Eating well on a budget in pregnancy

This advice is for you if your BMI was in or above the recommended range before pregnancy. If you are underweight, have had or are in recovery from disordered eating, the information on this page may be more helpful for you.

On this page

Eating well in pregnancy 

Write a shopping list

Bulk prepare meals 

Save money on fruit and veg

Bulk up your meal with vegetables and pulses

A guide for nutritious meals

A budget daily meal plan

Help with buying healthy food during pregnancy

Eating well in pregnancy

It’s important to eat a balanced diet that includes a good variety of food to support the health of you and your baby. This can be harder if you are on a budget or if you have limited cooking equipment or space. The good news is that you don’t need lots of ingredients or expensive equipment to make nutritious meals.

Preparing meals at home can be time-consuming, but home-cooking doesn’t need to be anything complicated and it is often healthier than buying prepared food. This is because you know and can control what goes into your meals. It is often cheaper than buying ready meals or takeaways too.  

Here are some tips to help you eat well at home on a budget.

Write a shopping list

To start, write a weekly meal plan. This will help you buy the amount of food you need and avoid throwing any food away.

Before you go shopping, look at the ingredients you already have in your fridge, cupboard and freezer and use them as a starting point for planning what food you need to buy. You can also try out websites that help you put together meals based on what food you’ve already got. Just try searching for ‘recipe builders’.

Before you go food shopping with your list, have a snack or, better still, a proper meal. If you shop when you’re hungry you’re more likely to spend more money on things you do not need. 

You could also try buying supermarket own brands to replace some of your favourites. There's not always much difference between value and premium ranges in supermarkets, especially when it comes to tinned and frozen items.

Bulk prepare meals

Cook once and eat twice. Make extra portions of your evening meal so you can have the leftovers the next day. You can also freeze leftovers for days when you don’t feel like cooking or have low energy.  

This is also a great idea for your first few months as a new parent – bulk prepare in advance, so you have a freezer full of food when you really need it.

Find out how to use leftovers safely.

Save money on fruit and veg

Some frozen fruit and vegetables come pre-chopped and are often just as good for you as fresh. They can be cheaper too, especially if you tend to throw away vegetables when they go bad in the fridge.  

You might be able to save money by buying fresh fruit and vegetables loose rather than pre-packed. That way you can only buy what you need. Look out for special offers on fruit and vegetables in supermarkets. 

Street markets are often a good place to buy fruit and vegetables, which are usually cheaper if they are in season or locally grown.

Bulk up your meal with vegetables and pulses

If you’re a meat eater, have you ever tried meat-free Mondays? You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but it doesn’t harm to go meat-free for a few meals a week.  

You could try bulking out your dishes with vegetables and pulses (such as beans and lentils) which are full of nutrients and very cheap. Beans are a great replacement for minced meat in chilli and chickpeas and lentils go really well in a curry. This means you can use less meat and make meals go further.  

Top - Tip

Cheap ready-made meals and pre-prepared food might seem like good value for money, but they are often of low quality. 1 portion of a meal might seem good value at 2 or 3 pounds, but you might be able to make 4 much tastier and healthier portions for a few pounds more using better ingredients.  

A guide for nutritious meals

The key to eating well is to have a variety of food, as that is the best way of getting a range of nutrients. When making meals, try following this guide:

Start with a carbohydrate base. This could include:

• potato
• pasta  
• couscous
• rice
• bread  
• bulgur wheat.  

Choose wholegrain when you can.  

Add different vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, canned or raw.

Now add some protein. This might be eggs, fish, beans, nuts, lentils, chickpeas, meat or a meat alternative.

A budget daily meal plan

First Steps Nutrition Trust created a range of daily meal plans on a budget. This was costed at £4 a day or £28 a week in 2021. It may cost more now due to rising food prices, but the suggestions are still useful to know.

It’s also based on being able to store food in a fridge or freezer and cook at home for more than 1 person. Take a look at their guide to eating well for a healthy pregnancy for all the different meal plans. Here is an example.

Breakfast  

Muesli with milk

Orange juice  

Healthy Start vitamin  

Morning Snack  

Malt loaf  

Decaffeinated tea or coffee  

Lunch  

Vegetable curry with lentil dahl and rice  

Yoghurt with kiwi  

Afternoon Snack  

Small bowl of unsalted peanuts  

Decaffeinated tea or coffee  

Evening meal  

Macaroni cheese and broccoli  

Evening snack  

Milk  

Pear

Help with buying healthy food during pregnancy

You may be eligible for a scheme called Healthy Start if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and claim certain benefits, have a low income or are under 18. You’ll get a card like a debit card to buy healthy food and essential pregnancy supplements. In Scotland, you may be eligible for Best Start Foods, which gives you extra payments for health food.