Need to Switch to Paleo, But Don’t Want to Spend Too Much Money?
Yes, Paleo has a bad rap for being “so expensive.”
But it’s not with a little foresight and planning. Definitely cooking at home will help save you money, as well as staying ahead of your hungry stomach with “make-ahead meals.”
(Note: we have an entire “make-ahead” freezer friendly Paleo recipes program over on MyFreezEasy! Tap here to learn more!)
Keep reading for our top budget friendly paleo recipes that won’t bust your grocery budget…
You don’t see too many recipes floating around that are deemed ‘Budget Friendly Paleo’ – and there’s a reason for that. Starches – breads, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, pasta, etc. – tend to be the most inexpensive part of a meal.
When I put together a typical $5 Dinner, it has a starch, a protein, and a vegetable (or two), and on occasion a fruit too. The protein is always the most expensive part (even when purchased on sale!), then the veggies/fruit fall in as the next most expensive, followed by the starches.
A cup of uncooked rice can cost less than $.20. A couple slices of bakery bread for a family of 4 could be $.50-$.75.
A pound of frozen veggies is about $1.
A pound of fresh veggies is $.49-$3, depending on the season and the veggie.
A pound of meat is $1.99-$4.99, depending on the cut of meat and the current sale.
So a Paleo meal is basically meat and veggies and fruit. There’s no dairy, there’s no starches (with the exception of sweet potatoes.)
So you lose the least expensive part of a meal, and add an extra veggie or fruit. The balance for a typical $5 meal is tipped off…BUT…BUT…BUT…you can still absolutely make budget friendly Paleo meals that hit below or just above the $5 mark!
That’s what you’ll find below…
But first, a word about our latest specialty meal plan…
6-Week Paleo Meal Plan
We’ve pulled together our very favorite budget friendly Paleo recipes into a 6-Week Paleo Meal Plan. Each week contains 6 different Paleo recipes, and just about all of them are Whole30 compliant as well. Along with the recipes for each week, we have a detailed shopping list that you can use each week of the plan.
Learn more about this 6-Week Paleo Meal Plan.
Erin’s Personal Recommendations for Essential Paleo Recipe Supplies & Gadgets:
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Spiralizer
- Kitchen Shears
- Tongs
- Silicone Spatula
- Slow Cooker
- Really Good Chef’s Knife
- Really Good Paring Knife
- Cutting Board
- Good Blender
- High End Blender
Pin all of the Paleo Recipes
Follow $5 Dinners {Erin Chase}’s board Budget Friendly Paleo Recipes – 31 Days Series on Pinterest.
The Budget Friendly Paleo Recipes (with new ones added each day in May):
Other “31 Days of” Series to explore:
- 31 Days of School Lunchbox Ideas
- 31 Days of Slow Cooker Meals
- 31 Days of Gluten Free Meals
- 31 Days of Freezer Cooking Recipes
- 31 Days of Skillet Dinner Recipes
- 31 Days of Breakfast Recipes
- 31 Days of Grilling Recipes
- 31 Days of 31-Minute Dinners
- 31 Days of Chili, Soups & Stews
Melanie says
So, are the 31 Days of Paleo recipes all different recipes from the ones in the 6 week Paleo plan?
Amy Thiessen @ These Wild Acres says
Yay! What an awesome resource, thanks!