Eat Well for 21 Lei a Day: This Week’s Budget Meal Plan

If you are already wondering what to cook next week, a freshly published meal plan from HotNews Food offers a realistic, budget-friendly answer. Published every Friday morning, the plan covers five working days, is designed for two people, and focuses on seasonal ingredients you can find at any corner shop. This week’s edition is especially useful because the Christmas Lent has just begun, so every recipe includes a simple fasting alternative.

What’s on the menu this week

The menu features four main dishes, each yielding around four portions, so you can cook dinner and have lunch ready for the next day. Here is what you can expect:

• Levantine red lentil soup with winter salad – a hearty, spiced soup that can be prepared on Sunday and kept in the fridge. For a fasting version, replace any dairy with plant-based alternatives and use aquafaba (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas) instead of eggs.
• Quick bean dish with sausages and pesto – a fast, fresh take on a classic. To keep it fasting, simply omit the sausages or use vegan ones.
• Chicken with tomato sauce, pancetta and mozzarella, served with polenta – a comforting oven-baked main. For a fasting option, swap the chicken and mozzarella for soy schnitzels and vegan cheese. When eating it for lunch, add 50 grams of telemea cheese on the side.
• Warm cauliflower and chickpea salad – excellent as a standalone vegan dish or a side for omnivores. For a strict fasting version, leave out the eggs and add more vegetables to the sauce.

Budget and shopping tips

The entire menu for two people over five days costs around 212 lei at average supermarket prices, which works out to 21.2 lei per person per day. However, your actual shopping bill might be closer to 370 lei, because some ingredients come in larger packages than you need for a single week. The good news is that those extras – rice, lentils, spices and more – will be used in the following weeks, so nothing goes to waste.

A realistic, flexible guide

It is worth noting that this meal plan is put together by people who love to eat and cook, not by nutritionists. If you have specific weight goals or dietary needs, the source recommends consulting a specialist in nutrition and diabetes for a personalised menu. Still, the plan is a helpful starting point for anyone who wants to eat well without overspending, especially during the fasting season.