Budget Recipe Index
All 106 budget-optimised recipes from the OptimisedEats app — sorted by meal type and cost per serve. Filter by dietary preference or nutritional focus.
How recipes are costed
Per serve, based on current Coles / Woolworths / Aldi pricing. Pantry staples included at pro-rated costs. Prices vary by store and season.
📷 Build a weekly plan with these recipes — enter your household members and see how your meals measure up against their exact targets.
Open free appFilter by type
🌅 Breakfasts (22 recipes)
🫘
Baked Beans on Toast
Classic Aussie brekkie. Budget staple.
☕
Microwave Egg Mug
Fastest protein hit. Hidden spinach for kids.
🥣
Overnight Oats
No-cook oats with banana, peanut butter, seeds.
🫙
Chia Pudding
Set-and-forget breakfast. Huge omega-3 hit. Make 3 days ahead.
🥜
PB Banana Oats
Simple sweet oats. Vegan, high-fibre.
💪
Power Weet-Bix
Fortified Weet-Bix + milk + seeds + banana + flax.
🥣
Vegan Overnight Oats
No-cook vegan oats. Prep the night before, grab in the morning.
🧀
Cheese & Egg Toastie
Melted cheese + scrambled eggs. Protein bomb.
🫐
Berry Smoothie Bowl
Thick blended smoothie you eat with a spoon. Toppings add crunch and nutrients.
🍅
Cheese & Tomato Omelette
Quick protein breakfast.
🥑
Avocado & Seed Toast
Vegan calcium + iron + healthy fat. Better than cafe avo toast.
🍅
Ricotta & Tomato Toast
High calcium, high protein. Light & fresh.
🍳
Cheesy Baked Beans & Egg
Ultimate protein breakfast. Aussie classic.
🍳
Egg & Spinach Scramble
Eggs with spinach on toast.
🍳
Tofu Scramble
Vegan scrambled eggs. Turmeric gives it that yellow colour and an iron boost.
🌯
Mega Breakfast Burrito
Freezer-friendly breakfast. Make 5, freeze 4.
🫀
Liver on Toast
Chicken liver on toast. Week's B12 in one serve.
🌯
Egg Bean Burrito
Eggs, beans, spinach, cheese in wrap. Freezable.
🍚
Tuna & Egg Rice Bowl
Savoury breakfast bowl. High protein + omega-3.
🐟
Canned Salmon Omelette
Highest vitamin D breakfast. Bones = calcium.
🐟
Sardine Toast
Sardines on toast. Omega-3 + calcium + B12.
🍳
Big Breakfast
Eggs, beans, spinach, tomato, toast.
☀️ Lunches (26 recipes)
🧀
Grilled Cheese & Tomato
Classic grilled cheese with tomato.
🫘
Baked Beans on Toast
The simplest hot lunch. Surprisingly decent nutrition for almost nothing.
🍲
Black Bean & Corn Soup
Thick, smoky bean soup. Freezes brilliantly. Serves 6.
🍎
Cheese & Apple Salad
Sweet + savoury quick lunch.
🍲
Red Lentil Soup
Thick lentil+carrot soup. Makes 6.
🫘
3-Bean Salad
3 tins of beans, onion, vinaigrette. Makes 6 serves. Lasts all week in the fridge.
🥕
Lentil & Veg Soup
Budget vegan soup. Freezer-friendly. Serves 4.
🥗
Greek-Style Chickpea Salad
Vegan salad. Serves 2. Batch-friendly.
🥤
PB Spinach Smoothie
Hidden spinach smoothie.
🫔
Bean & Cheese Quesadilla
Mashed beans + cheese in a toasted tortilla. $1, 8 min, done.
🍚
Egg Fried Rice
Leftover rice + eggs + veg.
🌯
Spiced Chickpea Wrap
Vegan protein wrap. Kid-friendly spices.
🍝
Cheesy Pasta Salad
Kid-friendly pasta salad. Serves 4.
🌯
Bean & Veg Wrap
Canned beans + whatever veg you have in a wrap. Zero cooking if using canned.
🧆
Hummus & Veg Plate
Homemade hummus (or bought) with raw veg and bread. Cheap and nutrient-dense.
🐔
Chicken & Lentil Soup
Shredded chicken + lentil soup. Serves 6.
🐟
Sardine & Avo Rice Cakes
Omega-3 + calcium snack lunch.
🍗
Chicken & Bean Salad
Protein + fibre salad. Serves 2.
🥗
Chickpea Cabbage Slaw
Cold crunchy no-cook bowl. Chickpeas + cabbage + seeds.
🥗
White Bean & Tuna Salad
No-cook protein lunch. High fibre.
🥗
Chicken & Cabbage Slaw
High protein slaw. Serves 2.
🍳
Egg & Sweet Potato Hash
Vitamin A powerhouse. Serves 2.
🌮
Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla
Quick protein lunch.
🥬
Chicken Caesar-ish Salad
High protein salad. Serves 2.
🐟
Tuna & Bean Salad
Tin of tuna + tin of beans + whatever veg. High protein, omega-3.
🥟
Liver Sausage Rolls
Hidden liver in pastry. Perfect lunchboxes. Makes 12.
🌙 Dinners (38 recipes)
🫘
Refried Beans (Dry)
500g dry beans → 6 serves. Freezer gold.
🇮🇳
Classic Dal
Indian lentils. Serves 6.
