
• Lunch: Leftover Greek Lentil Salad from Saturday
• Dinner: Leftover Greek Meatballs from Saturday

Smart Shopping & Batch-Cooking Hacks

To help budget plan for your week, there are a few key tips that can help set you up for success:

1. Smart Shopping: Making a list is KEY to not over shopping or buying things that don’t make a meal. By setting up a meal plan, you can make a grocery list and stick to it. You also should look at online flyers before heading to the store or building your meal plan because it can help you plan around items that are on sale.
2. Batch-Cooking: By batch-cooking you can have food prepped and easy to reach for. Make a grain at the beginning of the week and cut up veggies, so you can easily throw together a bowl with some added protein for a quick lunch or dinner. When you are making a recipe, double it or make more so you can have leftovers for a quick and easy meal to grab. You can even freeze leftovers to easily have something to pull out of your freezer on those busy nights.

Zero-Waste Mediterranean Kitchen

There are so many ways to help eliminate waste in your kitchen and make the most of the food in your cupboards and fridge. Here are some tips:

Using the Whole Ingredient

Many parts of produce that are often discarded are not only edible but also packed with flavor and nutrients. Here are some ways you can use parts of food that you normally would toss:

• Vegetable Scraps: Vegetable trimmings like onion and garlic peels, carrot tops, celery ends, and herb stems can be the base to make a veggie stock. Store them in a bag in your freezer and, when the bag is full, use them to make a flavorful stock.
• Citrus Peels: After juicing a lemon or orange, save the peels. You can use them to:
  • Add a burst of flavor to vinaigrettes and marinades
  • Candied citrus peel is a traditional Mediterranean sweet
  • Make an all-purpose kitchen cleaner by infusing the peels in vinegar
• Stale Bread: Stale bread can be transformed into:
  • Panzanella: A classic Italian salad made with stale bread, tomatoes, and basil but there are so many variations you can make
  • Croutons: Simply cube the bread, toss with olive oil and herbs, and bake until golden
  • Breadcrumbs: A quick spin in a food processor turns stale bread into breadcrumbs for meatballs or toasting for pasta toppings
• Tops and Stems:
  • Fennel fronds, carrot tops, and beet greens can be chopped and used in salads, soups, or even pureed into a pesto-like sauce
  • Broccoli and cauliflower stems can be peeled, chopped, and roasted alongside the florets. They can also be shredded into a slaw

Creative Ways to Use Leftovers

Using up leftovers can be a great way to save time when meal prepping and to save food waste (and money). Here are some ways you can use leftovers in your kitchen:

• Repurpose Leftovers: Leftover roasted vegetables can be added to pasta or a grain bowl the next day. A piece of leftover protein like chicken can be shredded for a salad or wrap.
• Make Soups and Stews: A traditional “clean-out-the-fridge” soup is a perfect way to use up wilting vegetables, leftover grains, and small portions of protein.
• Utilize Canned Goods: Canned chickpeas and beans are the ultimate zero-waste ingredient. The liquid from a can of chickpeas, known as aquafaba, is a surprisingly effective vegan alternative to egg whites and can be used to make meringues, mousses, whipped cream, or even in cocktails.

Preservation & Fermentation

• Pickling and Fermenting: Pickling is a common practice in many Mediterranean cultures for preserving vegetables. You can pickle almost anything, from cucumbers to red onions, to extend their shelf life and add a tangy flavor to your meals. Here is my recipe for quick pickling that is a really easy way to preserve veggies.
• Freezing: Your freezer is your best friend. Freeze leftover vegetable scraps for stock, extra herbs, or sauces and purées. You can also freeze pre-portioned meals to avoid over-cooking and having food go to waste.

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