{"id":17632,"date":"2021-07-05T09:00:09","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/?p=17632"},"modified":"2021-06-17T10:41:14","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T14:41:14","slug":"how-can-i-eat-vegan-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2021\/07\/05\/how-can-i-eat-vegan-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can I Eat Vegan on a Budget?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By\nJulia Comino, VRG Intern<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEating\nvegan is too expensive<\/em>.\u201d This mainstream misconception\ncan be an instant turn-off for those considering a diet switch, an easy excuse,\nas well as a major concern for low-income individuals interested in eating\nvegan. However, as a low-income vegetarian teen, I can assure you, that it does\nnot take penny-pinching to make vegan and vegetarian diets affordable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breakfasts\nthat Don\u2019t Break the Bank<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you want a breakfast that\u2019s easy to\neat on the go or are looking for an indulgent dish for a brunch, eating\ndelicious vegan breakfasts does not have to be expensive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vegan eating does not limit one\u2019s palate, but\nrather opens a door to an entirely new way of creative, flavorful, and\nsustainable eating. Vegan breakfast hashes are a perfect example of how a basic\nconcept can evolve into a myriad of different flavor combinations and nutrient\noptions. Choose a high-carbohydrate vegetable such as potatoes, yams, or corn\nas the base for your dish. This will make the meal one that will keep you\nsatisfied and full of reliable energy for hours after breakfast. Add your\nprotein source: beans or tofu are some of the most cost-efficient and\nnutrient-packed options. (Buying shelf-stable tofu can be a cheaper option\ncompared to refrigerated tofu depending on your store and allows you to keep this\nproduct in your cabinet at all times). Finally, add any other vegetables you\nwant! A favorite mix of mine is yams, black beans, bell peppers, and tofu\nscramble seasoned with cayenne, cumin, and a dash of cinnamon. To cut costs,\nconsider which vegetables you can find in your store\u2019s frozen aisle. Spinach,\nkale, and other leafy greens can be much less pricey when bought in this form\nand add iron, potassium, and many other nutrients to your dish. After all, once\nyou have this mix all cooked up, you won\u2019t be able to tell if it was bought\nfresh or frozen. However, if you prefer to eat fresh produce, you can always\nkeep an eye out for low-cost vegetables at your local farmers\u2019 market and in\nstores, because depending on the season, sometimes buying fresh can be just as\nfinancially practical as buying frozen. Simply, chop all of your veggies, saut\u00e9\nthe mix together in a frying pan paying special attention to which vegetables\nwill need to begin cooking first (frozen vegetables need to be defrosted and\npotatoes and yams need to be added first to be fully cooked or you can boil a\nlarge amount of potatoes, yams, etc. at the beginning of the week, keep them in\nyour fridge, and have those ready to use), add all the spices and flavors you\nlike, and voila, you have your easy, nutrient-dense, and delicious breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another, albeit less labor-intensive,\nbreakfast to try is oatmeal. Not only are oats a great source of carbs, fiber,\nand even protein, but they also are an easily customizable dish. Oats can be\ntopped with just about anything from dried fruits, nuts, chocolates, or\nberries, and I recommend not buying brand-name oats. When it comes to oats,\nthere is no difference between brands beyond the price, so reach for the lowest\ncost you can find at your grocery store. For overnight oats, choose your\nflavors, pour in one part uncooked oats with two parts plant milk then toss\nyour add-ins into a sealable container (add chia seeds for added omega-3 fatty\nacids). Leave your creation in the fridge overnight to have a delectable\nbreakfast you can easily eat the next morning. Another great option is\nquick-oats, with these just boil some water or plant milk on a stovetop or in\nthe microwave, add in your oats, then let sit for a few minutes, and you have a\nquick breakfast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my mornings, coffee is a must. I have\nfound that even with my morning cup of Joe I can save a few cents with some\neasy switches. When you buy plant milks instead of buying refrigerated cartons\nfound in the dairy aisle, look to see if your grocery stocks shelf-stable boxed\nplant milk. Where I live in Mississippi, a quart of shelf-stable soymilk costs\njust a few dollars, and when bought in bulk, costs around eleven dollars for 6\nquarts. In comparison, a refrigerated quart of soymilk costs around three\ndollars. Also, you cannot practically buy these in bulk considering this\nproduct must be refrigerated and expires sooner than the aseptic boxed plant\nmilk. While the difference between the costs of these two types of milk is not\na large one, I have found that it is a simple switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t\nSplurge on Snacking <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While snacks are not meals, I have found that\nas a teenager who is constantly running to class, extracurricular activities,\nor work, that something quick-and-easy to eat can be just as important as a\nsit-down meal. Although there are low-cost pre-made snack options, I find that\ncooking up my own creations is the most cost-effective method for snacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snacking on seeds, nuts, and dried fruits is a\ngo-to. These items are shelf-stable, simple to pack for on-the-go snacking, and\nfull of flavorful nutrients. However, buying nuts, seeds, and dried fruits can\nbe expensive if you do not seek out the best deals. Depending on if your\nstores have continued the use of their bulk bins and dried food dispenser\nstations throughout COVID-19, you may find lower prices in this area of the\nstore. This is also a good way to reduce your use of single-use packaging<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding which stores in your area carry\nlow-cost produce, grains, and other vegan staples is also a necessary step in affordable\nvegan eating. Check out your local markets or farmers\u2019 markets to see if they\nstock produce from nearby farms at a lower price. For your canned, dried, and\nfrozen items, almost any dollar store or discount market will stock these. I\nrecommend buying store brand items to cut costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granola is another, easily customizable, snack\nthat you can make at the beginning of the week and continue to enjoy\nthroughout. While there are some fairly-priced vegan granolas on the market, I\nhave found that I prefer the flavors and the low cost of my homemade granola.