This $5 Fresh Market Dinner Is A Meal Deal That's Hard To Beat

These days it can be incredibly expensive to go out to a restaurant, leading many of us to seek out some cheaper options when we don't have the time or desire to make a meal from scratch. Bringing home a ready-to-eat-meal from the supermarket has always been a reliable go-to, but even these meals have begun to feel like an unaffordable luxury. Thankfully, the Bistro Meal from The Fresh Market is still a relative bargain, especially on Thursdays. 

The Bistro Meal normally costs a little over $10 ($11.19 in New York and Florida) for a bowl featuring one entree and two sides. But on Thursdays, that same bowl is marked down to $5. To put this into perspective, five dollars barely covers a single cheeseburger at McDonald's these days, so getting a nutritious and filling meal is a remarkable deal. Much like Whole Foods, The Fresh Market has earned a reputation as a higher-end grocery store, but this Bistro Meal deal is a tremendous value any day of the week, and doubly so on Thursdays. 

The selection of items to choose from when building a Bistro Meal at The Fresh Market will change based on location, seasonality, and what each store has available. So we looked at options available at The Fresh Market in Scarsdale, New York, on March 25 to give you some idea of what the daily selections may be. There are seven different entrees to choose from, including beef or turkey meatloaf, tuna salad, roast turkey, grilled chicken, and Mama Mancini meatballs. There are also a pair of salmon options that cost an additional $1.20. The entree can be paired with two sides — broccoli cranberry slaw, whipped potatoes, pasta salad, mac and cheese, lemon orzo with pine nuts, or the super veggie salad. 

There is a little something for everyone. Well, almost. There isn't a vegetarian or vegan entree option, although this may change. The Fresh Market offers a handful of other prepared meals for around $10, including some vegetarian options, although these are likely not covered by the Thursday deal. Nonetheless, folks on Reddit raved about the deal: "It feels impossible to find a good meal out there for so cheap, but this is an amazing and nutritious option!"

The next Thursday you head to the Fresh Market for coffee or to shop the store's prized produce selection, don't forget to hit the deli counter. You'll head home with groceries and a nutritious meal at an unbelievable price.