20 Struggle Meals That Cost Under $1 Per Serving

I love to save money, and chances are, so do you. After housing and transportation, food is the biggest part of our budget, but it can be reduced significantly by eating cheap.

Struggle meals are a great way to help save money on food. These recipes are designed to be affordable, easy to make, and filling.

With a little creativity, you can create tasty and satisfying meals that cost under a dollar per serving. This collection of struggle meal recipes will help you save money and still enjoy delicious food. From hearty sandwiches to creative pasta dishes and vegetarian options, there’s something for everyone. Let’s check these budget-friendly recipes.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash by Healthy Foodie Girl

What a great way to use a spaghetti squash and turn it into pasta using your favorite marinara sauce! Packed with nutrients and super delicious this is a must try that is tasty and budget friendly.

Cream Cheese Pasta by Cooking Dinner Tonight

A plate of pasta with cream cheese sauce.

This pasta dish is so comforting and delicious! It is also very budget friendly. You only need a few ingredients, and this recipe makes enough to fill a hungry family with great food. Serve with a steamed veggie and bread on the side.

Tuna on Toast by Pam’s Daily Dish

A tuna salad sandwich served on toast.

Grab a few pantry staples like a can of tuna, some sandwich bread and mayo with relish to make this cheap yet filling meal. If you have some lettuce or a tomato, add it. If not, that is okay, the flavor will still satisfy.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas by Powell Family Cooking

Quesadillas made of corn and black beans.

Open a few cans from the pantry like corn and black beans, to make these easy twenty minute quesadillas. This recipe is one to keep on hand when your grocery budget is tight, no one will know you are struggling when your family sits down to feast on these!

Garlic Rice  by Garlic All Day

A bowl of rice with roasted garlic cloves over top.

When you are as broke as a joke, and you open the pantry to find only a box of rice, what can you do? You can add roasted garlic to it and make a simple dish that is so good, you won’t be able to stop scarfing it down.

Fried Spaghetti With Eggs by The Short Order Cook

Fried spaghetti with eggs in a bowl.

What can you make for under a buck a serving that delivers delicious flavor and can fill a hungry family? Fried spaghetti with eggs is a unique and tasty dish that offers budget friendly food that the whole family will enjoy. You will want to save this recipe for your broke days, as well as the days you just crave simple food.

Chickpea Tuna Salad by Herbs and Flour

A bowl of chickpea salad with canned tuna and feta cheese.

With canned chickpeas, tuna and feta cheese, this easy dish is meatless, but has plenty of protein and great flavor to bring your family back for seconds. This makes a good homemade meal, or make it to take to a potluck to stretch your grocery budget.

Double Crunch Chicken Legs by Bitz N Giggles

A basket of chicken legs, one with a bite missing.

You are going to love this double crunch chicken leg recipe. It is flavorful, easy and best of all, chicken legs are cheap. You can make this with a simple side for a dinner that costs less than a dollar a person, but has flavor comparable to a trendy chicken restaurant.

Pan Fried Gnocchi by The Littlest Crumb

A wooden spoon with three crispy gnocchi.

Make these pan fried gnocchi for a comfort food meal that rivals your favorite restaurant, but costs less than a dollar a person. With crispy gnocchi in a buttery garlic sauce, you can pair this pasta dish with a veggie for a complete cheap meal.

Rustic Green Bean Soup by The Peasants Daughter

Two bowls of soup with potatoes and green beans.

You are going to love the flavor of this rustic green bean soup. It is budget friendly to make for filling homemade food. With beans, tender chunks of potatoes and a delicious broth, this struggle meal might become a family favorite.

Classic Tuna Salad by The Blond Cook

Tuna salad sandwiches with pickles on top.

You can’t go wrong with a simple struggle meal of tuna salad. Grab a few cans from the pantry and mix this up to serve on whatever bread you have in the house. After just a bite, you will agree this tuna salad hits the spot for great food on a tight budget.

Canned Tuna Nachos by Marley’s Menu

Nachos on a sheet pan with tuna, peppers and cream sauce.

Make some nachos for a struggle meal. This recipe is versatile; you can make it with whatever you have on hand. Add cheese, toppings and sour cream to clean out the fridge and serve a fun finger food meal that the family will love.

Chorizo and Potato Tacos by 24 Bite

A bowl of chorizio and potato taco filling with salsa nearby.

These spicy tacos are so cheap to make, yet are so tasty. With savory, spicy chorizo and tender chunks of potato, you can make these for a breakfast for dinner meal that delivers bold Mexican flavors for just a few dollars.

Pinto Beans by Eating in an Instant

A bowl of pinto beans

Let your pressure cooker make short work of dinner tonight. This recipe makes the best pinto beans for classic struggle food, made deliciously quick. Serve with cornbread on the side, or ham sandwiches if you have the ingredients.

Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta by Cinnamon and Kale

A bowl of pasta made of tuna and corn with a fork.

Skip the red sauce tonight and make a pasta dish that has amazing flavor, but is made with mostly pantry staples. A can of tuna, a can of corn and some pasta might already be in your kitchen cupboards to make this struggle meal even cheaper.

Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti by The Cookin’ Chicks

A skillet of garlic parmesan coated spaghetti.

Pasta is a natural choice for budget friendly dinners. This recipe needs only a few ingredients so you can make a filling and flavorful meal out of the bare bones of a pantry. Grab your parmesan cheese and some garlic to make a meal even picky eaters can enjoy.

Baked Chicken Legs by Ask Chef Dennis

A tray of baked chicken legs.

Just because you are struggling doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat great food. This recipe takes economical chicken legs and bakes them to perfection. Pair them with potatoes, fries or a steamed veggie for a cheap yet comforting meal.

Air Fryer Tuna Patties by Food Banjo

Three tuna cakes on a plate with a lemon and a fork.

Let your air fryer handle dinner tonight. This recipe is so easy; it uses canned tuna with breadcrumbs and eggs to make a 15 minute meal that costs under $1 a serving.

Sheet Pan Eggs by Made in a Pinch

Eggs on a plate with various toppings.

If you need a cheap dinner idea, why not make sheet pan eggs? This recipe is awesome because you can feed a crowd with little effort. Add any veggies, cheese or meat you have on hand  and offer an assortment of unique combinations. Serve with toast or home fries for a complete meal.

Pesto Eggs by Curry Trail

A slice of toast topped with pesto fried eggs.

Skip the oil fry the next time you make eggs, and use pesto instead. This recipe is so cheap to make, but tastes like a million bucks when you are hungry. This recipe is one to save for brunch, even when you aren’t struggling!