Have you ever tried Googling, “cheap, easy, healthy meals”? Every result is something like, “Baked parmesan scalloped potatoes with spinach and Brussels sprouts”. There’s 15 ingredients and a 40-minute cook time. These people don’t seem to understand what cheap and easy means.

That’s why we’ve created the Conquer Today Fuel Plan below (and used it for years, not to mention). Each meal costs an average of $5, contains only 3-4 ingredients, takes under 10 minutes to cook, and has the best possible nutrition value while staying inside those restraints. If you’re a single person, you can get away with groceries for under $50-$80 a week (depending on where in the world you live, of course. Hopefully your income is adjusted for your cost of living).

Everyone has a different fitness and nutrition goal: lose weight, gain muscle, or stay the same. These meals can all be adjusted to make sure you hit your marks. We have something to help you with that as well.

Before you read through these meals, download our Fuel Grid. This ebook and printable poster has: 

1. A list of five simple rules to follow for fueling your body

2. The nutrition ratios you need for a successful plan

3. All the best foods agreed upon by national universities 

You can download the Fuel Grid below, so you can experience the benefits of healthy eating: unlimited energy, a clearer mind, reduced stress, and better daily performance.

Now, let’s go through the streamlined Fuel Plan by Conquer Today. You’re sure to find a few meals you enjoy.

 

BREAKFAST

Eat breakfast like a king. Get tons of calories, proteins, and healthy fats. Don’t miss this essential meal for energy and brain performance.

 

MEAL OPTION ONE: EGGS, BACON, SAUSAGE, OR BOTH

Who doesn’t like a good egg and bacon breakfast? With eggs at $3 a dozen, and pre-cooked sausage or bacon at $5 a box, you get away with a huge breakfast for $2-$3. This is a meal high in fat. If you know you have high cholesterol, use turkey bacon or sausage and egg whites.

Many people only think they have time for a grab-and-go breakfast, but that’s not true. If you cook your eggs sunny side up, you have a good five minutes to continue on with your daily routine without having to watch them. And with pre-cooked meats, all it takes is a minute in the microwave and a few seconds in the pan for a little searing. Throw salt and pepper on your meal and enjoy.

 

MEAL OPTION TWO: AVOCADO TOAST

Don’t worry, you will never be a millionaire only if you buy avocado toast in a restaurant, which goes for up to $8! That’s highway robbery. With a loaf of whole grain bread for $4 and an avocado for $3, two slices of toast and a half an avocado will cost you $3.50 or so.

Another simple meal to make, toast your bread while you mash up your avocado with whatever flavoring you enjoy. Try a bit of honey and bacon. Gluten-free is a great goal to strive for, so see if you can eventually replace the bread with another carbohydrate like fried tomatoes.

 

MEAL OPTION THREE: FRUIT AND PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

Here’s a caveat to this one: even though it’s fruit, a smoothie contains a lot of sugar. You should be aiming for less than 50g of sugar a day, and that is damn near impossible in this environment. If you choose this meal, watch your sugar intake moving forward.
With frozen or fresh fruit, high-quality protein powder, and some Greek yogurt, your smoothie might end up between $2 and $5. Get a Magic Bullet style blender and blend your ingredients with some ice and a bit of water or almond milk.

 

LUNCH

You need to refuel in the middle of your day. A huge meal or something high in gluten or sugar will give you that 3PM crash everyone experiences. Focus on medium portions and moderate carbohydrates instead.

 

MEAL OPTION ONE: STEAMED VEGGIES WITH CHICKEN

We have yet to find a better, easier, and cheaper meal than this. At most major grocery stories, you will find single-portion bags of steamable vegetables for between $2-$3.

With every flavor under the sun, you’re guaranteed to find something you like: southwest peppers and corn, potatoes and green beans, or an asian medley. Go take a look in your frozen vegetable section!

Are fresh vegetables better? Of course. But if we really want to make good eating as simple as possible, it’s better to go 80% of the way there and stick too it, rather than try for perfect and fall off the wagon right away.

Next, look near the meats for pre-cooked, non-breaded, chicken strips. Tyson is a popular brand. There are usually regular and fajita flavors, about $5 for three servings.

