7-Day Budget Pescatarian Meal Plan (UK)
Fish has a reputation for being the expensive part of eating pescatarian, and it can be. It does not have to be, though. This plan feeds two people for a week using the cheapest fish at the counter, tins, frozen fish and a lot of beans and lentils, and every meal has a price next to it.
I do the big food shop on a Monday, and by the end of the week the fridge is usually looking bare, so the plan is built the way we cook when money is tight. Bigger batches early in the week, leftovers for lunch, and cupboard dinners like the anchovy spaghetti towards the end. The whole shop comes to about £84 at average supermarket prices, and the food actually eaten this week works out at around £4 per person per day.
It is not a diet plan, and it is fairly relaxed about calories. Each day comes in at around 1,450 to 1,700, so there is room for an extra piece of fruit or another slice of toast if you need it.
How we worked out the prices
Every price is an average of the standard own-brand version of each item at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Aldi (their standard own-label lines at regular shelf prices, not loyalty-card offers), checked in late September 2026. We have not picked the cheapest shop or the cheapest line, because the point is to show what the week costs wherever you do your shopping. The one exception to the average is the live mussels, which only one of the five lists online, so treat that price as a guide. Fish counters vary.
The shopping list total, £84, is what you would actually pay at the till for whole packs. The price next to each meal only counts what that recipe uses, so the meals add up to less: about £55 for the week. The difference is food left over for next week, like the rest of the rice, oats and lentils, and the portions of soup and curry that go in the freezer.
The storecupboard basics are not included: oil, salt and pepper, dried spices, stock cubes, honey, vinegar and tomato purée. Prices move all the time, so treat the figures as a guide rather than a receipt.
The week has about one portion of oily fish per person, the smoked mackerel, which meets the NHS advice to eat at least one portion a week. It is well within the NHS limit of two portions a week for anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding or might become pregnant.
The week at a glance
Calories and costs are per person. The shopping list at the end covers two people for the whole week.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack | Calories | Protein | Cost a person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Overnight Oats Three Ways | Roast Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons + Wholemeal bread, 2 slices | Roast Pollock with White Beans and Tomatoes + Crusty bread (60g) | A banana | 1,467 | 73g | £3.53 |
| Day 2 | Overnight Oats Three Ways | Roast Pollock with White Beans and Tomatoes + Wholemeal bread, 2 slices | Anchovy, Tomato and Caper Spaghetti | An apple | 1,646 | 81g | £3.70 |
| Day 3 | Overnight Oats Three Ways | Roast Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons + Wholemeal bread, 2 slices | Vegan Red Lentil Curry + Basmati rice (75g uncooked) | Spiced Roasted Chickpeas | 1,584 | 56g | £2.75 |
| Day 4 | 3x Spanish Style Egg Muffins | Vegan Red Lentil Curry + Basmati rice (75g uncooked) | Mussels in Tomato and Chilli Sauce + Crusty bread (60g) | Spiced Roasted Chickpeas | 1,681 | 76g | £5.94 |
| Day 5 | 3x Spanish Style Egg Muffins + Wholemeal bread, 2 slices | Greek Chickpea Salad | Aloo Gobi with Chickpeas | A banana | 1,498 | 61g | £3.58 |
| Day 6 | Overnight Oats Three Ways | Spiced Parsnip and Apple Soup + Wholemeal bread, 2 slices | Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree | An apple | 1,558 | 52g | £3.64 |
| Day 7 | Overnight Oats Three Ways | Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree | Coconut Fish Curry + Basmati rice (75g uncooked) | A banana | 1,642 | 58g | £4.59 |
Budget Meal Plan: Day 1
Breakfast: Overnight Oats Three Ways (339 calories, 12g protein, about £0.54 a portion)
Oats, milk and a spoonful of honey left to soak overnight, with whichever topping you fancy. A 1kg bag of oats costs little more than a pound and covers every breakfast here with plenty to spare.
Lunch: Roast Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons (234 calories, 6g protein, about £1.00 a portion)
Roasting the tomatoes first gives a depth you never get from a tin, and it is the best possible use for tomatoes that are a little past their best. It makes four bowls, so there is lunch for day three as well.
Lunch (side): Wholemeal bread, 2 slices (181 calories, 9g protein, about £0.06 a portion)
Dinner: Roast Pollock with White Beans and Tomatoes (446 calories, 40g protein, about £1.57 a portion)
Pollock is one of the cheapest white fish at the counter and holds together just as well as cod. Everything cooks in one tin, and the other two portions are tomorrow’s lunch.
Dinner (side): Crusty bread (60g) (160 calories, 5g protein, about £0.18 a portion)
Snack: A banana (107 calories, 1g protein, about £0.17 a portion)
Day 1 total: 1,467 calories, 73g protein, about £3.53 a person
Budget Meal Plan: Day 2
Breakfast: Overnight Oats Three Ways, leftovers from Day 1 (339 calories, 12g protein, about £0.54 a portion)
Same base, different topping. Make up the next jar before bed.
