Of the many misconceptions that exist about not only vegan diets, but also healthy nutrition, one of the most common between the two is that they’re expensive.
This has been a main reason people use to justify why they cannot eat a more healthy diet, or sometimes even a vegan diet, for years.
The claim that healthy, or, vegan foods are inherently expensive is a misconception for a few reasons, so I thought I’d address this topic here! The truth is, you absolutely can eat healthy and vegan while also not spending half of your life’s savings at the store!
CHEAPEST FOODS IN THE GROCERY STORE
When you really think about it, some of the cheapest foods in the grocery store are not only some of the healthiest, but also tend to be vegan.
Here’s a quick list of some of these healthy, vegan, and also cheap foods:
- Fresh & frozen vegetables
- Potatoes
- Bananas
- Legumes – Beans, Lentils, Chickpeas, peas
- Whole grains – Rice, Quinoa, Oats
- Canned vegetables
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Pasta
These foods are great options for people looking to save some money while still eating healthfully. They can also serve as foundational ingredients for many meals, as well as great side dishes.
BULK BINS
Some grocery stores, even ones that are presumed to be expensive, have bulk bins where you can fill a bag with a large volume of food – nuts, oats, rice, beans, etc – for a much cheaper price than buying these foods from the shelves in smaller quantities. And again, these bulk bin foods are typically fresh, healthy, and mostly vegan – aside from, maybe trail mix that might have some chocolate M&M’s.
CHEAP & HEALTHY FOOD & MEAL IDEAS
PASTA DISHES
Everyone loves a good pasta dish! And luckily, you can still enjoy your favorite pasta dishes while being vegan, eating healthy, and saving money!
Pasta is one of the cheapest foods in most grocery stores. A box that could feed a family of maybe 3-5 can go for $2 to $3, sometimes even cheaper.
Pasta is vegan as long as no eggs or milk were used in the ingredients. And for health, whole wheat, or legume pasta is your best bet!
Whole wheat, or legume pasta (bean pasta, lentil pasta, chickpea pasta), is packed with fiber, complex carbs, and protein. And is better on blood sugar and appetite control over white pasta.
LEGUMES
Beans, chickpeas, and lentils are just three popular members of the legume family.
These foods are not only some of the healthiest foods on the planet, but are also, you guessed it, some of the cheapest.
And, they’re incredibly versatile and can be used in various ways for so many different dishes. Personally, I usually eat them as a side dish to whatever main course I’m having. I’ll switch it up, too, and go from pinto beans, to kidney beans, to navy beans, etc. Cheap, filling, healthy, and also simple.
You can also take multiple varieties of beans and throw them together with some onions and peppers and everything else to make a delicious and hearty chili.
STIR FRY/SOUPS/STEWS
A delicious and filling stir fry, stew, or soup can be made from a combination of cheap ingredients like: vegetables, whole grains, potatoes. And as a cheaper and overall better option than dead animal flesh, tofu, seitan, or tempeh can be used in these dishes, as well.
MEXICAN-STYLE
With ingredients such as rice, beans, peppers, veggies, etc, being so cheap, mexican-style meals can be a great option to help save money. Things like: bean and rice burritos or tacos, burrito bowls, tostadas, etc.
RICE OR “BUDDHA” BOWLS
Buddha bowls are dishes that typically consist of a whole grain (usually rice or quinoa), a legume (type of bean or chickpeas), tofu or tempeh for extra protein, a sauce such as tahini, or, peanut sauce, and various vegetables of your choice: broccoli, bok choy, bell peppers, spinach, kale, etc.
All ingredients that you can find for relatively cheap prices! And the sauces can be store-bought, or homemade.
BREAKFAST
Ditch those expensive would-be bird fetuses (eggs) and cook up a cheap (no pun intended), healthy, and not weird-at-all tofu scramble! Check out my blog about how to make the ultimate tofu scramble!
Oats are also a relatively cheap and healthy breakfast staple that can be used for oatmeal, baked goods, smoothies, and much more!
POTATOES
Eat your potatoes! They’re cheap, and healthy. Yes, even white potatoes are healthy, as long as they’re not smothered in butter and sour cream!
Potatoes are also one of the most satiating, or filling, foods, while not being packed with a ton of calories, or fat.
SHROOMS
Mushrooms have become popular recently for being able to mimic meat. People are finding various ways to marinade, season up, and cook mushrooms to replace a steak, or beef burger.
Mushrooms also tend to be much cheaper, and healthier than those other options.
SAUCE HACKS
Homemade pasta sauces, or dips, can be created by blending cheap ingredients like silken tofu, or a type of bean, with seasonings and spices such as:
- Nutritional Yeast – cheesy flavor
- Garlic powder
- Lemon juice
PRICEY FOODS
The truth about expensive food is that it has a lot to do with processing. The more processed a food is – vegan or non – the more expensive it tends to be. If it comes in a fancy package, from some big brand, it’s most likely going to cost a few extra bucks
People miss this concept when they see vegan products on shelves and because the price is a little higher, they automatically jump to the assumption that all things vegan are expensive. No, they’re not. Just ask those bananas and potatoes..
Also, in regards to non-vegan foods being cheaper.. The government subsidizes (gives money to) the meat and dairy industries to help them flourish. That’s why the cost of their products tends to be cheaper. Whereas vegan food companies, such as Beyond, are not subsidized by the government, making the cost of their products a little higher.
As well as the fact that these are newer companies, and therefore don’t yet have the kind of growth needed to be able to drive prices down.
So if saving money is the goal, make sure to limit the amount of packaged and processed foods you’re buying. Try to make maybe 60%-70%, if not more, of your grocery bill from those cheaper, whole foods, and leave some room for the more processed foods.
Also, in today’s world, damn near everything is expensive, especially groceries. So unfortunately, spending a little more at the store from time to time is inevitable.
Thanks for reading!