3 Affordable Vegan Dinner Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do vegans on a tight budget? ›

By simply swapping meat and processed vegan alternatives for more whole food equivalents, such as lentils and chickpeas (great in curries or stews), cooking becomes more cost-effective without sacrificing flavour.

A healthy vegan diet should contain a variety of whole grains, proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables. Foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, soy products, and nutritional yeast can all help boost your protein intake throughout the day.

There's a widespread perception that going vegan is as expensive or even more costly than eating meat. And while this can be true, it's likely only the case if you eat a lot of pricy convenience foods, like vegan schnitzel and other meat substitutes.

Beer and Wine

Isinglass, a gelatin-based substance derived from fish, is used as a clarifying agent in some beer and wine. Other non-vegan ingredients sometimes used are casein (from milk) and egg whites.

Low vitamin B12 intake is a significant problem in vegan diets due to the exclusion of vitamin B12-rich foods such as meat, poultry, and eggs. A lack of vitamin B12 has been linked to neurologic and hematologic problems [19].

What food do vegans eat the most? ›

Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and other vegan staples are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help protect against disease. Plant-based diets also tend to be lower in unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol.

The bottom line. Most types of peanut butter are free of animal products and can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. However, some varieties are made in facilities that also process animal products or contain refined sugar that was produced using bone char or non-vegan ingredients like honey or fish oil.

Healthful foods that are high in protein, fiber, or both tend to be filling. Rich sources of protein for vegans include foods such as soybeans, pulses, and some nuts and seeds. Oats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruit are all good sources of fiber.

Whole Grains: Brown rice and quinoa are less processed than typical grain products making them great sources of protein. Legumes: Lentils, beans and peas are easy to prepare and very cost effective sources of protein. Dried fruits: Dried fruits contain the same number of calories but in a smaller, on the go form.

An Economic Diet

At first I wasn't thrilled about eating salad over steak, but I loved how much money I was saving. And it turns out my case isn't unique. A 2021 study from Oxford University found that vegan diets reduced food costs by as much as one-third.