The £15 Shopping List

This list assumes you already have salt, pepper, and cooking oil in the cupboard. Everything else is included. Prices are based on typical UK supermarket and surplus food shop costs in late 2026.

You have 40 pence left for a lemon or a small bunch of fresh herbs if you want to brighten things up. If you are shopping at Low Price Foods, you will likely find these items even cheaper — especially the tinned goods, pasta, and rice.

The Five Meals You Will Make

These five recipes use every ingredient on the list. Nothing goes to waste. Each recipe makes multiple portions, so you are covered for all 21 meals across the week.

1. Simple Porridge (7 breakfasts)

Ingredients: oats, water, pinch of salt.

Put 50 g oats and 200 ml water in a pan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until thick. That is it. If you have a spare banana or a spoonful of jam, add it. Otherwise, eat it plain — it is warm, filling, and costs about 12 pence per bowl.

2. Egg Fried Rice (3 lunches)

Ingredients: rice, 3 eggs, frozen mixed vegetables, 1 onion, soy sauce or salt, oil.

Cook 300 g rice and let it cool completely — this is important or it goes mushy. Fry a diced onion in oil until soft. Add the frozen vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Push everything to one side, crack in the beaten eggs, scramble them, then mix through. Add the cold rice and a splash of soy sauce or a pinch of salt. Fry for 3 more minutes. Divide into three containers.

3. Chicken and Bean Pasta Bake (3 dinners)

Ingredients: pasta, 4 chicken thighs, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, 1 onion, garlic, stock cube, oil.

Brown the chicken thighs in a pan, then remove. Fry the onion and garlic, add the tomatoes, beans, crumbled stock cube, and 100 ml water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta, top with the chicken, and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Divide into three portions.

4. Hearty Vegetable Soup (3 lunches)

Ingredients: carrots, onion, cabbage, garlic, stock cube, tinned tomatoes, water, oil.

Fry the onion and garlic. Add diced carrots, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, crumbled stock cube, and 1 litre of water. Simmer for 25 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Blend half if you want a thicker texture, or leave it chunky. This makes three generous portions.

5. Chicken and Greens Omelette (3 dinners)

Ingredients: 5 eggs, shredded cabbage or greens, 1 onion, oil, salt, pepper.

Fry the onion and greens until soft. Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables, cook until set, then fold and serve. Make three omelettes across the week using the remaining eggs and greens.

The Two-Hour Prep Plan

Do this on a Sunday afternoon or whatever day you have free. The goal is to cook everything in one go so your week is effortless.

Hour One: Prep and Start

• 0:00–0:15: Put the rice on to cook. While it boils, chop all your onions, carrots, and garlic. Shred the cabbage.
• 0:15–0:30: Start the vegetable soup. Fry onion and garlic, add carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, stock, and water. Leave it simmering.
• 0:30–0:45: Cook the pasta for the bake. While it boils, brown the chicken thighs in a large pan.
• 0:45–1:00: Finish the pasta bake sauce, combine with pasta, and get it in the oven.

Hour Two: Finish and Store

• 1:00–1:15: Make the egg fried rice while the pasta bake cooks. Let it cool, then portion into three containers.
• 1:15–1:30: Remove the pasta bake, let it cool slightly, then divide into three portions.
• 1:30–1:45: Blend or leave the soup chunky, then portion into three containers.
• 1:45–2:00: Make three days of dry porridge portions in jars or bags — 50 g oats each, ready to add water in the morning. Clean down.

You now have 3 portions of fried rice, 3 portions of pasta bake, 3 portions of soup, 7 portions of porridge, and enough eggs and greens left for 3 omelettes. That is 19 meals prepped. The remaining 2 meals are the omelettes you cook fresh on the day.

Storage and Safety

Meal prep only works if the food stays safe to eat. Here are the rules:

• Fridge temperature: Keep it at 5°C or below. Use a fridge thermometer if you are unsure.
• Cool quickly: Divide hot food into shallow containers so it cools within 90 minutes. Do not put a massive hot pot straight into the fridge — it warms everything else up.
• Rice rules: Cool rice within an hour of cooking and eat within 24 hours. Never reheat rice more than once. If you are unsure, freeze it immediately after cooling.
• Label everything: Write the contents and date on every container. No more mystery tubs at the back of the fridge.
• Freeze for longer: Soup, pasta bake, and fried rice all freeze well for up to 3 months. Porridge oats do not freeze — keep them dry.

