MealBudgetA budget meal plan for a family of four
Seven dinners for two adults and two children come to about $125, or about $92 if the pantry basics are already in. That is roughly $6 a serving, and 15 of the 40 items go into two or more dinners. That leaves about $55 of the $180 for breakfast, lunch and snacks.
Weekly budget
$180
7 dinners
About $125
Left for other meals
About $55
Household: two adults and two children. Children count as about 0.6 of an adult portion. Prices are estimated from average US retail prices, last revised 28 October 2026, and are not read from your store.
For scale: the USDA Thrifty food plan for a family of four was $1,024 a month (about $236 a week) at September 2026 prices. That figure is for all food, every meal, not just dinners. Source: USDA food plans.
The 7 dinners
- Day 1 · 25 min
Vegetable Fried Rice
Cold rice fried with egg, peas, carrots, and scallions in a quick soy toss.
Shares 7 ingredients with other dinners this week
- Day 2 · 60 min
Koshari
Egypt's national dish. Lentils, rice and macaroni under a sharp tomato sauce, with fried onions on top that everyone fights over.
Shares 8 ingredients with other dinners this week
- Day 3 · 40 min
American Goulash
Elbow macaroni cooked right in a beefy tomato sauce, the cheap one-pot dinner everyone remembers.
Shares 3 ingredients with other dinners this week
- Day 4 · 42 min
Chickpea Curry with Rice
Chickpeas simmered in a spiced onion-tomato sauce, served over basmati.
Shares 7 ingredients with other dinners this week
- Day 5 · 30 min
Spicy Pork Noodles
Ground pork cooked with chili garlic sauce and soy, tossed with noodles, spinach and scallions.
Shares 9 ingredients with other dinners this week
- Day 6 · 35 min
Peanut Noodles with Tofu
Linguine tossed in a peanut-soy sauce with crisp tofu, cucumber, and scallions.
Shares 8 ingredients with other dinners this week
- Day 7 · 30 min
Hoisin Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry
Glossy dark-glazed noodles tangled with ground chicken, ribbons of carrot and red pepper, scallions cut over the top.
Shares 6 ingredients with other dinners this week
What the dinners share
15 of the 40 items are bought once and used in two or more dinners. This is where a week gets cheaper: the later dinners reuse what is already in the cart.
- Garlic2 × 1 head (~10 cloves)7 dinners
- Vegetable oil48 fl oz bottle6 dinners
- Fresh ginger root~4 oz knob4 dinners
- Green onions / scallions3 × 1 bunch4 dinners
- Soy sauce15 fl oz bottle4 dinners
- Toasted sesame oil5 fl oz bottle4 dinners
- Yellow onions3 lb bag (~5 onions)3 dinners
- Canned chickpeas3 × 15 oz can2 dinners
- Canned crushed tomatoes28 oz can2 dinners
- Chili garlic sauce8 oz jar2 dinners
- Elbow macaroni16 oz box2 dinners
- Ground cumin2 oz jar2 dinners
- Linguine2 × 16 oz box2 dinners
- Long grain white rice5 lb bag2 dinners
- Peanut butter16 oz jar2 dinners
The grocery list
40 items, sorted by aisle, in the packages you put in the cart. Prices last revised 28 October 2026.
Produce
About $17- Yellow onions3 lb bag (~5 onions) · used in 3 dinners$3.47
- Green onions / scallions3 × 1 bunch · used in 4 dinners$3.27
- Baby spinach5 oz clamshell$2.91
- Carrots2 lb bag$2.29
- Garlic2 × 1 head (~10 cloves) · used in 7 dinners$1.58
- Fresh ginger root~4 oz knob · used in 4 dinners$1.49
- Red bell pepper1 pepper$1.48
- Cucumber1 cucumber$0.89
Meat and seafood
About $19- Ground chicken1 lb pack$7.74
- Ground beef (80/20)1 lb pack$7.20
- Ground pork1 lb pack$4.48
Dairy
About $2- Large eggs1 dozen$2.19
Frozen
About $3- Frozen mixed vegetables12 oz bag$2.54
Pantry
About $78- Long grain white rice5 lb bag · used in 2 dinners$6.27
- Toasted sesame oil5 fl oz bottle · used in 4 dinners$5.41
- Basmati rice2 lb bag$4.58
- Vegetable oilpantry staple48 fl oz bottle · used in 6 dinners$4.28
- Soy sauce15 fl oz bottle · used in 4 dinners$3.99
- Linguine2 × 16 oz box · used in 2 dinners$3.78
- Chili garlic sauce8 oz jar · used in 2 dinners$3.48
- Curry powderpantry staple1.9 oz jar$3.28
- Peanut butter16 oz jar · used in 2 dinners$3.28
- Canned crushed tomatoes28 oz can · used in 2 dinners$2.99
- Apple cider vinegarpantry staple16 fl oz bottle$2.99
- White distilled vinegarpantry staple32 fl oz bottle$2.98
- Ground cuminpantry staple2 oz jar · used in 2 dinners$2.98
- Ground turmericpantry staple1.9 oz jar$2.98
- Canned chickpeas3 × 15 oz can · used in 2 dinners$2.94
- Beef broth32 oz carton$2.79
- Paprikapantry staple2.1 oz jar$2.68
- Brown/green lentilspantry staple1 lb bag$2.49
- Italian seasoning blendpantry staple0.75 oz jar$2.48
- Hoisin saucepantry staple9 oz jar$2.38
- Instant ramen noodles6-pack$2.28
- Cornstarchpantry staple16 oz box$1.98
- Canned tomato sauce15 oz can$1.39
- Elbow macaroni16 oz box · used in 2 dinners$1.28
- Saltpantry staple26 oz canister$1.18
- Canned diced tomatoes14.5 oz can$1.12
Other
About $5- Extra-firm tofu2 × 14 oz block$4.96
Make this week fit your number
Put in your budget, who you feed and what you skip. MealBudget picks the dinners and gives you one list with the total before you shop.
Questions people ask
- How much does a week of dinners cost for a family of four?
- This week is about $125 from an empty cupboard and about $92 once the pantry basics are in. Your store will differ, so use it as a planning number.
- What makes a family meal plan cheap?
- Dinners that share ingredients. Here 15 of the 40 items go into two or more dinners, so the garlic and the vegetable oil get used up instead of half a pack going off.
- How does this compare to the USDA Thrifty food plan?
- The USDA Thrifty plan for a family of four was $1,024 a month (about $236 a week) at September 2026 prices. That covers all food, every meal. These seven dinners are about $125 for the week.
- Why are some items marked as pantry staples?
- Oil, rice, spices and sauces get bought once and last for weeks. They are $33 of this list. If you already have them, this week costs closer to $92.
- Are these real store prices?
- No. They are estimated from average US prices, not read from your store. A discount grocer will usually come in under them and a city-centre store over them. Use the total as a planning number, not a receipt.
- Can I get a list like this for my own budget?
- Yes. In the MealBudget app you set the amount, the people you feed and anything you will not eat, and it plans the dinners and one shopping list that adds up to it. The first week is free.
Try a free week
The first week in the app is free. Plan your own seven dinners and see the total before you go to the store.