Aldi Meal Prep: 5 Days of Lunches for Under £10

Quick Summary

5 days of lunches for £9.47 from Aldi — that's £1.89 per day

Saves £444 per year compared to Tesco meal deals

45 minutes prep on Sunday — zero cooking skill required

Easy to rotate — swap proteins and veg each week so you don't get bored

Short Answer: Five days of work lunches from Aldi costs £9.47 total (£1.89/day) compared to £18/week on meal deals. Prep takes 45 minutes on Sunday — cook chicken, boil rice, chop veg, assemble into containers. Annual saving versus meal deals: £444.

The Meal Deal Trap

A Tesco meal deal is £3.60. Five days a week, that's £18. Per month, that's about £78. Per year, you're looking at over £900 on mediocre sandwiches and a bag of crisps.

For under £10, you can prep five days of lunches that are tastier, more filling, and actually nutritious. One hour on Sunday. That's the trade-off.

The Aldi Shopping List (£9.47)

| Item | Price | |------|-------| | 500g chicken breast | £2.99 | | 250g wholemeal wraps (8 pack) | £0.49 | | Tin of chickpeas x2 | £0.78 | | 200g feta cheese | £0.99 | | Bag of mixed salad leaves | £0.59 | | 6 tomatoes | £0.69 | | 1 cucumber | £0.43 | | 250g brown rice | £0.39 | | Tin of sweetcorn | £0.35 | | 1 lemon | £0.29 | | Olive oil (already in your cupboard) | £0.00 | | Salt, pepper, paprika (cupboard staples) | £0.00 | | Small pot of hummus | £0.48 | | Total | £9.47 |

The Five Lunches

Monday & Tuesday: Chicken and Hummus Wraps

Per wrap: Wholemeal wrap + sliced chicken + hummus + salad leaves + sliced tomato + cucumber

Roll tight, wrap in foil. Takes 2 minutes to assemble.

Wednesday: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Per box: Chickpeas + diced cucumber + diced tomato + crumbled feta + squeeze of lemon juice + drizzle of olive oil + pinch of salt and pepper

This is genuinely restaurant-quality lunch for about £1.50. Mix it all in the container and it's ready to eat cold.

Thursday: Chicken and Rice Bowl

Per box: Brown rice + sliced chicken + sweetcorn + diced tomato + squeeze of lemon

Eat cold or microwave at work for 2 minutes. The lemon and a bit of paprika makes it taste like you actually tried.

Friday: Loaded Chickpea Wrap

Per wrap: Wrap + chickpeas (mashed slightly with a fork) + feta + salad leaves + cucumber + drizzle of olive oil

Think of it as a budget falafel wrap. Mashing the chickpeas slightly gives them a better texture in the wrap.

The Sunday Prep (45 Minutes)

Here's the exact order to make this efficient:

Step 1 (0-5 min): Put the rice on to cook. Set a timer.

Step 2 (5-10 min): Season the chicken breasts with paprika, salt, and pepper. Put them in the oven at 200°C.

Step 3 (10-20 min): While the chicken cooks, chop all your veg:

Dice the tomatoes
Slice the cucumber
Drain and rinse the chickpeas
Crumble the feta

Step 4 (20-30 min): Chicken should be nearly done. Check the rice — drain it if ready and let it cool.

Step 5 (30-35 min): Slice the chicken once it's cooled slightly. Don't slice it when it's piping hot — it dries out.

Step 6 (35-45 min): Assemble everything into containers:

2 wraps rolled in foil (Mon, Tue)
1 container of chickpea salad (Wed)
1 container of chicken rice bowl (Thu)
1 wrap in foil (Fri)

Stack them in the fridge. You're done for the week.

Container Tips

You don't need fancy meal prep containers. But a few things help:

Wraps: Wrap in foil, then put in a sandwich bag. Keeps them from going soggy
Salads: Keep dressing separate (or just add lemon and oil in the morning) — nobody wants a soggy salad
Rice bowls: Any tupperware with a lid works. Aldi sell a pack of 5 for about £2.50
Fridge life: Everything here is fine for 4-5 days in the fridge. The wraps are best within 3 days

The Maths

| Option | Daily Cost | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | |--------|-----------|--------------|-------------| | Tesco meal deal | £3.60 | £78 | £936 | | Greggs lunch | £4.50 | £97 | £1,170 | | Aldi meal prep | £1.89 | £41 | £492 |

Annual saving vs meal deals: £444

That's a holiday. Or a decent bike. Or 4 months of gym membership. Just from making your own lunches.

Variations for the Following Weeks

Don't eat the same five lunches every week — you'll get bored by week 3. Rotate these in:

Swap chicken for tinned tuna (cheaper and no cooking needed)
Swap wraps for pitta bread (same price, different feel)
Swap chickpeas for kidney beans (make a Mexican-style bowl with rice)
Add boiled eggs (cheap protein, prep 6 at once)
Swap feta for grated cheddar (slightly cheaper)

The formula stays the same: one protein + one carb + salad/veg + something for flavour. Just change the ingredients each week.

No Excuses

"I don't have time." It's 45 minutes on a Sunday.

"I can't cook." You're boiling rice and putting chicken in the oven. If you can use a kettle, you can do this.

"It won't taste good." It tastes better than a £3.60 BLT that's been sitting in a fridge since 5am.

"I'll start next week." You'll save £8+ this week if you start now. Go to Aldi tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do meal-prepped lunches last in the fridge?

Most prepped lunches last 4-5 days in the fridge. Wraps are best within 3 days (the wrap can go slightly soft after that). Rice-based meals last 3-4 days if the rice was cooled quickly after cooking.

Can I freeze meal-prepped lunches?

Rice bowls and wraps freeze well — defrost overnight in the fridge. Salads don't freeze (they go soggy). Prep and freeze a batch of chicken and rice bowls for weeks when you don't have time to prep on Sunday.

What if there's no Aldi near me?

Lidl has very similar prices and products. Asda Smart Price and Tesco own-brand ranges are the next cheapest options. The total might be £11-13 instead of £9.47, but you'll still save significantly versus meal deals.

I get bored eating the same lunches every week. Any tips?

Rotate your proteins (chicken, tuna, boiled eggs), carbs (wraps, pitta, rice), and flavours (hummus, pesto, lemon dressing) each week. The formula stays the same: protein + carb + veg + flavour. Just change the specific ingredients.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your GP before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or health management.