Welcome to my ‘3 Healthy Meals for £3 a Day’ series – a collection of quick, easy and delicious plant-based recipes, rich in flavour and packed with nutrition, perfect for students and anyone looking to eat well on a budget!

With basic kitchen setups and limited budgets in mind, here are the criteria I used for selecting each recipe:

✨ Easy to Make – Each recipe is beginner-friendly, with straightforward steps perfect for those with little or no cooking experience.

✨ Quick Prep – Find recipes that take just 5 minutes, plus ‘cook once, eat twice’ meals that can save you time later. No recipe requires more than 30 minutes of hands-on time!

✨ Basic Equipment Only – No fancy kitchen gadgets required! All you’ll need are the basics – a knife, chopping board, grater, sieve, saucepan, frying pan, and a wooden spoon or spatula.

✨ Balanced Nutrition – Each recipe is packed with plant-based protein, complex carbs, fibre, healthy fats, and an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

✨ Quality Ingredients – Staying on budget doesn’t mean sacrificing quality; I choose ingredients that taste great and don’t contain artificial additives or sweeteners.

✨ Long-Lasting Ingredients – I’ve prioritised ingredients that are shelf-stable or fridge-friendly for weeks, and can be used across multiple recipes to minimise waste.

✨ Great Taste – And most importantly, I only share recipes that my family love and make regularly. Every recipe has also been given the thumbs-up by my trusted team of recipe testers!

How I Costed the Recipes

I’ve based most of the costings on Tesco prices, as that’s where I currently do my main grocery shop. The prices reflect the full cost of ingredients, but many are often on special offer or discounted for Clubcard members, so you could make these meals for even less!

If you’re not already a member of your local supermarket’s loyalty scheme, it’s definitely worth signing up. These membership schemes often include discounts on essentials, and I find they save me hundreds of pounds each year!

The only ingredients I haven’t included in the costings are salt, pepper and oil, as these are pantry staples for most households.

The Recipe Collection

I’ve organised the recipes into three categories based on how I usually eat them – Breakfasts, Lunches, and Dinners – but feel free to mix it up and eat them whenever you like! If you’re a fan of savoury breakfasts, try a tofu scramble or beans on toast. Dinner leftovers make excellent next-day lunches.

Breakfasts

• Simple Vegan Overnight Oats, 69p
• Vegan Chocolate Instant Oat Bowl, 72p
• Vegan Chocolate Porridge, 84p

Lunches

• The British Classic: Baked Beans on Toast, 49p
• Canned Vegetable Soup with a Protein Boost, 98p
• Scrambled Tofu on Toast, £1.32
• Tofu ‘Egg Mayo’ Sandwich, £1.00
• Vegan High Protein Mediterranean Sandwich, 99p

Dinners

• Chickpea & Sweet Potato Coconut Curry with Rice, £1.00
• Easy Vegan Chilli Non Carne with Rice, £1.00
• Quick and Easy Vegan Chow Mein, £1.55 / £1.34
• Speedy Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese, 80p
• Super Greens Pasta with Balsamic Glaze, 90p
• Red Lentil Dhal with Coconut and Sweet Potato, served with Chapattis, 80p / 53p

Pin for later ⬇️

✨ Get Creative ✨

Don’t hesitate to get creative—these meals are wonderfully versatile, so feel free to tweak and adapt them to suit your tastes. I’d love to hear your feedback and see your delicious creations! Simply tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media, and they’ll find their way to me. You can also connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.

I hope you enjoy these budget-friendly recipes as much as I do!

With love,