Isn’t a Vegan Diet Too Expensive?

Alongside “where do you get your protein?” being asked about how you can afford your plant-based diet is perhaps the most annoying question that vegans get asked on a regular basis. People seem to forget that meat is more expensive than potatoes, rice, lentils and practically anything else you can imagine, leading many to despair.

The fact of the matter is that vegan diets don’t have to be expensive at all. One of the reasons so many traditional cultures eat plant-based is because carb-rich plant foods are so cheap and plentiful. Before the industrialization of the food system, the vast majority of all settled cultures got their calories from staple carbohydrate-rich crops. The Native Americans got theirs from growing corn, the Chinese from rice and wheat, and the Indians from rice and lentils. The way that they ate was entirely different to today: diets were rich in complex, whole grains and low in practically everything else, including animals foods, sugar, and refined oils.

Why Do Animals Foods Cost More In General?

Animal food is actually much more expensive in purely economic terms than plant food, even when you ignore all the associated environmental costs. To grow a pound of meat on the back of a cow, you need around 14 pounds of grain. That’s because the cow needs a lot of energy to grow new muscle cells as well as to keep itself warm enough to stay alive. Growing new meat is expensive. More than 80 percent of the world’s cropland is dedicated to animal feed production and not eaten directly by people.

The real cost of animals foods is concealed from most people because of subsidies. If the price of meat and eggs were to truly reflect the cost of production, the cost of vegan staples would seem comparatively cheap.

What Can You Do To Cut Your Food Bill Further?

Going vegan isn’t free, but it can be cheap. There are lots of things you can do to cut your bills. Take a look at these ideas.

Buy At Discount And Wholesale

Sam’s Club membership deals provide money off lots of items, including food, by selling at wholesale. You can buy things like cashews, rice, lentils, tins of beans and tomatoes, and flavoring staples like spices, dried herbs, miso and nutritional yeast in bulk and they’ll last for months, if not a couple of years. It is my favorite place to get avocados and spring mix at a great price, and I’ve been so impressed recently with the amount of affordable frozen organic fruits and vegetables that they now offer!  

Stop Buying Meat Substitutes

Many people think vegan diets are expensive because products that mimic animal foods are also expensive. Although these products are convenient, especially if you’re transitioning to a vegan diet, they’re costly and unnecessary. Stop using processed vegan alternatives and rely on the basics instead.

Cook From Scratch In Advance

Yes, cooking from scratch is time-consuming, but it’s also one of the best ways to save money. A meal whose main constituents are rice and lentils, like a curry, can cost a few cents per portion, allowing you to save an enormous amount of money. Supplement your basic meals with vegetables and fruit (items that are usually more expensive) to keep your overall costs down.

One of the best ways to meal prep is to make Wildtree freezer meals. I spend one-day chopping and have 20 huge crockpot meals for my freezer. I would love to share these tasty healthy easy and affordable recipes with you! Email me for details!