How to meal prep on a budget?

Before you start anything else, you should have an idea of what foods and recipes are the most cost-effective. Look for inexpensive ingredients that still have some nutritional value. Look for versatile foods, too. Chicken, of course, is the main ingredient in many, many dishes. One blogger came up with 17 meals made from just one roaster chicken.

If you're not a carnivore, tofu might be a good alternative. Greatist has 53 recipes you can make with tofu. Once you've rounded up your favorite, cost effective recipes, organize them. We've featured the best meal planning apps before. You can also plan meals based on the items that your grocer has on sale for the week.