If you have found yourself without any conventional cooking methods, but you still need affordable and cheap meals, this is where you want to be. Sometimes conventional cooking just isn’t an option. Maybe you’re living out of your car, maybe you are in a hotel, or maybe you just don’t feel like cooking.
I am assuming there is no fridge, freezer, oven, stove top, toaster, blender, instant pot, crock pot, hot water kettle, knives, or even a microwave. This meal plan is not necessarily healthy but it will get you by if you don’t have conventional cooking methods. You can save money by using this meal plan instead of going out to eat.
You may need to make multiple trips to the grocery store for some perishable items unless you have a refrigerator. All you need to make this meal plan is a small bowl, a spoon, and a butter knife, possibly a can opener as well depending on which containers have tabs or not.
This meal plan is for two adults. All prices are from Walmart. I live in the second most expensive state for groceries so it’s possible you may be able to find these prices at a cheaper rate.
Related: Cheap Meal Plan For 2 Weeks
What To Buy
- Bread $3.96 (2)
- Bagels $1.58
- Pickle packs $3.86 (4 pack mt. olive)
- Applesauce $2.12 (6 pack)
- Apples $3.56 (4 gala)
- Lettuce $2.80 (romaine)
- Toaster pastries $1.88
- Tortilla chips $2.08 ( great value 13 oz)
- Cereal $2.72 (great value 21.6 oz)
- Yogurt $3.04 (4 Great value greek)
- Milk $2.94 (2 individual 14 oz)
- Hard boiled eggs $1.23 (2 count)
- Pico de gallo $3.28 (10 oz)
- Cheese $2.66 (8 oz fiesta blend)
- Canned peas $1.74 (3 14 oz)
- Canned green beans $1.16 (2 14 oz)
- Canned corn $1.74 (3 14 oz)
- Canned black beans $1.88 (2 15 oz)
- Canned tuna $2.96 (4 pack 5 oz each)
- Canned chicken $4.44 (2 pack 12 oz each)
- Tomato paste $.82 (6 oz)
- Manwich $1.37 (15 oz)
- Peanut butter $2.08 (18 oz)
- Crackers $2.98 (13.7 oz buttery rounds)
Total:$57.88
Breakfast
- Bread & PB– slather some pb on a slice or two of bread
- Apple & PB– spread some pb on an apple, or slice the apple into pieces to get a more even distribution of peanut butter
- Toaster pastries– these aren’t healthy, but they’re tasty and cheap
- Cereal– most cereals include many vitamins and minerals add in to them, enjoy a bowl of this with some milk
Lunch
- PB Sandwich– put some PB between two pieces of bread and enjoy
- Tuna & crackers– using Greek yogurt, cream the tuna with it and either spread on crackers, or dip crackers in it. Additionally, you can dice up some pickles and add them in
- Chicken salad & crackers-using Greek yogurt, cream the chicken with it and either spread on crackers, or dip the crackers in it. Additionally, you can dice up some pickles and add them in
- Manwich sandwich– open the can and spread the contents between two slices of bread
- Egg salad– mash up some eggs with Greek yogurt and enjoy on some bread. Additionally, you can dice up some pickles and add them in
Dinner
- Bagel pizza– grab a bagel smear some tomato paste and top with cheese
- Cereal– enjoy a bowl with some milk
- Burrito bowl– create a bowl of lettuce, corn, beans, and top with chicken
- Cowboy caviar– mix corn, black beans, and pico de gallo, enjoy with crackers or a spoon
- Tuna sandwich– using Greek yogurt, cream the tuna with it and enjoy on some bread,. Additionally, you can dice up some pickles and add them in
Snacks & Sides
- Cereal
- Toaster pastries
- Apple sauce
- Apple& pb
- Pickles
- Apples
- Canned peas
- Canned green beans
- Canned corn
Tips
- If you have packs of Mayo from a fast food place, use those instead of the Greek yogurt to save money
- If you’re not a snacker you can definitely get less snack options
- If you don’t like any of the foods, you can find a similarly priced replacement or omit them
- If you have refrigeration, get mayonnaise, instead of Greek yogurt or get a large container of Greek yogurt
- If you have refrigeration, get a larger carton of milk instead of small ones to save money
- If you have refrigeration, get a larger container of pickles instead of the individually packaged ones
Related: How To Save Money On Food
Sample Meal Plan
- Sunday
- Breakfast– cereal
- Lunch– egg salad sandwich
- Dinner– cowboy caviar
- Monday
- Breakfast– bread & PB
- Lunch-PB sandwich
- Dinner– tuna sandwich
- Tuesday
- Breakfast– apple & PB
- Lunch– tuna & crackers
- Dinner– bagel pizza
- Wednesday
- Breakfast– cereal
- Lunch– chicken salad & crackers
- Dinner– burrito bowl
- Thursday
- Breakfast– toaster pastries
- Lunch– PB sandwich
- Dinner– cereal
- Friday
- Breakfast– bread & PB
- Lunch– manwich
- Dinner– leftovers
- Saturday
- Breakfast– toaster pastries
- Lunch– leftovers
- Dinner– leftovers
That’s my meal plan for cooking without conventional cooking methods. It’s simple and will get you by during some tough times.