Lunch: Roast Pollock with White Beans and Tomatoes, leftovers from Day 1 (446 calories, 40g protein, about £1.57 a portion)
Yesterday’s tray, warmed through.
Lunch (side): Wholemeal bread, 2 slices (181 calories, 9g protein, about £0.06 a portion)
Dinner: Anchovy, Tomato and Caper Spaghetti (602 calories, 21g protein, about £1.24 a portion)
A tin of anchovies, a tin of tomatoes, some capers and a bag of spaghetti. It is the dinner I make at the end of the week when the fridge is looking bare, and it costs next to nothing.
Snack: An apple (78 calories, 0g protein, about £0.28 a portion)
Day 2 total: 1,646 calories, 81g protein, about £3.70 a person
Budget Meal Plan: Day 3
Breakfast: Overnight Oats Three Ways, leftovers from Day 1 (339 calories, 12g protein, about £0.54 a portion)
The last of the first batch.
Lunch: Roast Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons, leftovers from Day 1 (234 calories, 6g protein, about £1.00 a portion)
The rest of the soup from day one, which is inside the FSA’s advice to eat leftovers within two days.
Lunch (side): Wholemeal bread, 2 slices (181 calories, 9g protein, about £0.06 a portion)
Dinner: Vegan Red Lentil Curry (309 calories, 14g protein, about £0.82 a portion)
Red lentils are about as cheap as protein gets, and this curry uses up carrots and celery along the way. It makes four portions, so lunch tomorrow is sorted.
Dinner (side): Basmati rice (75g uncooked) (274 calories, 5g protein, about £0.14 a portion)
Snack: Spiced Roasted Chickpeas (247 calories, 9g protein, about £0.19 a portion)
A tin of chickpeas, some spice and a hot oven. They soften by the next day, but five minutes back in the oven brings them round, so this batch does two afternoons.
Day 3 total: 1,584 calories, 56g protein, about £2.75 a person
Budget Meal Plan: Day 4
Breakfast: 3x Spanish Style Egg Muffins (354 calories, 24g protein, about £1.22 a portion)
Eggs, peppers and tomatoes baked in a muffin tin. A double batch covers two breakfasts for two people and keeps in the fridge for three to four days.
Lunch: Vegan Red Lentil Curry, leftovers from Day 3 (309 calories, 14g protein, about £0.82 a portion)
Yesterday’s curry. Cook fresh rice for it, since the FSA advises eating cooked rice within 24 hours.
Lunch (side): Basmati rice (75g uncooked) (274 calories, 5g protein, about £0.14 a portion)
Dinner: Mussels in Tomato and Chilli Sauce (337 calories, 18g protein, about £3.40 a portion)
A kilo of mussels is one of the best value things at the fish counter, and here they steam open in a rich tomato and chilli sauce. Crusty bread for the sauce is not optional.
Dinner (side): Crusty bread (60g) (160 calories, 5g protein, about £0.18 a portion)
Snack: Spiced Roasted Chickpeas, leftovers from Day 3 (247 calories, 9g protein, about £0.19 a portion)
The rest of yesterday’s batch, crisped up again in a hot oven.
Day 4 total: 1,681 calories, 76g protein, about £5.94 a person
Budget Meal Plan: Day 5
Breakfast: 3x Spanish Style Egg Muffins, leftovers from Day 4 (354 calories, 24g protein, about £1.22 a portion)
The second half of the batch, with toast.
Breakfast (side): Wholemeal bread, 2 slices (181 calories, 9g protein, about £0.06 a portion)
Lunch: Greek Chickpea Salad (312 calories, 13g protein, about £0.94 a portion)
Chickpeas, feta, tomatoes and a lot of garlic, ready in ten minutes. It packs well for lunch at work.
Dinner: Aloo Gobi with Chickpeas (544 calories, 14g protein, about £1.18 a portion)
Cauliflower, potato and chickpeas cooked with turmeric and green chilli. It is the dinner for the day before the big shop, when there is not much else in.
Snack: A banana (107 calories, 1g protein, about £0.17 a portion)
Day 5 total: 1,498 calories, 61g protein, about £3.58 a person
Budget Meal Plan: Day 6
Breakfast: Overnight Oats Three Ways (339 calories, 12g protein, about £0.54 a portion)
Make four jars tonight for the last two mornings; they keep for three days in the fridge.
Lunch: Spiced Parsnip and Apple Soup (359 calories, 6g protein, about £0.63 a portion)
Roasted parsnips and apple with cumin and coriander. The recipe makes four bowls and freezes for up to three months, so put the other two away for next week.
Lunch (side): Wholemeal bread, 2 slices (181 calories, 9g protein, about £0.06 a portion)
Dinner: Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree (601 calories, 26g protein, about £2.13 a portion)
Smoked mackerel is cheaper than smoked haddock, needs no cooking and stands up well to the curry spices. It makes four portions, so tomorrow’s lunch is covered.
Snack: An apple (78 calories, 0g protein, about £0.28 a portion)
Day 6 total: 1,558 calories, 52g protein, about £3.64 a person
Budget Meal Plan: Day 7
Breakfast: Overnight Oats Three Ways, leftovers from Day 1 (339 calories, 12g protein, about £0.54 a portion)
The last of the jars.
