By Heather Nicholds
If you tell someone you eat a vegan diet plan, chances are the first thing they’ll say is that it must be tough to get enough protein.
After you sigh and give the same old spiel about how eating a wide variety of healthy whole plant foods gives you plenty of protein, and besides we don’t even need as much protein as most people stuff their faces with, the next thing they might say is that it must be costing you a fortune.
For those of you not yet versed in the ways of eating extremely healthy foods without spending a lot, you’re in luck. That just so happens to be one of my main areas of expertise. I take a lot of pride in finding deals, but I also put value on high-quality foods. The cheapest source of calories doesn’t always have a lot of nutrients, especially when you look at potato chips and soda.
Shifting to a vegan diet plan cuts out animal products, which is a big chunk of your grocery budget, but doesn’t guarantee that you’ll save money or even be healthy. If you replace meat with processed vegan foods like faux meats, cheeses, yogurts and prepared meals, your food costs will probably go up and you’ll be just as unhealthy as when you ate the animal versions of those foods.
The good news is that when you shift to a healthy vegan diet plan, you should be cutting out all (or at least most) of the processed foods that make your grocery bill so huge. I spend less on groceries now than I did back when Phil and I ate meat, but I get much healthier foods – all whole foods, and all organic.
Saving money starts with just finding good deals, sales and coupons. Some friends of ours started a site dedicated to getting you deals on vegan products, so if you like coupons you should take a look at Vegan Cuts.
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Then there are some things you can do that will both save you money and improve your health.
Buy only whole foods
Grocery shopping can be really simple if you buy only whole foods. It cuts the aisles you will go down so much that the superstores seem ridiculously over-sized.
The base of a vegan diet plan should be fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. If you buy dried beans instead of canned, you can save even more money. Compare the cost of rolled oats to packaged instant oats or granola – so much cheaper, and you can add your own seeds, nuts, fruit, raisins, cinnamon and maple syrup (make sure it’s the real stuff, of course).
Make your own
- Salad dressings are so expensive, but really easy to make yourself – plus you can leave out the salt, sugar, preservatives and whatever else gets into pre-made dressings.
- Iced tea is a great way to keep cool in the summer, and is cheaper and healthier than juice.
- Making your own cookies and muffins let you control the ingredients, and costs a lot less than buying the unhealthy ones in the store.
Grow your own
It’s true that fresh vegetables and fruit can get expensive, especially in the winter. But there’s an easy way to get the highest quality produce without paying as much – grow it yourself!
Start with sprouts, which you can grow anywhere in any climate with a bit of sunlight and a mason jar. Check out the Sproutman books for information. Phil grows all kinds of different sprouts on our windowsill that I add to our daily smoothies.
If you’re more into gardening and have some space, getting into growing your own vegetables and fruits is the absolute best way to get nutritious foods – if you use proper growing methods to make sure your plants are healthy. This is more Phil’s area than mine, so if you’re interested check out his site: Smiling Gardener.
What tips and tricks for saving money have you picked up in shifting to a healthy vegan diet plan? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