\nWhen making granola you use oats as the base before tossing in the add-ins of\nyour choosing. I usually, sprinkle in nuts, seeds, and dried coconut from my\nstash of snacks. After you have completed your mix, you add in an oil (I prefer\ncoconut oil as it can be bought for as low as two dollars for a 10-ounce\ncanister) and a sweetener such as agave, maple syrup, or molasses, which while\ncan be higher-price items but can be rationed overtime to make the product a\nworthy investment. Next, after a quick stir, you are ready to load this\nmouth-watering mix into your oven. Let your granola toast to a golden brown\ncolor at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes before it\u2019s ready to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low-cost\nLunches<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the menu for lunch are the low-cost and\nendless possibilities of dishes that beans and lentils present. From chickpea\nsalad sandwiches to Mexican-street food-inspired black bean and corn dip to\nhummus, there are endless easy-to-make and delicious to-eat lunches that one\ncan create using beans. These are another food staple where you can seek out\nthe best prices by investigating multiple areas of your local grocery store.\nSome stores have a wide variety of dried beans that usually are at a lower cost\nthan those sold in cans. Dried beans can be bought from the bulk bin section or\nfrom where the shelf-stable dry goods are kept, and these dehydrated products\nstill contain the same nutrients and flavors as their fresh or canned\ncounterparts but can be bought at a more economical price. With dried beans and\nlentils, you just soak the beans in cold water in a stove pot, bring them to a\nboil, reduce heat, and then let them sit for a few hours. Once the beans are\nrehydrated you will find that you can cook with them just as easily as you\nwould beans from a can to make lunches such as lentil daal, roasted chickpeas,\nand red beans and rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From topping my salad with roasted chickpeas\nto hummus and veggie sandwiches, I have found that a staple and favorite of\nmine is chickpeas. Although hummus is another product you can usually find for\na reasonable price in stores, I prefer making my own. The recipe can be as\nsimple or elaborate as you would like. Add chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice,\nspices, and tahini to a blender or food processor, and after a few minutes of\nblending, you have a creamy, protein- and flavor-packed dip. I bought a jar of\ntahini from my local Mediterranean market for just a couple of dollars months\nago, and I have yet to finish it, I find it to be a great investment. From\nusing hummus as a spread for sandwiches to dipping vegetables or chips, this\ndelicious dip can be added to almost any lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discount\nDinners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, after getting home from a long day\nof school, stress, and all the responsibilities that high school students have,\nI am not up for spending hours in the kitchen. One-pan roasted vegetable\ncombinations have become my savior on such nights. Simply cut up any vegetables\nyou have lying around, or for a cheaper option, pull a bag of frozen vegetables\nout of the freezer and plop them straight in the pan. After seasoning with\nwhatever sauces, spices, or aromatics that you are craving just pop the pan in\nthe oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then rest as the vegetables do the\nwork for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rice, quinoa, and other such grains can be\nadded to your steaming pile of roast veggies to give it a boost of carbohydrate\nenergy. Buying these ingredients from the dried bins at your store allows them\nto be a cheap way to add bulk to any meal. Brown rice contains more fiber than\nwhite rice which can promote gut health. Quinoa is another nutrient-packed\noption. Not only are these grains inexpensive in my area, but they are also\neasy to prep at the beginning of the week and enjoy with multiple dinners. Whether\nyou are simply adding these grains to roasted vegetables, on top of a salad, or\nsmothering them in stewed lentils, they make any dinner complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this next discount dinner option, I\nrecommend heading to your local Dollar Store, Dollar General, or any low-price\nmarket. With a quick glance at the nutrition labels in their pasta aisle, you\nwill realize that most of these products are surprisingly vegan. Pick up a jar\nof premade sauce, making sure that the ingredients do not contain animal\nproducts, and you have yourself a simple, cheap, and delicious pasta meal for\nas low as two dollars!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inexpensive\nIndulgences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although dessert is not an official meal, I\nwould argue that it is just as important as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For a\nsimple, low-cost, but succulent sweet end to the day, homemade fruit cobblers\nare always my go-to. Whether I make a full dish of this dessert to share with\nmy family and friends or making a single serving in a mug, I can always use\nfrozen fruit. Buying fruit frozen instead of fresh is a very simple switch that\ncuts costs as well as halves your time prepping fruit when cooking. I just grab\na bag of peaches, strawberries, or whatever fruit I am craving from the\nfreezer, portion out the amount I am making, add sugar, cinnamon, and lemon\njuice, and then pop this mixture into the microwave or oven. To spruce the dish\nup I often create a crumble topping out of flour, spices, and coconut oil that\ncan be sprinkled over the fruit filling minutes before the dish is done\ncooking. After allowing the crumble to turn a golden brown and the fruit to\nbecome a gooey, jammy filling, this easy fruit cobbler is ready to be devoured!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With minimal planning, some price scanning,\nand creative cooking, I\u2019m sure you will find that being vegan will not bankrupt\nyou and that it can be even more cost-effective than eating animal products!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more ideas on inexpensive vegan diets see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Is it more expensive to eat a vegan diet?<\/a><\/blockquote>