Affordable healthy meals for large families that actually fill everyone up

Feeding five or more people on a tight budget without resorting to nutritionally hollow meals is a real challenge. The honest answer is built around six staples: legumes, eggs, whole grains, seasonal vegetables, frozen produce, and one good cut of meat per week.

What "affordable" means at family scale

For a family of five in the Netherlands or the UK, a realistic healthy grocery budget is €100-130 per week. That's about €4-5 per person per day. It's doable — but only with planning. Without a plan, the same family typically spends €160-200 and still ends up with food waste.

The big six staples

Legumes. Dried or tinned lentils, beans, chickpeas. €0.80-1.50 per tin, 4 portions each. Nutritionally dense, filling, and the foundation of inexpensive global cuisines.

Eggs. €3-4 per box of ten free-range. The single best value protein.

Whole grains. Brown rice, oats, wholemeal pasta. €1-2 per kg, hundreds of portions per bag.

Seasonal vegetables. Whatever's in season in your country at that moment is the cheapest. Cabbage, carrots, potatoes, leeks in winter. Courgettes, peppers, tomatoes in summer.

Frozen produce. Frozen peas, sweetcorn, mixed berries, spinach. As nutritious as fresh, often cheaper, never wasted.

One good cut of meat per week. A whole roast chicken (€7-9) feeds 5 for two meals and a soup. A pot of bolognese (~€8 of mince) feeds 5 twice.

Seven family dinners under €15 each

1. Lentil bolognese with wholemeal pasta — €6 for 5 portions
2. Bean chilli with rice — €7 for 5 portions
3. Egg fried rice with frozen veg — €5 for 5 portions
4. Roast chicken with potatoes and seasonal veg — €11 for 5 portions
5. Chicken soup with leftovers + bread — €4 (using day 4 leftovers) for 5 portions
6. Vegetable curry with rice — €7 for 5 portions
7. Frittata with salad and bread — €6 for 5 portions

Weekly total: ~€46. Add breakfasts and lunches at ~€55-65, and you're well inside €120 for the week.

What to skip to keep the budget tight

Pre-cut vegetables (you pay 2-3× for someone else's knife). Branded cereals (own-brand is identical). Bottled smoothies (a blender pays for itself in three weeks). Specialty cheeses for kids' lunchboxes (basic cheddar fits the same purpose).

How Linden builds plans around a tight budget

Set your weekly grocery budget in Linden. The app generates a meal plan that hits it — with a calorie and protein target met for every family member. The shopping list flags any item near the budget ceiling and suggests cheaper swaps where useful.

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