Cheap Plant-Based Meals and Snacks
Are you interested in developing a more plant-based diet, but are concerned about the 
costs? If so, we are here to help! You don’t need to spend twice as much on groceries 
just because you are following more of a vegan lifestyle. Here are some meal and snack 
ideas that will allow you to stick to your food budget. 

Get Out Your Slow Cooker
If you have a slow cooker, it is going to become your new best friend. Not only will it 
allow you to make large meals with food items you purchase in bulk, but it helps to save 
you time on preparing food as well. If you tend to dip into your food budget for last-
minute trips to vegan-friendly restaurants near you, you will definitely save money by 
prepping meals beforehand. With a slow cooker, you can easily make big batches of 
vegetable soup with whatever veggies are in season, or by making big pots of beans, 
rice, or vegan chili. 

It Doesn’t Get Cheaper Than Pasta
This is such a simple and cheap way to have a meal at home. Buy bags of vegan pasta 
in bulk as well as some jars of tomato sauce. You can use the sauce right from the jar if 
you’re in a hurry, or add stuff to it, like seasoning and more vegetables to bulk up your 
meal. Pasta and sauce is usually on the lower side of your budget, or you can make 
your own sauce to save even more when tomatoes are on sale.
 
Inexpensive Breakfast Ideas
If you aren’t sure what to have for breakfast while on a budget, you’re in luck! There are 
actually a lot of really cheap ideas available. The first of course is to go with a child 
favorite – cereal with nut milk. If you buy the big bags of vegan cereal when they are on 
sale, it can last quite a while, especially when you stick to just one serving for breakfast.
If that isn’t what you are interested in, why not try overnight oats? A big container of 
oats doesn’t cost much considering how much you get out of it, and you can make 
overnight oats the night before, so that it is a convenient grab-and-go breakfast each 
morning. There are many ways to prepare them, from adding cinnamon and sugar, to 
fruit like bananas and strawberries. Increase the protein with some peanut butter as 
well.
