Budget Meal Plan Example

An example of a full day of budget-friendly eating at about 2,000 calories, with every food, serving and number listed.

Written by Somatics · Updated Oct 22, 2026

This day uses low-cost staples: oats, eggs, beans, chicken thighs, potatoes and frozen vegetables. Our free Macro, TDEE & BMR Calculator estimates your own number, so you can see the example closest to it.

Daily totals

Calories2,044 cal

Carbs265 g

Protein131 g

Fat54 g

Fiber: 45 g

Breakfast

514 cal · 21 g protein

Food	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
Oats (rolled), cooked with water¾ cup dry (61 g)	230	8 g	41 g	4 g
Skim milk1 cup (240 ml)	83	8 g	12 g	0 g
Banana1 medium (118 g)	105	1 g	27 g	0 g
Peanut butter1 tbsp (16 g)	96	4 g	4 g	8 g

Lunch

524 cal · 29 g protein

Food	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
Flour tortilla1 large, 10 in (72 g)	220	6 g	36 g	6 g
Pinto beans, cooked1 cup (171 g)	245	15 g	45 g	1 g
Salsa2 tbsp (36 g)	10	1 g	2 g	0 g
Cheddar cheese, reduced-fat1 oz (28 g)	49	7 g	1 g	2 g

Snack

250 cal · 13 g protein

Food	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
Eggs, hard-boiled2 large (100 g)	155	13 g	1 g	11 g
Apple1 medium (182 g)	95	0 g	25 g	0 g

Dinner

573 cal · 45 g protein

Food	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
Chicken thigh, skinless, roasted5 oz (142 g)	254	35 g	0 g	12 g
Potato, baked, with skin1 medium (173 g)	161	4 g	37 g	0 g
Mixed vegetables, cooked1 cup (182 g)	118	5 g	24 g	0 g
Olive oil1 tsp (5 ml)	40	0 g	0 g	4 g

Evening snack

183 cal · 24 g protein

Food	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
Cottage cheese, 2%1 cup (226 g)	183	24 g	11 g	5 g

Numbers come from the USDA's FoodData Central database for the serving shown. We've rounded them, so meals may not add up to the exact daily totals. Packaged foods vary by brand.

This is an example of what a day of eating can look like, not a prescription or medical advice. If you have a food allergy, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition, go with what your doctor or dietitian recommends.

Need an app to track your meals?

Somatics keeps your calories, carbs, protein and fat in one place, so you can see how close you are to your targets every day.

Using this example

You can swap any food for a similar one you like better, like another lean protein for the chicken thigh or another carb you enjoy for the pinto beans. Our high-fiber foods list lists everyday foods with their numbers, so swaps are easy to check.

Common questions

Where does the protein in this budget example come from?

Most of it comes from chicken thigh (35 g), cottage cheese (24 g) and pinto beans (15 g), about 57% of the day's 131 g.

How are the calories split in this budget example?

Breakfast has about 514 calories, then lunch 524, the snack 250, dinner 573 and the evening snack 183. Dinner is the biggest meal, at about 28% of the day.

How much fiber does this budget example have?

About 45 g, mostly from pinto beans and mixed vegetables. That's above the Dietary Guidelines' 14 g per 1,000 calories, which works out to about 29 g at this calorie level.