Leafy greens: Collard greens, spinach, or romaine—all count! Iceberg lettuce goes in the next category…

Other Vegetables: Look for color! Fresh, frozen, or even canned veggies work.

Beans: Dried or canned beans are a high fiber, budget-friendly protein source.

Whole grains: Brown rice, oats, and whole wheat bread, wheat or corn tortillas. These are great items to buy in bulk!

Fish: Canned tuna or sardines are great affordable options.

Poultry: Look for budget-friendly options Look for budget-friendly white meat options like bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or frozen chicken breast portions, which can often be found at a lower price per pound.

Nuts: Peanuts or any mixed nuts when available. Remember to look for sales.

Berries: Frozen berries are the next best thing to fresh, providing year-round access.

Olive oil: Use store-brand olive oil or shop sales for extra savings.

🍛 MIND Diet Chili
A one-pot recipe using affordable pantry staples like canned tomatoes, beans, and simple spices. Try our Turkey Chili recipe with a few budget-friendly swaps: sub ground turkey for ground chicken, use regular canned tomatoes instead of fire-roasted, cook dry beans instead of using canned, and replace broth with water and a bouillon cube.

🥗 Simple Sauteed Greens
Any leafy green works—served with a basic homemade vinaigrette.
See recipe with budget-friendly swaps: trade shallot for yellow onion and use whichever leafy green is on sale—like collard greens instead of swiss chard or kale.

🍲 Easy Vegetable Soup
Utilizes frozen or canned vegetables + beans for an affordable, nutritious meal.
Make a few budget-friendly swaps to this recipe: switch out fresh veggies for frozen where possible, regular canned tomatoes instead of fire-roasted, bouillon + water for vegetable stock, and dried beans cooked from scratch to replace canned.

🍚 Brown Rice and Beans Skillet
Budget-friendly, filling, and easy to customize. Our Mujadara recipe is a Middle Eastern dish of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. To make it budget-friendly, skip crispy shallots and optional toppings, and substitute dried herbs for fresh in the yogurt sauce.

🥜 Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Simple, low-cost ingredients like oats, peanut butter, and optional fruit.
Check out our version of these Oat Bowls with a few budget-friendly swaps: Use peanuts or peanut butter instead of walnuts, skip hemp seeds if needed, use any available milk, swap fresh for frozen berries, and omit optional add-ins to keep it simple and low-cost.

🐟 Tuna and White Bean Salad
Canned tuna + beans + olive oil vinaigrette = a simple, nutritious lunch.
Transform this Tuna and Olives Spinach Salad recipe with these budget-friendly swaps: Use canned light tuna, regular olives, trade the nuts for white beans, skip the optional feta/herbs, and use any available greens to keep this salad affordable and simple.

Choose frozen or canned vegetables and berries—they’re nutritious and budget-friendly.

Rinse canned beans and veggies to lower sodium.

Build meals around fiber-rich, filling foods like beans, lentils, and brown rice.

Look for local markets and stores that accept SNAP/EBT benefits.

Buy whole foods in bulk when possible (like oats, rice, and dry beans) for long-term savings.

Plan meals around what’s on sale or in season for the best prices and freshness.

Use versatile, inexpensive staples like eggs or canned tuna for an easy protein boost.

Batch cook and freeze meals to reduce waste and save time later.

Repurpose leftovers creatively (e.g., roasted veggies can become part of a salad, wrap, or soup).

Simple home cooking can stretch your budget while supporting brain and heart health.