The Ultimate Guide to Going Vegan on A Budget

There’s a bit of a misconception out there that eating plant-based is expensive. People tend to think that you need to be livin’ large to afford vegan food, but I’m here to tell you that is just simply not true. The reason most people think this is because they’re comparing meat and dairy prices to their vegan counterparts. Sure, buying pre-made ‘chickn’ patties, cauliflower wings, frozen meals, and cheezes can get pricey, but so are pre-made non-vegan meals. What I’m saying is, there is a way you can eat affordably on a vegan diet and still feel satisfied with yummy food. So, let’s dive in shall we?!

PLAN AHEAD

Before you head to the grocery store, think about what you’d like to eat for the week ahead of you. Take a look through your fridge and pantry and see what you’ve got. Is there anything you can build off of that you already have? For example, we sometimes have extra coconut milk and potatoes, which is a great start to a curry. So, I’ll pick up some curry paste, tofu and carrots for a curry dish that will last us at least 2 days. Use your Notes App for your grocery list because you know you won’t leave your phone at home and this will keep you from being stumped on what to pick up when you’re there.

BUY LESS TO SAVE MORE

Keeping your fridge and pantry organized can help you reduce food waste, which will help you save money! Did you know that 1/3 of the food Americans purchase ends up in the trash? One of the easiest ways to reduce food waste (and save money) is to plan ahead and purchase only what you need for the week. We buy a week’s worth of groceries at a time which helps us keep our pantry streamlined. Most of the ingredients I’m going to share with you below can easily be thrown together and mixed n’ matched to make buddha bowls, salads, snacks, and more.

FARMERS MARKET

If you have a farmer’s market near you, it’s a great way to support your community AND the prices are usually cheaper than the grocery store. Yay for saving some money and enjoying the outdoors! Our favorite market is the Mueller Farmer’s market here in Austin. You can watch our video here. Don’t forget to bring your grocery bags! Here’s a link to the ones I use. They can hold so much stuff and we use them for everything!

BUY IN BULK

If there’s something you’re constantly having to buy, such as oats, rice, beans or nuts, you’ll save money by buying them in bulk. Many grocery stores these days have a bulk section. Try opting for the small paper bags in the store as a more sustainable option or bring your own from home to get out of the habit of using single-use plastic;) I use these large mason jars to store all of our bulk items in the pantry.

Here are some of our favorite simple and affordable dishes we love! I’ve included an estimate of the cost to help you budget.

BREAKFAST IDEAS

Overnight Oats - If you can swing it, always get organic. There are so many pesticides these days on non-organic foods that I just wouldn’t chance it. I get the gluten-free organic oats from Bob’s and they’re easier on my tummy:) Add anything you have already at home, or snag some bananas, blueberries, unsweetened coconut flakes, etc. This is so easy to put together the night before! 2lbs of organic oats, a half gallon of nut milk, 5 bananas, frozen blueberries, and coconut would last you all week! Cost $15 for the week.

Toast - Sounds so simple, right? You can really get creative with toast though! My favorite lately is Peanut butter on gluten-free bread topped with blueberries and sprinkled with hemp hearts. It tastes like a peanut butter and jelly and has added protein keeping you full longer. I also love avocado toast topped with celery, lemon juice, hemp hearts, sea salt, pepper and a dash of turmeric (optional). Dave’s Killer bread (our favorite right now), 1 head of celery, 2 lemons and 3 avocados: Cost $10. Note: Avocados can be tricky sometimes depending on the season, so opt for peanut butter if this gets too expensive.

Green Smoothie - My go to if I’m in a hurry! Our freezer is always full of fruits and veggies ready to toss in the blender. Typically, I like to put mango, spinach, banana, spirulina, lime juice and a scoop of vega protein powder together for my smoothie. We keep peeled and cut up bananas in the freezer at all times to make nice cream and smoothies. So to get a number for you as far as cost goes, lets say you pick up the Vega protein powder ($25), bananas, frozen spinach, mangos and lime. Your initial amount is going to be about $35, but you will have protein powder for about a month if you’re having them all the time. Thankfully, the fruits and spinach cost is pretty low. You could always opt for no protein powder too! I just like to have it to keep me from getting hungry too soon after.

LUNCH + DINNER

Curry - 2 cans of coconut milk, 1 curry paste, 2 potatoes, 1 carrot and a bag of frozen peas should cost you under $12 (our local HEB prices). 2 people could eat this for lunch and dinner for 2-3 days or you could split that in half and freeze the other giving you lunch and dinner for 1-2 days.

Buddha Bowls - 2 cups of Rice, 2 sweet potatos, 1 block of tofu (only buy organic) or tempeh, black beans (low sodium organic), Sass Dressing, organic Kale would cost under $15 for HEB prices and you’d have lunch for at least 2 days for one person. Buddha bowls are so fun to get creative with as well. You can trade out any of these ingredients with another staple you like. Just try and make sure you keep your greens in there ;)

Side note: Make your own satay sauce for your buddha bowls. I whip together peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, olive oil, garlic and maple syrup. I normally just eyeball the measurements and taste it until I’m happy with it.

BBQ - 2 blocks of Tofu, organic BBQ sauce, 2 baked potatoes, simple salad with romaine, tomato, and vegan ranch dressing. Super easy, sweet on your pocketbook AND you’ll have more dressing and BBQ sauce for the future. This is again, all under $15 and will give you at least 2 lunches and 2 dinners.

Tacos baby! - Who doesn’t love a good taco? You can whip up all your ingredients on your meal prep day and toss it all in a tortilla and be on your merry little way. Our typical ingredients are refried black beans, potatoes and avocado but we can definitely get creative when there’s a bunch of goodies to choose from in our fridge. Tortillas, refried black beans, potatoes, avocados and hot sauce will cost you only about $10 and will last you at least a few days!

Pasta - We love pasta but its not always the highest protein choice, so we get the Banza pasta which has all kinds of choices of pea pasta, chickpea pasta and lentil pastas. They have about 15 grams of protein per serving, so if you mix them with spinach and yummy pasta sauce, you have yourself and solid meal that will keep you full for awhile. This will give you about 4 servings and the cost is a whopping $12.

SNACKS

Hummus- 1 can of chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and some veggies or chips will cost you under $5 if you already have your staples in the house (ie- olive oil and garlic).

Chai pudding- 1 tbsp of chia seeds and 1 cup of nut milk soaked for 15 mins and add whatever toppings you have in your fridge and voilà, you have a cheap and delicious treat.

Green smoothie- You’ve already got the goods that I mentioned above!

And there you have it! These are really cheap and easy recipes that are staples in our house. I hope this helps get your wheels turning on recipes and understand how affordable plant-based eating can be. All of these recipes should keep your weekly grocery budget below $50. Let me know if there’s any other cheap and easy recipes you can think of to add to this list! Good luck and go eat some more plants, babe! XO, Chenoa