🍖
Split Pea & Ham Soup
Budget classic. Batch-cook. Serves 6.
🫘
Black Bean Quesadillas
Vegan calcium + fibre. Kid-friendly. Serves 2.
🍛
Chickpea & Spinach Curry
Vegan iron bomb. Serves 4.
🧆
Chickpea & Potato Bake
Roasted chickpeas and potatoes with spices. One tray. Serves 4.
🍚
Tuna Fried Rice
Leftover rice + tuna. Quick dinner for 2.
🍳
Baked Eggs in Tomato
Shakshuka-style. Easy dinner for 2.
🥙
Bean Burrito Bowls
Vegan bowl with dry beans. Serves 4.
🫘
Bean & Veg Stew
Plant-based stew. Serves 6.
🥜
Peanut Noodles
peanut butter sauce noodles + veg. Serves 2.
🌮
Bean Tacos
Spiced beans in tortillas with cabbage, cheese, lime. Serves 4.
🍲
Chicken & Veg Congee
Asian comfort food. Batch-cook. Serves 4.
🥬
Beef & Cabbage Stir-Fry
Quick budget stir-fry. Serves 4.
🍔
Heart+Liver Burger
50% heart, 30% mince, 20% liver. Makes 8.
🇮🇱
Shakshuka
Eggs in spiced tomato sauce. Serves 2.
🍛
Lentil Potato Curry
One-pot curry. Serves 6.
🌶️
Heart Bean Chilli
Heart minced into chilli. Serves 6.
🥧
Hidden Liver Shepherd's Pie
20% liver hidden in lamb. Serves 6.
🌮
Beef Mince Tacos
Classic tacos. Serves 4.
🥩
Liver Stir-Fry
Most nutrient-dense dinner. Serves 4.
🥔
Beef Mince & Potato Bake
Layered bake. Serves 6.
🍝
Sardine Pasta
Sardines+tomato+cabbage pasta. Serves 2.
🫕
Hidden Liver Meatballs
20% liver in meatballs. Makes 20.
💪
Heart Stir-Fry
Beef heart sliced thin. Tastes like steak.
🍚
Chicken & Rice One-Pot
Complete meal in one pot. Serves 6.
🥧
Liver Cottage Pie
Liver hidden under mash. Serves 6.
🍝
Hidden Liver Bolognese
Kids can't detect liver. Serves 6.
🍛
Chicken Curry
Budget chicken curry. Serves 4.
🫘
Sausage & Bean Casserole
Cheap snags + 2 tins beans in tomato sauce. Hearty comfort food. Serves 6.
🐟
Whole Baked Fish
Whole fish market bargain. Serves 4.
🍯
Honey Garlic Chicken
Sticky chicken thighs. Serves 4.
🌮
Fish Tacos
Whole fish fillets in tacos. Serves 4.
🍗
Chicken Tray Bake
Roasted thighs with veg. Serves 4.
🦘
Kangaroo Mince Tacos
Better iron than beef tacos for less money. Serves 2.
🦘
Kangaroo Mince Bolognese
Leanest red meat in Australia. Extremely high iron & zinc. Serves 2.
🦘
Kangaroo Burger
Juicier than it sounds. Add an egg to boost nutrients further.
🦘
Kangaroo Steak & Roasted Sweet Potato
Highest iron dinner in the app. Don't overcook — kangaroo is best medium-rare.
🍿 Snacks (20 recipes)
🍌
Frozen Banana Nice Cream
1-ingredient ice cream. Kids go wild for it. Add peanut butter for protein.
🍌
Banana PB Bites
Potassium + magnesium.
🍅
Cheese & Tomato Rice Cakes
Quick savoury snack.
🍊
Orange & Seeds
100% vitamin C + vitamin E + zinc.
🎃
Pumpkin Seeds & Fruit
Zinc + magnesium + iron powerhouse.
🥕
Cheese & Veggie Sticks
Cheese cubes + veg sticks.
🥚
Boiled Egg & Vegemite Toast
B12 from egg + folate from Vegemite. Classic Aussie combo.
🥛
Milk + Fruit
Calcium + vitamin C + iodine.
🍍
Cottage Cheese & Pineapple
Retro classic. High protein + calcium.
🧀
Cheese & Crackers
Classic cheese snack.
🌰
Brazil Nut Trail Mix
1 Brazil nut = your full day of selenium. Add seeds + dark choc.
🍜
Miso Soup with Egg
Iodine + umami hit. Warming snack for winter.
🥚
Boiled Eggs & Veggies
Simple protein snack with veggie sticks.
🥕
Hummus & Veggie Dip Plate
Iron + folate + fibre. Vegan and kid-friendly.
🫐
Yoghurt Berry Bowl
Calcium + vitamin C gap-filler.
🌴
Dates & Almond Butter
Iron + fibre + energy. Better than a muesli bar.
🍎
Apple, Cheese & Walnuts
Omega-3 + calcium + fibre. Satisfying afternoon snack.
🐟
Tuna Rice Cakes
High protein + selenium snack. Beats chips every time.
🐟
Sardine & Avocado Rice Cakes
Omega-3 + B12 + calcium in 3 minutes. Surprisingly good.
🥣
Loaded Yoghurt Bowl
Ultimate gap-filler: calcium, omega-3, potassium.
Build a full week’s meal plan
Add these recipes to a weekly planner, track nutrient coverage across your household, and generate a shopping list.
Open the free app