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Loading...6 Tips to Eat Vegan on a Budget
- Becky Striepe
- September 6, 2011
- 5:05 pm
- 108 comments
There’s a common misconception that a vegan diet is also an expensive one, but I don’t think that has to be the case at all! Sure, if you eat lots of fake meat products and load up your cart with out of season veggies, a vegan diet can definitely break the bank. If an omnivore ate nothing bit filet mignon and fancy cheeses, that would get pretty expensive too, right?
The keys to stocking a vegan pantry without maxing out your food budget is pretty simple: eat real food, and cook from scratch when you can. Does that seem easier said than done? Don’t fret! Here are some tips and tricks for eating a healthy, vegan diet without spending too much money or giving up too much precious free time.
1. Cook from Scratch
Cooking from scratch probably sounds time-consuming, but with a bit of planning it’s very easy to work this into your schedule. Pre-processing your food can go a long way. I don’t mean canning, though. I mean soaking beans and chopping veggies. When you get home from the store, cut up your veggies before you put them away in the fridge. If you know you want to make a bean dish, soak the beans overnight to speed up cooking time. It’s so much easier to make a meal after a long day when some of the prepwork is already done.
2. Essential Cooking Tools
The right tools can help you save a ton of time and money in the kitchen. Here are the things my kitchen would be empty without:
- Rice cooker. Get one that includes a steamer basket. You won’t be sorry.
- Slow cooker. Choose one that’s the right size for your family. If there are just two of you, you don’t need a giant slow cooker. For a big family, size it up so that you can cook a whole meal in there.
- Food processor or blender. Mincing garlic and making sauces is a breeze if you have a good food processor.
>>Next: Low maintenance meals and batch cooking
Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by effekt!
Read more: Basics, Eating for Health, Eco-friendly tips, Family, Food, Green, Green Kitchen Tips, Smart Shopping, Vegan, eating vegan, vegan budget, vegan cooking, vegan diet, vegan food
Becky Striepe
Becky Striepe is a freelance writer and vegan crafter living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her life’s mission is to make green crafting and vegan food accessible to everyone! Like this article? You can follow Becky on Twitter or find her on Facebook!
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Talking while walking is very natural. I have a feeling a walking meeting might be an effective way …
Squirrel!
Thanks for sharing this.
Some cute sandals, most are a little pricey. Would have liked to see a vegan choice. TY
Il faut se méfier des compléments alimentaires. Ceux pour les hommes sont pas tr&egrav…
108 comments
+ add your ownThanks for the tips.
for all of you who don't have a farmers' market nearby: order your produce online and have it shipped once a week or every other week. much more cost effective and energy-friendly and driving around finding local sources that simply don't necessarily exist.
so glad I found these! :)
Starting a small trading group (especially for those who do not have a green thumb) each of us having a stronger ability in growing, fermenting, pickling, or drying. We all use our strengths and it is beneficial financially and for our bodies.
thanks
Excellent suggestions. As a long-time vegan on a strict budget, I also recommend buying one or two vegan cookbooks to make cooking from scratch fun! Two of my faves are "Vegan on the Cheap" and "10000 Vegan Recipes," both by Robin Robertson.
heh, I really need help with eating on a budget. Thanks for the article
Being a vegan, I think there are more creative recipes using vegan ingredients than there is for using meat.
One tip would be: buy/eat more of the cheaper stuff! (Unless offcourse it´s french fries or such...)
Make beanburgers (mix in a blender soy-, blackeye-, white-, aduki, chickpea or garbanzo beans with spices and some onion) and also offcourse falafel is great! Cheap and really good
God article!
greetings from sweden
Good information. I'm doing most of this but find if I cook large batches, I have trouble with portion control. My lifestyle was to take something out of the refrigerator that was fast and easy, even if it was breakfast cereal for dinner. Now I'm doing a little more cooking and finding that it really doesn't take that much time, and I'm eating better and I have better control over my portions.
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