Credit: Shutterstock photoPeople consider following a vegan diet for a variety reasons. A vegan diet has been found to reduce the risk for certain conditions, including Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and strokes.
In addition, veganism has less impact on the environment because growing crops uses less fossil fuel than meat production. And perhaps the biggest reason many people decide to go vegan is animal welfare. Factory farms often do not treat animals humanely.
Whatever reason you have for thinking about going vegan, you might be hesitant to make the leap because you've heard it can be an expensive way to eat. And it can be, but we can show you how to be vegan on a budget.
Food Budget
The average American household spends $3,935 per year on food eaten at home. Of that, $1,246 is spent on animal products like meat and eggs.
Of course, becoming vegan doesn't mean you’ll have an automatic extra $1,246 in your pocket. You have to make up those animal products with plant-based foods, but there's no question that meat can be expensive. The average cost for a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast is $3.27. You can get the same amount of tofu for between $2 and $2.50 and the same amount of dried beans for $1.39.
Plan
So the money to eat vegan is already in your budget, but will have to start planning your meals. This is not unique to veganism, anyone who wants to eat healthy and watch their budget can benefit from planning meals ahead of time.
One of the best ways to not only stay on budget but to save time is to meal prep. Meal prep is simply cooking a few dishes once a week (usually on a weekend) that are then portioned out to eat for the following week.
Look at the weekly circulars for grocery stores near you and plan your meals around what items are on sale. Because a lot of your diet will comprise produce, eat seasonally as much as possible. Peaches and zucchini, for example, are cheaper in July than they will be in December. Be your own dietitian.
Keep It Simple
No matter how you eat, you probably eat the same handful of meals again and again. It can be fun and exciting to try lots of new recipes when you transition to veganism, but that can be expensive.
Keep it simple when you're starting out. Think of a few basic ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner and start with those. Once you have a sense of what you like and don't, you can branch out a little without the fear that you'll spend money on a list of new ingredients and not like the end result.
Buy in Bulk
Food packaging adds to the cost of food. Many larger grocery stores sell staple items like grains, beans, nuts and spices from bulk bins. This also allows you to buy exactly the amount you need, so you have less food waste or aren’t stuck with half a package of something you tried and didn’t like. It also cuts down on wasteful packaging. You can bring your own containers or bags to hold your bulk items.
Portland State University did a study that found buying in bulk can save consumers up to 89% compared to buying packaged items. At Whole Foods, bulk organic quinoa -- it’s a good staple for vegans because it is a complete protein on its own -- was $6.99 per pound. The same amount of packaged organic quinoa came in at $10.56 per pound. A pound of bulk organic rolled oats checked in at $1.79 per pound. The same amount of packaged organic rolled oats simultaneously was $2.75 per pound.
Shop Ethnic
If you live in a city with a sizeable ethnic population, check out the small, local markets in those neighborhoods. Bulk items and especially produce are often markedly cheaper than they will be in the big chain grocery stores. At a Middle Eastern Market in Brooklyn, N.Y., a pound of almonds was $6.50. At Whole Foods, the same thing would cost you $7.99.
If you don’t have an ethnic market near you, be sure to shop the ethnic aisles at your store. Things like spices and canned items are often cheaper than their equivalents in the other aisles.
Buy a Slow Cooker
This is our number one piece of advice for anyone who wants to eat more healthfully and save money. There is something about throwing ingredients into a slow cooker that makes magic happen with very little time or effort on your part. Things like chili, curries and soups all come out great in a slow cooker.
It’s especially good for beans. It’s cheaper to buy dried beans than canned but if you’re cooking beans on the stove, you need to soak them which means you have to plan ahead. But if you cook beans in a slow cooker, no soaking is necessary. You can dump them and your other ingredients into the cooker in the morning, turn it on and come home to a ready to eat meal with plenty of leftovers.
Not ready to go vegan but still want to eat healthier while saving money? Consider going organic-only.
The article How to Be Vegan on a Budget originally appeared on ValuePenguin.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
