Cheap, Easy, & Delicious Meal-Prep Plan with Ham & Cheese

First off, there exactly 1,406,558 meal-prep plans out there (give or take), but all of them fall short in at least one key category. Those categories being: inexpensive, delicious, and doable.

Some meal-prep plans are cheap, but not delicious—forcing you to subsist on rice and beans when you might want to actually look forward to your week’s worth of meals instead of dreading them.

Some meal-prep plans are delicious, but require you to go out and buy specialty ingredients (spices, oils, etc) you probably won’t use again any time soon.

And some meal-prep plans are doable, but in theory only. When you’re cleaning your air fryer or food processor for the third time it’s like enough already.

That’s why we created 5 for $50, the a meal-prep plan that serves up a week of delicious high-protein meals for right around 50 bucks—that are totally and completely doable.

Each plan builds itself upon two base proteins, which you work into meals to reheat and eat throughout the workweek.

This month: Ham and cheese.

Yes, you can meal-prep two of your favorite proteins into a week’s worth of post-workout meals, and yes, you can do it for less than $50.

Shop It

You have cooking oils, salad dressing, and a decent spice rack. Click this link to have Instacart collect everything else. Or, if you prefer an old-school list, here’s that:

• 1 (6 oz) package mixed greens
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 medium onions
• 1 bunch celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 6 eggs
• 8 oz. aged Cheddar
• 2 lb. smoked whole ham hock
• 1 (14 oz) yellow split peas
• 1 package whole wheat wraps
• 1 lb. penne
• 1 (32 oz) carton low-sodium chicken stock

Prep It

Get this stuff ready so you can then store your meals for the workweek.

Split-Pea Soup

1. In a large pot over medium, heat 1 Tbsp each butter and olive oil. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, and 3 ribs chopped celery; saute till softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 tsp dried thyme and 4 bay leaves; cook 5 minutes. Add 3 cups rinsed yellow split peas, 1 ham hock, 8 cups water, 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, and 1 tsp salt. Cook the ham until tender, about 4 hours, then set aside to cool.
3. Shred the ham; discard the skin and bones. Add half the ham back into the soup; store the rest. Add 1⁄4 cup chopped parsley to the soup. Season and refrigerate.

Hammy Frittata

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium pan set over medium high, melt 1 Tbsp butter. Add 1 sliced onion and cook till softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1⁄2 tsp salt, 1⁄2 tsp dried thyme, and the cubed roasted sweet potatoes from “The Extras,” below. Cook until the onion starts to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, grate 1 cup cheddar and beat 6 eggs. Pour the eggs evenly into the pan. Add 1⁄2 cup reserved shredded ham. Top with the cheddar and 1 generous Tbsp chopped parsley. Bake until the eggs are set, about 6 minutes.

The Extras

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place 2 sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 45 minutes. In the meantime, toss 1 bunch trimmed asparagus with a drizzle of oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. For the final 5 minutes of baking, add the asparagus to the sheet and cook. Remove the tray from the oven and cool. Divide the asparagus into 4 equal portions. Cut 1 of the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes and set aside. Halve the other length-wise and set aside.

2. Cook 1 cup penne per package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Pack It

All you do now is store your meals to heat and eat later.

1. Baked Penne

In a to-go container, mix the cooked penne, 1 cup split-pea soup, 1⁄4 the cooked asparagus (cut into 2-inch pieces), a heaping 1⁄3 cup shredded ham, and 1 Tbsp chopped parsley. Season and top with 1⁄2 cup grated cheddar. When reheating, stir occasionally.

Nutrition per serving: 957 calories, 56g protein, 96g carbs (14g fiber), 41g fat

2. Soup and Salad

In a container, add about 2 cups of the soup. In another container, add a generous 2 handfuls of spring mix. Pack some dressing on the side.

515 calories, 35g protein, 57g carbs (22g fiber), 18g fat

3. Loaded Sweet Potato

Score the 2 roasted sweet-potato halves and season with salt. Divide 1⁄4 the cooked asparagus and a heaping 1⁄3 cup shredded ham between the halves and top with 1⁄2 cup shredded cheddar. Garnish with a generous 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, if you want.

525 calories, 31g protein, 26g carbs (5g fiber), 33g fat

4. Ham and Egg Wrap

In a whole-wheat wrap, add 1⁄2 the frittata, 1⁄4 the roasted asparagus, and a handful of spring mix. Wrap to eat cold later, or reheat (unwrapped).

782 calories, 51g protein, 32g carbs (11g fiber), 52g fat

5. Frittata with Greens

In a container, add 1⁄2 the frittata and the rest of the roasted asparagus to reheat later. In another container, add a generous 2 handfuls of spring mix. Pack some dressing on the side.

791 calories, 48g protein, 28g carbs (7g fiber), 55g fat

A version of this article originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Men’s Health.