Microwave your veggies, microwave your chicken, and season to taste.  This meal is just the right portion for a filling lunch without being stuffed: a great $4 deal.

 

MEAL OPTION TWO: WRAPS

Pick up some low-carb tortillas for $4 a pack. There are some delicious garden and herb or tomato basil flavored ones with slightly better nutritional content, but not much. When you make your meal, try and use only half the tortilla or rip off the extra bits after rolling. You can also make a lettuce wrap!

Grab some deli-meat and cheese if you like. Purchase some fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, or whatever else sounds good on a wrap (how about some leftover bacon from breakfast, too?). Try to stick with low-calorie sauces like mustard or vinaigrette dressing. Total your meal out at $4 a wrap.

 

MEAL OPTION THREE: CANNED SOUPS

It’s easy to forget about these! For $2.50-$3 you can grab a can of soup, and microwave it in a bowl for a quick and filling lunch.

Look for beef and vegetable styles, and stay away from the obvious bad eggs: anything with the word cheese or cream in the title is probably not what you want.

Also, many of these soups are high in sodium. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water every day to offset that.

 

DINNER

With a giant breakfast, a high quality lunch, and great snacks in between, you might not actually be too hungry for dinner. Start to think about the difference between actual, stomach growling hunger and psychological hunger. Sometimes, you just eat because you’re supposed to and you’re bored. Instead, stick to a simple dinner low in carbohydrates and avoid too much heavy proteins that may cause indigestion before sleep.

 

MEAL ONE: STEAK AND VEGETABLES

With so many different types of steamed veggie packs, you can have these twice a day. Never hesitate to eat more vegetables. Next, most stores will have medium quality steaks, perhaps three servings for $12 or so. We know it’s sacrilegious, but you do have an option if you don’t want to wait to fire up the grill.

Cut up all three steaks into strips and fry them in a pan with olive oil, butter, and seasonings such as garlic salt or steak rub. Then, you can save the other two servings to microwave for the next few days. A delicious and filling $6 dinner.

 

MEAL OPTION TWO: FISH AND SALAD

Some people can’t stand fish, but a well-seasoned salmon or tilapia is tough to beat. Purchase the spinach-and-kale salad mixture from the vegetable section, along with more fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, and maybe even almonds.

Pick a salad dressing with little to no sugar, or at least use your favorite dressing sparingly. With two excellent servings of salmon for $10 and 5-8 servings of salad and vegetables for $10, you can get away with this dinner for around $6-$7.

 

MEAL THREE: HOMEMADE CHIPOTLE BOWLS

Ah, the almighty Chipotle. A burrito there can easily pass 1,000 calories! If you are an active person, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. But many of those calories come from less than stellar foods, like the tortilla, cheese, and sour cream.

How can you make homemade Chipotle bowls as nutrition-packed as possible? The best part of this meal is cooking all of your ingredients in bulk, and refrigerating them in seperate Tupperware. Then, you can mix-and-match your bowl in five minutes every evening.

Shop for fresh lettuce and spinach, brown rice, black beans, corn, low-sugar salsa, guacamole, steak, chicken strips, or even pulled pork. Find some delicious seasonings that work well.

And the game changer? Hot sauce. May we recommend Cholula, the nectar of the gods? The price goes down with your bulk purchases, and you can get away with a burrito bowl for around $6-$7 a meal.

 

MOVING FORWARD

The keys to success with this fuel plan are:

1. Plan your shopping list and meals ahead of time. Shop “around the sides” of the store. The isles are usually filled with packaged, processed junk.

2. Prep your food on your reset day for grab-and-go. More on a successful reset day here.

3. Use a food-tracking app to make sure you are meeting your nutrition goals. Discover the ratio that works for you inside our Fuel Grid.

Good luck, conquerors! Spend a week or two eating well, and check back in with us. We can’t wait to hear what feels different. Remember, you may crash for a few days when you cut out sugar, bread, and even some stimulants like energy drinks or too much coffee. Push through it to reach the rewards. Now grab that Fuel Grid for a full shopping list and simple fuel rules to follow!

Leave a comment: What meals do you make at home that we can add to this list?