Lunch: Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree, leftovers from Day 6 (601 calories, 26g protein, about £2.13 a portion)
Last night’s kedgeree. Chill it within an hour of cooking and eat it within 24 hours, as the FSA advises for rice, and only reheat it once.
Dinner: Coconut Fish Curry (321 calories, 14g protein, about £1.62 a portion)
A mild, creamy curry with potatoes and white fish. Frozen cod or haddock is cheaper than fresh and works just as well. It makes six portions, so four go in the freezer.
Dinner (side): Basmati rice (75g uncooked) (274 calories, 5g protein, about £0.14 a portion)
Snack: A banana (107 calories, 1g protein, about £0.17 a portion)
Day 7 total: 1,642 calories, 58g protein, about £4.59 a person
Budget Meal Plan Shopping List
Everything for two people for the week, at average UK supermarket prices (late September 2026). Quantities are what you buy, so some packs will outlast the week.
| Item | Quantity | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pollock fillets (frozen is fine) | 600g | £2.60 |
| Live mussels | 1kg bag | £4.50 |
| Smoked mackerel fillets | 250g pack | £5.83 |
| Cod or haddock fillets (frozen is fine) | 300g | £5.30 |
| Anchovies in olive oil | 1 x 50g tin | £0.90 |
| Large free-range eggs | 18 | £5.25 |
| Whole milk | 2 pints (1.136 litres) | £1.20 |
| Butter | 250g block | £1.85 |
| Single cream | 150ml pot | £0.82 |
| Feta | 200g pack | £2.14 |
| Wholemeal bread, sliced | 800g loaf | £0.71 |
| Crusty white bread | 400g loaf | £1.20 |
| Rolled oats | 1kg bag | £1.19 |
| Basmati rice | 1kg bag | £1.80 |
| Spaghetti | 500g bag | £0.75 |
| Red lentils | 500g bag | £1.84 |
| Cannellini beans | 2 x 400g tins | £0.90 |
| Chickpeas | 4 x 400g tins | £1.61 |
| Chopped tomatoes | 400g tin | £0.45 |
| Coconut milk | 400ml tin | £0.82 |
| Capers | 1 small jar | £2.06 |
| Tikka curry paste | 1 jar | £1.95 |
| Desiccated coconut | small bag | £1.91 |
| Pumpkin seeds | small bag | £1.45 |
| Frozen peas | 1kg bag (you need 100g) | £1.58 |
| Dry white wine (or use stock) | 187ml mini bottle | £2.55 |
| Tomatoes, ripe | 2.1kg | £4.60 |
| Cherry tomatoes | 2 x 330g punnets | £2.02 |
| Onions | 1kg bag (you need 4) | £0.96 |
| Shallots | small bag (you need 3) | £1.17 |
| Garlic | 3 bulbs | £0.65 |
| Fresh ginger | 1 small piece | £0.85 |
| Fresh chillies | 2 red, 1 green | £0.83 |
| Peppers | 1 red, 1 green | £1.40 |
| Carrots | 1kg bag (you need 3) | £0.69 |
| Celery | 1 head (you need 1 stick) | £0.71 |
| Potatoes | 2kg bag | £1.32 |
| Cauliflower | 1 head | £1.14 |
| Parsnips | 700g | £1.04 |
| Eating apples | 6 | £1.69 |
| Bananas | 8 | £1.34 |
| Blueberries | 150g punnet | £1.65 |
| Lemons | 4 | £1.35 |
| Lime | 1 | £0.24 |
| Spring onions | 2 bunches | £1.38 |
| Spinach | small bag (you need a handful) | £1.06 |
| Fresh parsley | 2 large bunches | £2.59 |
| Fresh coriander | 2 large bunches | £2.50 |
| Total | £84.34 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pescatarian diet cost per week in the UK?
This week’s shop comes to about £84 for two people at average supermarket prices, and the food eaten over the seven days works out at around £4 per person per day. It could be more or less depending on where you shop and what you already have in, but it shows that fish does not have to be a luxury.
What is the cheapest fish to buy in the UK?
Of the fish in this plan, pollock was the cheapest by a distance, at around £4.30 a kilo for frozen fillets. A kilo bag of live mussels at about £4.50 goes a surprisingly long way for two, and tinned fish is the other budget staple: a small tin of anchovies averaged about 90p. Smoked mackerel is dearer per kilo, but 250g is enough to flavour a kedgeree for four.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
The spiced parsnip and apple soup freezes for up to three months, and the rest of the coconut fish curry can go in the freezer too. The FSA says you can freeze food once it is cooked, but only reheat it once after that, and you should eat anything in the fridge within 48 hours.
How can I make this plan even cheaper?
Leave out the white wine (the mussels are fine with a splash of stock), the pumpkin seeds and the desiccated coconut, and the shop drops by almost £6. It is also worth remembering what the total includes: most of a kilo of rice and oats, spare tins, and six portions of soup and curry in the freezer for another week.
For a week built around calories rather than cost, have a look at our 7-day pescatarian meal plan.
