Lina Dale didn’t grow up on olives and hummus. Her early meals leaned heavily into casseroles and convenience food—whatever was quick and cheap. But in her late twenties, after a cholesterol scare and constant fatigue, she started reading up on the Mediterranean diet.
The colors, the freshness, the promise of heart health—it all appealed to her. But what didn’t? The price tags. “Every article talked about wild-caught salmon, organic artichokes, and heirloom tomatoes,” she says. “I thought, no way I can afford this.”
Determined to make it work, Lina decided to challenge herself: stick to a Mediterranean-inspired meal plan for a full week—with just $50 in her wallet.
She went back to basics. No pre-made dips or imported cheeses. Instead, she focused on affordable staples: canned chickpeas, dried lentils, brown rice, oats, and seasonal produce. She bought garlic, lemons, and olive oil in bulk, knowing they’d stretch across several meals.
“Instead of feta, I used a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or a few toasted seeds,” she says. “Instead of salmon, I used sardines—just as nutritious, a fraction of the cost.”
By cooking in batches, she stretched lentil soup into three dinners, a grain bowl into lunch leftovers, and even found room in the budget for a few apples and a tub of plain yogurt.
The result? A flavorful, budget-conscious week that didn’t feel like a sacrifice.
“It wasn’t glamorous,” Lina admits. “But it was real food that made me feel amazing. And that’s priceless.”
