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Look in any low-carb dieter’s fridge, and you’re bound to find tons of fresh proteins and vegetables—two things that are notoriously pricey. But that doesn’t mean he necessarily spent an arm and a leg stocking up for the week. With a bit of planning, it’s possible to craft low-carb, protein-packed lunches on the cheap, like, less than $6* cheap.

To show you how to pull it off, we scoured the aisles of a Whole Foods in New York City (where grocery prices tend to be high), chose a number of healthy staples, and crafted them into seven workweek lunches with fewer than 30g of carbs and at least 25g of protein. This way you can easily stay on track with our beginner bodybuilder’s meal plan.

In addition to showing you the total cost of each meal, we also broke down the recipes so you can see the cost of each ingredient based on our suggested serving size. This way if you decide to tweak the recipes to better satisfy your taste buds or macros, you can easily recalculate the dollars and cents.

*We assumed that standard pantry staples (such as spices and cooking oil) would already be in your kitchen. They were not used to calculate the total cost of these meals.

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                    Healthy Eating
                <h3 class="article__title">
        The $50 Per Week Meal Plan for Clean Eating
    </h3>

                <p class="article__subtitle">Fuel your workout routine and reach your goals on a budget.</p>

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        <p class='slide-count'>1 of 7</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2025/0117/20250117171300777.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">Bulent Tavli / Shutterstock</p>

Open-Faced Tuna Sandwich with Red Bell Pepper Slices and Walnuts

Nutrition per serving: 498 calories, 23.5g fat, 28g carbs, 44g protein

Cost per serving: $4.28

Serves: 1

What you’ll need:

• 1 slice Ezekiel bread ($0.29)
• 5-oz can chunk albacore tuna ($1.99)
• Balsamic vinegar, to taste ($0)
• Ground black pepper, to taste ($0)
• 1 cup loosely packed baby spinach ($0.40)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced ($1.04)
• 1oz walnuts ($0.56)

Directions:

Drain the water from the tuna can and put the fish in a small Tupperware container.

Mix in balsamic vinegar and ground black pepper.

Wrap a slice of Ezekiel bread in some foil and place spinach in a sandwich bag so that you can assemble your open-faced sandwich in the office kitchen.

Put peppers and walnuts into individual baggies or containers for easy transport.

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Alexander Ruiz Acevedo / Shutterstock

Tex-Mex Amaranth Bowl

Nutrition per serving: 385 calories, 15 g fat, 23 g carbs, 40 g protein

Cost per serving: $3.44

Serves: 1

What you’ll need:

• ¼ cup cooked amaranth ($0.59)
• 4-ounces boneless skinless chicken (cooked in Tex-Mex seasoning), sliced ($1.24)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped ($0.52)
• ½ Roma tomato, chopped ($0.26)
• ⅓ avocado, sliced ($0.83)
• Balsamic vinegar, to taste ($0)

Directions:

In a medium-sized Tupperware container, combine all ingredients except for the balsamic vinegar.

Top with balsamic right before eating.

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nadianb / Shutterstock

Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry

Nutrition per serving: 333 calories, 4.3 g fat, 32 g carbs, 39 g protein

Cost per serving: $2.78

Serves: 1

What you’ll need:

• ½, 16-oz bag stir fry blend vegetables ($1.34)
• 4oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed ($1.24)
• 2 Tbsp. bottled teriyaki sauce ($0.30)

Directions:

Grease a medium pan with cooking spray and place over a medium flame.

Add chicken and cook for a few minutes, turning, so each side begins to brown.

Add frozen vegetables and teriyaki sauce and place the lid over the pan.

Cook until vegetables are tender and chicken cooks through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Once the mixture cools, place into a Tupperware container for easy transport to the office.

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zefirchik06 / Shutterstock

Veggie Frittata With Side Of Strawberries

Nutrition per serving: 312 calories, 13 g fat, 25 g carbs, 25 g protein

Cost per serving: $5.44

Serves: 4

What you’ll need:

• 1 dozen organic eggs, cracked and whisked ($4.29)
• Dried herbs and spices, to taste ($0)
• 16-ounce bag stir fry blend vegetables ($2.69)
• 16-ounce bag frozen peas ($1.39)
• 4 cups strawberries, washed, tops removed ($7.98)

Directions:

Coat a cast iron skillet with cooking spray and set the flame to medium.

Add veggies and peas and stir until they’re warm.

Add the eggs and seasonings. Allow mixture to cook for 2 minutes. Do not stir.

Put into a preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.

After frittata has cooled, divide into four servings and place in Tupperware containers for easy reheating.

Divide strawberries into four, 1 cup servings and place into individual Tupperware containers or baggies.

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Liliya Kandrashevich / Shutterstock

Apple, Walnut, Chicken Salad

Nutrition per serving: 480 calories, 26 g fat, 21 g carbs, 41 g protein (calculated with ¼ tbsp olive oil)

Cost per serving: $3.05

Serves: 1

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup spinach ($0.66)
• ½  Granny Smith apple, chopped ($0.40) 
• ¼ yellow onion, chopped ($0.19)
• 1oz walnuts, chopped or crushed ($0.56)
• 4oz boneless skinless chicken breast, grilled and sliced ($1.24)
• Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, to taste ($0)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a Tupperware container, minus the balsamic and oil.

Add balsamic and oil before eating. Shake container with the lid on to evenly combine.

 

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Stargazer / Shutterstock

Turkey & Hummus Lettuce Wraps

Nutrition per serving: 306 calories, 5 g fat, 15 g carbs, 22 g protein

Cost per serving: $5.03

Serves: 1

What you’ll need:

• Several large iceberg lettuce leaves ($0.33)
• 1oz hummus ($0.29)
• Dash of paprika, optional ($0)
• 4oz oven roasted deli turkey breast ($3.75)
• ⅓ medium cucumber, thinly sliced ($0.66)

Directions:

Lay out iceberg lettuce on a piece of foil.

Spread hummus onto lettuce and sprinkle with paprika.

Add turkey and cucumber.

Roll lettuce to form a wrap and seal inside foil.

 

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Warren Price Photography / Shutterstock

Open-Faced Avocado Chicken Sandwich

Nutrition per serving: 392 calories, 14 g fat, 42 g protein, 24 g carbs

Cost per serving: $3.02

Serves: 1

What you’ll need:

• 1 slice Ezekiel Bread ($0.29)
• ⅓ avocado, smashed ($0.83)
• Lemon juice, to taste ($0)
• Ground black pepper ($0)
• ½-cup spinach ($0.40)
• ½ Roma tomato, sliced ($0.26)
• 4-ounces boneless skinless grilled chicken ($1.24)

Directions:

Spoon the avocado onto the bread.

Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with pepper.

Add spinach, tomato slices, and chicken—in that order.

Wrap sandwich tightly in foil.