Getting asked what I eat on a vegan diet is pretty common. Many people believe vegan eating is really expensive, only possible with expensive ingredients like fake soy meats. Although many vegans do eat this way, it's totally doable to eat really healthy vegan food on a low budget. So I decided to make a list of the foods I eat to give you some ideas of what vegans can eat to be healthy without emptying their wallets:
Black beans, Kidney beans, White Kidney beans, Fava beans, Navy beans, Soy beans, Chickpeas, Lentils - brown and red, Brown rice, Dried split peas, Cracked wheat, Barley, Quinoa, Popcorn - no butter, Kale, Carrots, Parsley, Cucumbers, Spinach, Lettuce (any kind but iceburg), Bell peppers, Hot peppers, Eggplants, Apples, Grapes, Raisins, Soymilk, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, whole wheat pasta, tomatoes, basil, corn on the cob, frozen corn, frozen peas, radishes, sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans, tofu (rarely), tahini, mustard, agave nectar, herbs and spices, mint, lemons, limes, breads (whole wheat, rye, multigrain), mushrooms, yellow onions, sweet onions, red onions, garlic, avocado, pears, oranges, grapefruits, sunflower seeds, brocolli, pineapple, peanuts, peanut butter, almond butter, nutritional yeast, artichokes, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, zuchini, summer squash, butternut squash, acorn squash, buttercup squash, white potatoes, red potatoes, flax seed (ground, its great for digestion), chipotle chilis with adobo sauce, celery, cabbage, olives, bananas, hummus, pita bread, chocolate, cilantro, parsley, basil, chives, collard greens, baby spinach, chia seeds, oats
This is not a complete list, but it's what I could think of off the top of my head. Just like any omnivor, theres a lot vegans can eat. And I didn't even include the processed stuff we can eat, like baked beans, crackers, and some junk foods.
Tips:
1. Make a bowl of rice, beans, and corn with various dressings - try my Ginger Lime Dressing, Tahini Lemon Dressing, or Honey Mustard Dressing
2. Cooking with dried beans is cheaper, but a can of beans shouldn't cost more than $1
3. When I mix beans and rice, I get three meals out of one can of beans
4. Don't throw a cabbage in a slow cooker
5. Canned tomatoes are really useful and you can get a can for $1
6. Grains are a good basis for everything. I throw them into salads
7. Frozen veggies and canned goods are great to keep in the house because they keep well and are great in a pinch. For example, sometimes I really want veggies, but I don't feel like cooking much. It's easy to thaw out some frozen corn for a snack or a quick side dish.
8. Eat leftovers. They're great to bring for lunch to work or school. It will save you time and money.
9. Buy whole carrots, wash, don't peel. They taste better that way. If you prefer your carrots smaller, like baby carrots, just chop up big ones.
10. It's cheaper and healthier to dip veggies in hummus than to dip pita chips.
11. If you like granola, don't buy it, make it! Most store bought granola's actually aren't vegan because they contain whey, which is a milk product. Fortunately though, it's really easy to make. Check out my granola recipe here.
12. If there are farm stands/markets around, try eating local seasonal foods. Stocking up on squash at the beginning of the fall is great!
13. To make shopping inexpensively easy for myself, I make a really simple list. And choose only a select number of foods to buy. Currently I eat mostly quinoa, rice, beans, carrots, spinach, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, peanut butter, green beans, toast (I get the day olds from a bakery down the street), and homemade salad dressings. I drink, water, tea, and soy milk.
14. ONE OF MY MOST IMPORTANT TIPS, This is simple but it wasn't obvious to me at first because I'm used to cooking for a family and now I cook only for myself. Make up some plain rice or quinoa. Keep it in the fridge and for every meal take only a serving of the grain and add whatever you want to it. If you take a whole batch of rice and make only one thing with it, you'll get bored. Yesterday I had a batch of quinoa in the fridge. For lunch I added chickpeas olives and spinach with a honey mustard dressing; for dinner I added kidney beans, corn, and peas with a tahini lemon dressing.
Other thoughts:
1. Nuts are expensive, but their cheaper in bulk. They provide protein, fats, and lots of calories. They may cost more, but you don't need to eat a lot of them to be full and well fed.
2. Meat costs a ton of money. Even if you don't go veg, limiting the amount of meat will save you a lot of money.
3. You can get everything you need on a vegan diet (the only thing to be concerned about is vitamin B12 deficiency, but you can get that in fortified soy milk and some cereals)
4. If you're still worried about protein, despite eating beans and nuts, and you want to be vegetarian, but not vegan, try eliminating all animal products except eggs and yogurt. Eggs are really cheap, and there is something about yogurt that is gentler on the stomach than say milk or cheese. I find if i eat much dairy I feel sluggish but yogurt doesn't do that as much.
5. Check out the nutrition facts of quinoa
5. Drink lots of water.
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