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Home » How To Eat A Plant Based Diet On A Budget

How To Eat A Plant Based Diet On A Budget

Last Updated on July 22, 2019 By Donna 20 Comments

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Plant Based Diet On A Budget

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust and use myself.

Lots of pink dragonfruit

Today’s post is a guest post from Yaz Purnell. Yaz is a frugal living blogger over at The Wallet Moth, where she focuses on providing practical lifestyle advice to help her readers create a life that works for them – check out her ultimate list of frugal living tips for more inspiration! Today she is going to talk to us about eating a plant based diet on a budget.

How To Eat A Plant Based Diet On A Budget

A few years ago, eating a plant-based diet was seen as a very trendy and, if we’re honest, slightly extreme trend some people liked to follow.

Now, however, it’s a movement going from strength to strength, with more and more people adopting this way of eating in an effort to reduce their impact on the environment, and because of the health benefits a more plant-focused diet can give you.

For a lot of people, one of the biggest deterrents to eating plant-based is the perception that it can be more expensive. I’m here to tell you that this is not the case – if you know how to shop correctly!

Just as with eating clean, eating plant-based is perfectly possible on a budget.

vegan tomato pasta for Eating Plant Based Diet On A Budget
Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce With Pasta needs only 15 minutes and a handful of ingredients

Yaz’s Best Tips For Eating A Plant-Based Diet On A Budget

Here are a few of my best tips for eating a plant-based diet without blowing your budget every month.

Shop Seasonally – Or Better Yet, Grow Your Own Veg

Buying your fruit and vegetables seasonally is a great way to save money on your groceries, particularly if you buy your vegetables from a local shop rather than a bigger supermarket.

Better still, if you have some space in your garden, why not grow your own vegetables?

Picking a few favorite things to grow like tomatoes, cucumbers, and even potatoes can be a huge amount of fun for all the family, and really cuts down on the cost of your food bills.

A bowl of fresh tomatoes for Eating plant based on a budget
Tomatoes are super easy to grow at home!

Do Some Planning

Eating a plant-based diet does require more planning, especially if you don’t typically eat a lot of vegetarian or vegan meals and need to spend a little more time making sure what you’re eating is nutritionally balanced.

Planning your weekly shop is the best way of ensuring you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s not going to break the bank.

For example, I’ll often create a weekly meal plan of what I’ll cook each week, and then write out my shopping list using that plan.

Have a look at my resource of free grocery list templates to help you plan your weekly shop easier.

computer and coffee cup flat lay
Sitting down with a coffee and planning what you will be making for the week can make eating a plant based diet on a budget so much easier.

Buy Staple Items In Bulk

Staple pantry items include things like rice, oats, beans, pulses, and nuts that have a long shelf-life and that you’re always likely to need.

Since these items are unlikely to pass their sell-by date, it makes more sense to buy these items in bulk for a reduced price. This is a great frugal tip that I would really recommend to everyone, whether you’re sticking to a plant-based diet or not!

Stick To Whole Foods

With plant-based diets becoming more popular, it’s no big surprise that the number of vegan items on offer at the supermarkets have also increased.

However, vegan items such as mock meats and ready meals can be expensive if you rely on them too often. To save money on a plant-based diet, you’re better off sticking to exactly that – plants!

cilantro udon noodle bowl
Simple noodle bowls full of veg can make a great cheap vegan meal.

Find Your Meal Prep Favourites

One of my best tips for anyone looking to eat plant-based on a budget is to find a handful of cheap, healthy meals that you love to eat. I have a few recipes that I go back to time and time again, such as lentil dahl, baked tofu, or a simple black bean burrito bowl.

I’ll prep these recipes at the beginning of the week, and eat them several times – saving money in the process.

Finding your meal prep favorites is so important because it means you’re cooking plant-based meals on a budget without sacrificing on flavor!

Making this diet stick means loving what you’re eating!

Spicy Chipotle Tofu Burrito Bowl

Overall, eating a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be expensive at all. In fact, I now save so much money being vegan than I did when I ate meat once or twice a day – not to mention all the other fun benefits like losing weight, having clearer skin, and feeling less bloated!

I hope these tips have helped you see that eating a plant-based diet on a budget can be easily done – it just takes a little planning and preparation!

Here Are Some More Easy Plant-Based Recipes To Help You Eat A Plant-Based Diet On A Budget

What is Riced Broccoli: How to Prepare and Use it

What is Riced Broccoli: How to Prepare and Use it

This is a great nutrient dense dish to use as a base for a veggie bowl.

Quick and Easy Pesto Broccoli Rice

Quick and Easy Pesto Broccoli Rice

Use the riced broccoli recipe above and make this pesto broccoli rice. A great option for a quick and easy lunch. A link for a vegan pesto is included in the recipe.

Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce with Pasta

Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce with Pasta

This pasta is full of bright, bold flavors. It comes together quickly and is super cheap to make a big batch.

Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Buy heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market when they are in season. They will sell them in bulk for cheap. Buy a lot, make this sauce and freeze for later in the year. A great way to add flavour to a dish.

Healthy Cauliflower Soup with Carrot Cumin and Lentils

Healthy Cauliflower Soup with Carrot Cumin and Lentils

Fill up on all the good things with this super easy and nutritious soup.

Spicy Cauliflower Grilled Tacos with Nectarine Chipotle Salsa

Spicy Cauliflower Grilled Tacos with Nectarine Chipotle Salsa

They might sound fancy BUT these tacos are easy and delicious.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger

These are great for prepping ahead of time. The leftovers make an excellent addition to your lunch menu as well.

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

Super inexpensive yet full of all good ingredients, this is a chowder worth repeating.

Easy Homemade Chocolate

Easy Homemade Chocolate

Skip the price tag attached to store-bought vegan chocolate and make your own with only two ingredients.

Don’t forget to follow Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration! Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post! Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group! 

If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it. I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @wholefoodbellies so I can share it <3

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Blog, Vegan Recipes Tagged With: budget, cheap, grocery list, meal planning, vegan, vegetarian

« Quick and Easy Pesto Broccoli Rice
5 Ingredient Cheddar and Riced Broccoli Fritters »

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Comments

  1. Amanda Mason says

    July 29, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    What an amazing article and those recipes look amazing!! Meal planning is super crucial. Love plant based recipes!!

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 2:46 pm

      Meal planning definitely makes ALL the difference!

      Reply
  2. Amanda says

    July 29, 2019 at 12:14 pm

    Wow — so many great tips. I can’t wait to incorporate some of them into my routine. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Amy says

    July 29, 2019 at 11:03 am

    There are lots of great tips here! Anyway to incorporate more plants in your diet is important. Being able to stay in budget and eat healthy can be a challenge,

    Reply
  4. Michele says

    July 29, 2019 at 9:00 am

    I love all of your tips and advice on how to eat plant-based on a budget. It’s not always easy and affordable to eat healthy. This is great!

    Reply
  5. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

    July 29, 2019 at 7:50 am

    Shopping seasonally is what I try to do. I want to grow my own vegetables, but I don’t have a backyard 🙁
    Also I am moving to Chicago, where I feel like winter lasts all year round, haha

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:20 am

      You could always try growing a couple of herbs inside? Parsley has always done well for me on the kitchen window sill!

      Reply
  6. Jenni LeBaron says

    July 28, 2019 at 4:19 am

    I totally agree that eating seasonal and growing your own veggies is a huge way to keep on budget! We keep a summer garden, but I’d love to do something year-round someday.

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:21 am

      Me too, this is my first year experimenting with a greenhouse type set up!!

      Reply
  7. Analida Braeger says

    July 28, 2019 at 3:46 am

    everybody should read this and they could help themselves in more way than one ! 🙂

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:22 am

      Absolutely!! Even if they aren’t going vegan these tips apply to make a healthier way of life overall

      Reply
  8. Mama Maggie's Kitchen says

    July 26, 2019 at 7:34 am

    I am so loving this! These tips are really helpful. Now we can enjoy meatless meals but still budget friendly. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:23 am

      No worries 🙂

      Reply
  9. Michelle says

    July 25, 2019 at 4:06 am

    You have some great tips here for how to save some money on a plant-based diet. It is definitely more trendy, but many people say they feel great and have more energy too. Learning to cook great recipes is one of the best ways to save money on a plant-based diet. Love it!

    Reply
  10. Lindsey Pine says

    July 25, 2019 at 1:45 am

    I’m so glad you wrote a post about this topic because I think a lot of folks believe that eating plant based is expensive with all of the specialty products promoted. thanks for dispelling that myth!

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:25 am

      Oh I know, and I am sure if people did just buy those targeted products they would go broke in a second!!! Nice and easy meals using seasonal produce is as hard as it has to get!

      Reply
  11. Sharon says

    July 25, 2019 at 1:00 am

    All these tips on how to eat a plant-based diet along with delicious recipes will make Meatless Monday even easier.

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:26 am

      Right!! You don’t have to go completely vegan (I am not), but introducing more veggie-centric meals into your life can’t be a bad thing!

      Reply
  12. Michelle says

    July 24, 2019 at 6:38 pm

    This is such a great post with excellent tips! When we went veggie last year one of the things that made it easier was planning our weekly meals.

    Reply
    • Donna says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:26 am

      Absolutely, having that meal plan in place makes a world of difference!

      Reply

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Welcome to Whole Food Bellies

Hi, I'm Donna. Mom of three (four if you count the dog, but it feels more like she is my grandma?!?) and wife to one. I would love it if you joined me on a journey of creating happy people and happier bellies by cutting down on the processed foods in our diets, and indulging instead in delicious whole foods.

I focus on fast, simple and seasonal dishes the whole family will love - kid approved of course! Healthy and wholesome doesn't have to be boring!

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