Vegan food is tasty, nutritious and cost-effective.
Here are some tips for eating vegan on a budget and still loving your food.
Vegan food is, of course, made without using meat or animal products of any kind.
For this reason, it is sometimes derogatorily called "rabbit food", meaning that it lacks relief or substance.
However, as the first entirely vegan Michelin-starred restaurant, Origine Non-Animale , demonstrates, vegan dishes are far from boring.
There are now more options than ever for vegans, who are thankfully no longer limited to fries or salad when traveling.
You've probably noticed the burgeoning "fake meat" trend and maybe even tried some vegan cheeses.
It’s an exciting time for veganism!
But still, going vegan stinks and hard still requires a little extra planning and label inspection.
It is also true that some of the vegan alternatives to everyday staples, for example oat milk and some meat substitutes are more expensive.
That said, if you avoid them and replace them with good quality plant-based proteins, you'll likely find that your weekly food bill actually goes down.
A recent study in the UK found that on average, vegan meals are 40% cheaper than their meat and fish counterparts.
There are other benefits as well, including a reduced risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, and a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
How to buy vegan food on a budget?
Contrary to popular belief, removing animal products from your diet is already a good way to save on groceries.
Tasty, nutritious meals can cost as little as pennies.
Here are our top tips for maximizing the cost savings of a vegan diet.
Plan ahead
As with a non-vegan diet, it's generally more effective, and therefore more economical, to plan meals in advance and work with fresh raw ingredients rather than processed foods like fake meat (also healthier).
There are thousands, if not millions, of cheap and tasty vegan recipes to experiment with.
Make a weekly meal plan before shopping to manage the budget and avoid excessive purchases.
It's fun to use this as an opportunity to explore new dishes and ingredients, which brings us to our next point.
Buy seasonal products
Those of us who live in developed economies have access to just about everything we want all year round.
But, for reasons you probably know, this is not natural.
Depending on where you live, different products are only in season for a limited time.
Buying seasonal produce reduces food miles and therefore also saves money.
It's a great way to follow the rhythms of nature and try new ingredients and dishes, and if you can support local farmers, even better.
For a guide to seasonal vegetables, you can easily find a periodic table of vegetables.
Buy in bulk and/or frozen
Many staples of a vegan diet (rice, legumes, whole grains) can be purchased in bulk.
To find the best deals in bulk, it's a good idea to check out farmers' markets, as well as Indian, Asian or Latino stores, or the "international" food aisles in supermarkets.
Cooking in bulk will also save time and energy = less money and greenhouse gas emissions.
Don't discredit the frozen food section either.
Frozen foods are generally cheaper and will last a long time, so you can fall back on them in a pinch.
Of course, another tip is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season or when they are on offer and, whether cooked as part of a dish or with a little preparation, you can freeze and store them for a later date. Freezer surprise, anyone?
Buy in bulk to reduce costs
Vegan staples
While buying seasonal is a great way to try new ingredients and take advantage of cost savings, there are vegan staples that are cheap to buy all year round and will form the basis of your list groceries (and your meals).
These are :
Carbohydrates
- Legumes - dried generally cost less
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Egg-free pasta and noodles
- Whole wheat bread
- Potatoes - normal or sweet
Vegetables
- Carrots
- Tomatoes (fresh or chopped)
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Peppers
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Onions
- Zucchini
- Lettuce
- Chili peppers
Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Mandarins
- Lemons
- Limes
Frozen foods
- Pea
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- But
- Carrots
- Tofu
- Soy mince
- Vegan yogurt – soy, coconut or almond
With these basic ingredients, plus a few herbs, spices, seasonal vegetables and a little creativity, it's possible to whip up a wide variety of cheap, tasty, healthy and low-carbon dishes.
Ready to take on the vegan challenge?
Not only can going vegan help you save money, but it also has health and environmental benefits.
As mentioned, a plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
But still worried about getting enough protein?
Fear not, there's still plenty of protein in the vegan stables like legumes, peas, grains, tofu and nuts (although nuts can be expensive so we haven't included them above ).
Note: As with any diet, it's important to eat plenty of variety to get all the nutrients you need.
Finally, another advantage of a vegan diet is that the environmental footprint is significantly lighter than that of meat.
In fact, using plants is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions and help save the planet.
There is power in green!