How to Keep It Interesting

Eating the same five meals all week can feel repetitive. Here is how to stop that:

• Switch up textures: Blend the soup smooth one week, leave it chunky the next.
• Add heat: A pinch of chilli flakes or a dash of hot sauce transforms fried rice.
• Use acid: A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens pasta bake and soup.
• Fresh toppings: If you have spare change, buy a small bunch of coriander or parsley. Sprinkle it on just before eating.
• Change the carb: If you have leftover bread, use it to bulk out the soup instead of eating it with rice.

The core recipes are deliberately simple so you can adapt them. Once you are comfortable, swap chicken for sausages, add curry powder to the soup, or turn the pasta bake into a chilli by adding more beans and spices.

Why Meal Prep Saves More Than Time

At Low Price Foods, we see the same pattern every week: shoppers who meal prep spend 30 to 40 percent less on food than those who buy day by day. When you shop with a list and cook in batches, you eliminate impulse purchases, reduce food waste, and use less energy per meal.

Buying short-dated and surplus ingredients makes it even cheaper. A tin of tomatoes that is two months past its best before date is identical inside to one that is fresh. The rice, pasta, and oats you need for this plan are exactly the kind of staples we stock at a fraction of supermarket prices.

If you want more budget recipe ideas, try our 20 store-cupboard dinners, the £1 meal challenge, or our guide to batch cooking for a month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you meal prep for a week on £15 in the UK?

Yes, you can meal prep for a full week on £15 in the UK. That works out to roughly £2.14 per day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The key is buying versatile ingredients like oats, eggs, rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, and seasonal vegetables, then cooking in batches and storing meals in the fridge or freezer.

What should I buy for a £15 weekly meal prep shop?

For a £15 weekly meal prep shop, buy oats, eggs, rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, tinned beans, onions, carrots, seasonal greens, cooking oil, and basic seasonings. These ingredients are cheap, filling, and versatile enough to make porridge, fried rice, pasta bakes, omelettes, and vegetable soups across the week.

How long does meal-prepped food last in the fridge?

Most meal-prepped food lasts 3 to 4 days in the fridge at 5°C or below. Rice should be cooled quickly and eaten within 24 hours. Cooked pasta, soups, and stews keep for 3 to 4 days. If you prep on a Sunday, eat the rice-based meals by Tuesday and freeze anything you will not eat by Thursday.

Is it cheaper to meal prep or cook every day?

Meal prepping is almost always cheaper than cooking every day. Buying ingredients in bulk, using everything you buy, and avoiding last-minute convenience purchases saves money. Cooking in batches also uses less energy per meal than running the hob or oven daily. Most people find they cut their food bill by 30 to 40 percent when they meal prep consistently.

What are the best containers for meal prepping?

The best containers for meal prepping are airtight glass or BPA-free plastic tubs with tight-fitting lids. Glass is better for reheating in the microwave or oven and does not stain. Plastic is lighter and cheaper. Divide meals into single portions immediately after cooking so they cool faster and are ready to grab during the week.

Can you freeze meal-prepped food?

Yes, most meal-prepped food freezes well. Soups, stews, pasta sauces, cooked rice, and cooked beans all freeze for up to 3 months. Avoid freezing raw vegetables with high water content like lettuce or cucumber, as they go soggy when thawed. Label every container with the contents and date so you know what to eat first.

How do I stop meal-prepped food from going bland?

Stop meal-prepped food from going bland by using a small but powerful set of seasonings: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried herbs, and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. Add fresh herbs or a pinch of chilli just before eating. Sauces like soy sauce, hot sauce, or a dollop of yoghurt transform a basic bowl into something you actually want to eat.

Related Guides

• 20 Store-Cupboard Dinners You Can Make in 20 Minutes
• 5 Fakeaway Recipes That Beat the Takeaway on Price
• 10 Things to Make with a Tin of Beans
• Cheap Family Meals: 30 Ideas Under £1.50 a Portion
• Batch Cooking 101: Cook Once, Eat for a Month
• The £20 Weekly Veg Box: What to Make with It
• 7 Tinned Tomatoes Recipes Beyond Pasta