The fitness internet shows you elaborate meal preps with twenty containers and color-coded macros. I have never lived like that. I have a single, mostly-boring grocery list that I order weekly and assemble into roughly five different meals on rotation. Here it is, with the actual cost.
The list
Proteins:
3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs ($15 to $20). Thighs over breast because they're cheaper, more forgiving to cook, and have more flavor. The slightly higher fat content is fine.
2 lb 90/10 ground beef ($14 to $18). One pound becomes burgers or meatballs. The other becomes taco filling or pasta sauce.
1 dozen eggs ($4). Breakfast, snacks, occasional dinner if I run out of other ideas.
1 large container Greek yogurt — 32 oz, plain, full fat ($6). Breakfasts and quick snacks. Full fat over fat-free because it's more satiating and the difference in calories is real but not enormous.
2 cans tuna in olive oil ($4). Lunch insurance.
1 lb cottage cheese ($4). Before bed or as a quick lunch protein.
Total proteins: ~$50
Carbs:
5 lb white rice ($6). Cooked in batches, lives in the fridge.
3 lb sweet potatoes ($5). Roasted in big batches.
1 loaf good sourdough ($6). Breakfast toasts.
1 bag rolled oats ($4). Breakfast on training days.
Total carbs: ~$21
Vegetables:
2 bags pre-washed mixed greens ($8). Eaten daily with whatever protein is at hand.
1 lb broccoli ($3). Steamed or roasted.
1 cucumber, 2 bell peppers, 1 red onion ($6). Random salad and sandwich material.
1 lb frozen mixed vegetables ($3). Emergency vegetables.
3 large avocados ($6). On everything.
Total vegetables: ~$26
Fats and seasonings:
Olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, hot sauce, mustard, soy sauce — all household staples. Replenished maybe once a month. Call it $8 per week amortised.
Fruits and snacks:
3 bananas, 1 bag apples, 1 small container of berries ($10). Pre and post workout, occasionally as snacks.
1 small bag dark chocolate ($5). The thing I actually want.
Pantry maintenance: ~$23
Grand total: ~$120 per week.
What that turns into
Breakfasts (rotate): Greek yogurt + scoop of whey + banana. Or three eggs scrambled in butter with toast. Or oats with peanut butter and a scoop of whey.
Lunches (rotate): Big salad with rotisserie chicken from earlier in the week, plus rice. Or tuna with chickpeas over greens. Or leftover dinner.
Dinners:
Sheet-pan chicken thighs with sweet potato and broccoli — twice a week.
Beef tacos or burgers with rice and salad — twice a week.
Pasta sauce night, ground beef with greens on the side — once a week.
Eggs and toast night, when the week falls apart — once a week.
Leftovers — once a week.
What this does and doesn't do
Hits 170+ grams of protein daily without effort. Provides about 2,500 to 2,800 calories depending on portions, which is maintenance for most adult men and slight surplus for women trying to build muscle.
Does not require meal prep on Sunday. Does not require fancy macros tracking. Does not require an app. The repetition is the point. The body responds to the same inputs reliably; the variety is for your taste buds, not for your physiology.
If you're spending $200+ a week on groceries and still not hitting your protein target, the issue is not your grocery budget. It is your purchasing pattern. Simplify. The above list works. Steal it.
