Let me start by saying, I recognize my privelege in being able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables and I’m incredibly grateful for that.
But all the time I hear people say, “oh I could never be vegan because it’s too expensive” and that’s just not true!!!
Sure, if you’re buying smoothies everyday and loading up on every supplement the internet has to offer (guilty) then yes, it can be pricey. But it certainly doesn’t have to be.
Here are some tips for how to eat a plant based diet when you’re a broke ass college student like me:
1. Don’t eat out. Sorry, I know this is super lame but seriously, a lot of vegan restaraunts are ridiculously overpriced. I’ve spent $16 on a bowl of raw zucchini noodles with some tomato sauce on top and I hated myself for it. Skip the juice bar and make yourself a smoothie at home, you’ll be a lot better off.
2. Shop seasonal. A lot of the time, whatever fruits and veggies that are in season will be on sale at the grocery store, so they’ll be cheaper. Buy apples in the fall, strawberries in the summer, etc etc. And better yet…
3. Shop the farmers market. Sometimes farmers markets can be more expensive, but a lot of the time they’re much cheaper!! Farmers will usually have an over abundance of certain produce during certain times of the year, so it’ll be hella cheap. Like I can go and get 4 cucumbers for a dollar during the summer time and it’s literally the best thing ever.
4. Eat rice and beans. Rice and beans are incredibly inexpensive. They also make for the perfect meal because they’re complimentary proteins, meaning when eaten together, they provide you with all 9 essential amino acids!! Rice and beans also happen to be the perfect combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat so make these two your go to cheap plant based meal.
5. Buy in bulk. Costco has really stepped up their organic food game these past few years and I’m super proud of them. You can get chia, hemp seeds, hummus, Mary’s crackers, whole wheat bread, and tons of organic produce a lot cheaper than at the grocery store. Costco trips are literally the highlight of my weekend I love it.
6. Try frozen fruit and veggies. Did you know frozen produce is just as, if not, more nutritious than fresh produce?? Frozen produce is picked when it’s ripe, meaning when it has the highest number of nutrients. It is then immediately frozen in a way that preserves these nutrients…as oppose to most produce at the grocery store which is picked before it’s ripe so that it doesn’t spoil by the time it gets to the store.
7. Shop on amazon. Ok let me just say, you do not need spirulina and maca and cacao and matcha to be healthy. They are a great addition to a healthy diet, but consuming superfoods and supplements is not necessary to be healthy on a plant based diet. With that being said, it’s fun to explore functional foods like chlorella and chaga, and the best place to buy them is definitely on amazon!! Actually, nearly everything is cheaper online than in a store, so if you’re looking for something shelf stable or kind of obscure, I would definitely say go to the internet first.
If anyone else has any tips on eating plant based on a budget, please share!! I think the best thing to remember is stick to the classics like grains, beans, oatmeal, and bananas and don’t worry so much about goji berries and dragon fruit and such. You can still be perfectly healthy on a plant based diet without superfoods galore :)
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