Cheap Plant Based Recipes

There’s a common misconception that eating a plant based diet is expensive so we’ve compiled a list of Cheap Plant Based Recipes for your culinary delight.

It’s true that some of the processed vegan substitutes are more expensive than the government subsidized products. However, you can’t get much cheaper than veggies, fruits, rice, beans and lentils, especially if you buy frozen fruits and veggies, dried beans and lentils, or bulk quantities.

Frozen fruits and veggies are just as healthy as fresh. In fact, since they’re frozen very soon after being harvested, they may actually retain more of their nutrition than fresh produce that must be shipped from far away. We keep a variety of frozen fruits and veggies on hand for our Chia Seed Jam, Stir Fries and countless other delicious recipes.

Buying your rice, beans, lentils, nuts, etc. in bulk can also save you a lot of money. We prefer dried beans and lentils over canned because they’re so much cheaper, and we think they taste better. They take a little longer to prepare since you have to soak the beans overnight, but they’re well worth the wait. You can freeze the presoaked or cooked beans in small bags to keep them longer.

A lot of people choose to go organic when they switched to a plant based diet. This can substantially add to the cost of your grocery bill since organic items typically cost a lot more (again, because they’re not heavily subsidized by our tax dollars).

While we prefer organic produce, especially if we eat the skin (apples, potatoes, berries, etc.), it’s not essential to eating a plant based diet. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s ok to eat the conventional fruits and veggies.

Here’s a list of Cheap Plant Based Recipes for vegans on a budget. We’ve tried to keep the spices and expensive ingredients to a minimum in these recipes. Avocados are expensive in most places so feel free to skip them. If a recipe calls for fresh or canned ingredients, you can swap them out for frozen or dried. Just be sure to soak your beans first!