Vegan and vegetarian diets often get a bad rep for being very expensive. This reputation didn’t create itself and there is certainly some truth to it as many vegan and vegetarian ready made meals and snacks can be quite expensive when compared to their meat and dairy containing counterparts. However, it is also true that vegan and vegetarian diets can be done cheaply, even cheaper than a meat eater’s diet. This post contains some of the things I have learned about being veggie on a budget over the past few years.
Stock Up on Staples
There are certain foods that I make sure I always have in my presses or freezer that I know I can make a tasty meal from even when I’m caught for time. Some of my staples include chickpeas, baked beans, a bag of frozen mixed veg, pasta, tinned tomatoes and dried barley soup mix (like this one from Tesco). Always having these in my kitchen just means I always have something to make a quick meal from and stops me from ordering takeaways.
Alternative Protein Sources
“BuT WheRe dO YoU GeT YouR PRoteIn FrOM?” An all too commonly asked question when I tell people I’m a vegetarian and yet all these years later I’m still not deficient in protein. It’s actually quite easy to get protein as a vegetarian or vegan, even without relying on meat alternatives such as TVP, Quorn or Tofu. Pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans etc. are high in protein, easy to cook with and cheap. Nuts and nut butters are also high in protein, great for snacking and again not that expensive. Just make sure with nut butters you’re buying palm oil free versions. I often see Meridian Peanut Butter on special offer in Supervalu and Holland Barrett, 1kg for €5 – hard to say no to. Seeds are another good source of protein and a great addition to certain dishes or simply for snacking. Adding a small amount of chia seeds to porridge or yoghurt is a great way of including some extra protein, or adding sunflower seeds to a stir fry. Nuts and seeds can be a bit pricey but they are filling and as they are usually eaten in small amounts meaning they last a good amount of time.
Learn to Make a Few Dishes Well
Having a few solid meals up your sleeve really helps because it greatly reduces your dependency on pre-made meals which tend to be very costly. Learning to make a few dishes will help you save money and can actually make cooking something to look forward to. The Happy Pear have a lot of videos on their YouTube channel for quick and easy vegan meals that anyone can make. Have a look through their channel and find some that interest you.
Think Ahead
Before going shopping, I like to look at what I already have, think about what I can make with it and what else is needed. This helps make sure you use up the food you’ve already bought, make the most of your money, and prevent food waste. When coming up with a loose idea of what I am going to cook for the week I also like to think of meals that require some of the same ingredients just so I don’t end up buying a load of one thing and never finishing it.
Convenience Food Stock
I know I’ve harped on about how expensive convenience foods can be and given some advice on how to avoid spending that money and now I’m going to completely contradict myself by saying it can be helpful to have some convenience foods in the freezer. There are some days when you’re feeling tired or lazy or are just very busy and cooking really isn’t an option. On days like this it is always handy to have a few options in you freezer to choose from, especially when the other option is a takeaway which is considerably more expensive, The Happy Pear (if I hadn’t mentioned them enough already) have a good range of pre-made vegan meals and are available in SuperValu and Centra.
Vegan and vegetarian diets don’t have to be expensive and are becoming more and more accessible!
Chloe Boland 