Rice is one of the best meals to have when you are on a budget. With a long shelf life you can add a variety of ingredients to your rice to rotate the flavours.

Here’s a 30-day cheap rice meal plan that keeps costs low and avoids the “I’m eating the same thing every day” burnout. It reuses ingredients smartly – eggs, onions, beans, lentils, frozen veg and a couple sauces.

30-Day Cheap Rice Meal Plan

Week 1

Begin week 1 with some easy and familiar ideas your family will love.

1. Egg fried rice
2. Tomato rice (tinned tomatoes + onion)
3. Rice & baked beans
4. Garlic rice and fried egg
5. Veg stir-fry rice (frozen veg)
6. Simple lentil curry/Chickpea curry and rice
7. Cilantro rice

Week 2

For week 2, use some flavour and variety to the previous week’s meals.

8. Spicy rice and beans (chili flakes/hot sauce)
9. Rice with scrambled eggs and soy sauce
10. Tomato and lentil rice (cook together)
11. Cabbage stir-fry rice
12. Rice congee with any veg or chicken (a mushy porridge-like rice that is comforting)
13. Curry rice (use leftover lentil curry)
14. Potato rice (Fry some onions and potatoes in some oil and add cooked rice)

Week 3

Mix up some ideas from the previous weeks to create new recipes.

15. Egg fried rice (again, but add different veg)
16. Mushroom fried rice
17. Garlic butter rice and beans
18. Simple veg curry and rice
19. Stir-fry onions with any veg and rice
20. Lemon rice

Week 4

For the final week, make use of any left over ingredients and come up with some creative new meals.

22. Tomato rice (again, different spices if possible)
23. Rice and lentils (thicker, like dhal)
24. Egg fried rice (use leftovers)
25. Rice soup (clear out veg)
26. Beans and cheesy rice (if any left)
27. Garlic rice with whatever protein left
28. Curry rice (final batch)

Final 2 Days (clean-out meals)

29. “Everything” fried rice (all leftovers)
30. Turn whatever is left over into a soup or a stir fry

Cheap Shopping List (rough)

• Big bag of rice
• Eggs (very important for variety + protein)
• Onions
• Frozen mixed veg
• Tinned tomatoes
• Beans (kidney/black/baked)
• Lentils (very cheap, big payoff)
• Garlic (optional but worth it)
• Soy sauce or salt
• Curry powder or basic spices
• Oil or butter
• Cheese (optional)
• Coconut milk and sugar (for sweet rice)

Pro-tip: There is a free website called the supercook app, that will help you find recipes with the left-over ingredients you have at home. This app is great if you have trouble brain storming new ideas.