Spring budget meal plan
Plan a week of budget family mains for spring's arrival, including honey & mustard chicken thighs, pea & new potato curry and spring fish pie
With green, seasonal produce kicking into gear, spring marks a great time to reboot your midweek repertoire. But eating seasonally shouldn't mean spending more. In fact, buying fresh produce in the season that it's grown and harvested in will taste far better and cost less, since it's not travelled far and it's in peak supply.
To celebrate the best of spring's produce, we've come up with a seven-day meal plan of cheap dishes for a family of four, with any leftovers eaten the following day. These easy-to-prepare lunches and dinners showcase simple, accessible ingredients, but don't skimp on flavour. They've have also been highly rated by the Good Food community, so you can feel confident they'll receive a thumbs-up from family members.
For more budget recipe inspiration, money-saving tips and useful guides, take a look at our five-ingredient budget meal plan, quick budget family meal plan and budget hub.
For more inspiration on making the most of spring’s seasonal produce, check out our most popular spring recipes, low-calorie spring recipes and 20 spring salads for the new season.
Our new meal plan hub has all our meal plans in one place.
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7-day family meal plan on a budget
Monday: Pasta primavera
Rustle up a flavourful veggie main for meat-free Monday. This spaghetti dish is simple and vibrant, with seasonal spring greens to boot, such as broad beans, leeks and asparagus tips. Use frozen peas and whichever pasta shape you already have to keep costs even lower. It’s a healthy supper too, being low in fat and calories.
Find more vegetarian spring recipes.
Tuesday: Spring chicken in a pot
Casseroles aren't just for winter – try your hand at this light, spring-themed one-pot. This recipe uses chicken thighs – a cheaper cut of meat – alongside a versatile spring champion, new potatoes. Mix together with lots of green veg and a few dollops of pesto for a herby boost of flavour.
See our top 10 spring dinner ideas for more mealtime inspiration.
Wednesday: Spring salmon with minty veg
Take the hassle out of cooking with this easy-to-prepare salmon, served with minty peas and veg. It's a solid five-ingredient meal, featuring cheap, seasonal ingredients like frozen peas, mint, lemon and new potatoes. It's ready on the table in just 20 minutes and it's healthy too, being low in salt and counting for two of your five-a-day.
Try more healthy salmon recipes or browse through our salmon recipes for kids.
Thursday: Pea & broad bean shakshuka
Switch up your midweek routine with this fresh and vibrant shakshuka. We’ve turned a classic brunch dish into more of a sharing main course by packing in seasonal greens such as peas, broad beans and asparagus. You can add and change up the veg according to what you have already in your fridge.
Find more ideas in our shakshuka recipe collection.
Friday: Spring fish pie
Friday night calls for a supper treat, like this cheap and cheerful fish pie. The ingredient list is kept short, making use of cheap, seasonal ingredients, plus it can easily be adapted to your own personal taste. The original serving is for two, but this can be easily doubled to feed the whole family.
See more fish pie recipes for filling family meals.
Saturday: Pea & new potato curry
While the temptation to order a takeaway at the weekend is strong, try creating a flavour-packed curry at a fraction of the price. This vibrant vegetarian curry mixes madras spice with other cheap spices, such as turmeric and ginger, as well as natural yogurt to ensure a thick, creamy texture. New potatoes and fresh (or frozen) peas ensure it stays in season.
Try more vegetarian curry recipes.
Sunday: Honey & mustard chicken thighs with spring veg
This self-saucing one-pot is like a roast dinner without the fuss, so it's perfect for making on a lazy Sunday afternoon. A cheap and cheerful way to make honey mustard chicken, it also ensures you eat your greens, all while keeping costs low. If you're feeding up to four, this recipe can be easily doubled.
See our best chicken thigh recipes for more recipes using this cut of meat.
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