Plant Based on a Budget

Faith Cavalli, Nutritionist and Personal Trainer
October 2022

Eating a plant-based diet does not have to be expensive. With the post-pandemic rise in cost of living, keeping food costs as low as possible whilst maintaining a high-quality diet is really important. Buying the newer the plant-based meat alternatives and ready-made meals will increase food costs. Instead, focusing on keeping a well-stocked cupboard will ensure you never go hungry and keep food costs low.

Here are some top tips for stocking your plant-based kitchen:

  • Look for tinned beans, peas, vegetables and chopped tomatoes. These are often cheaper from international supermarkets, on offer in supermarkets or in the ‘value range’. As well as been cheap, they are good base for many meals such as stews, curries and soups and can be prepared quickly. Dried beans and pulses often require soaking and can work out a similar price to tinned versions, unless bought in bulk.
  • If you have the money and space to buy in bulk it will save you a fair amount. Look for grains, beans, pulses, oats, nuts and seeds.
  • Buy supermarket own label products. Branded items are often double the price of the shops own label. If looking for plant-based milks, lentils, tinned items or even meat substitutes the supermarket value range can save you money.
  • Try making some simple items at home. Forget the expensive pots of houmous. You can mash up chickpeas with a fork or blend small amounts of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, (sea salt optional). Tahini paste, an ingredient in houmous, can cost a £2- £3 a jar but will last a long time. However, houmous can be tasty without it if you find it too expensive.
  • Consider getting a slow cooker or large pot to batch cook. Make a large pot of stew or curry with vegetables, beans or lentils. This can last for days in the fridge, or you can freeze it. You can add it to rice, sweet potatoes or mix into pasta.
  • Look for fruit and vegetables in season or try tinned or frozen versions. Kale or spinach can be frozen, and handfuls taken out as required. This helps prevent waste and saves you money. If you have any fruit that needs using up, bake it in the oven and have on porridge or as a dessert or chop up and freeze in containers so it can be used later for a smoothie. Berries, banana, nectarines, melon and plums can all be used in this way.
  • Preventing waste saves you money, so try not to throw food away.
  • Plan your meals ahead of time. This will prevent buying expensive items in a hurry and extra trips to the shops when you may spend more money than you planned.
  • Look for a local ‘pay as you feel’ supermarket or shop which collects surplus food or has a community fridge. This food is collected from retailers to prevent it ending up in landfill. You will always find fruit and vegetables there and you can usually give your time or make a donation in exchange for food.
  • It’s important to include a wide variety of plant foods to get all the nutrients you need. Including fortified plant milks and yogurts and taking a vitamin B12 supplement will help meet your nutrient requirements. For more information on optimising your diet, use our Plant-Based Eatwell Guide.

 

Look for fruit and vegetables in season

Plant-based shopping list

  • A selection of tinned vegetables and fruit e.g. chopped tomatoes, sweet corn, and pineapple. Choose unsalted and in juice rather than syrup.
  • Seasonal fresh and frozen fruit.
  • Vegetables fresh or frozen.
  • Dried fruit e.g. raisins, sultanas, apricots
  • Tinned or dried chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, butter beans.
  • Dried lentils: red, green, brown, yellow.
  • Grains e.g. Rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat.
  • Dried pasta.
  • Wholemeal bread (freeze to extend life), rice cakes and oat cakes.
  • Porridge oats.
  • Unsweetened fortified plant milk e.g. oat or soya.
  • Unsweetened fortified plant-based yogurt.
  • A good spice selection and fresh onion and garlic for flavour and nutrients. Look for supermarket own branded spices which are cheaper or buy in bulk e.g. curry powder, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, sea salt, chilli powder, cumin, soya sauce, ginger, mixed herbs.
  • Nuts and seeds (can be expensive but check for offers and bulk buys).

Sample Menu Plan

Take out or add items depending on what you have available and your budget.

  • Price per portion depends on ingredients used or amounts added e.g. more or less milk, nuts, seeds and type of vegetables used.
  • A 25g portion of nuts costs on average 33p.
  • A typical 40g portion of porridge with water and plant-based milk costs 13p using the supermarket value oat and soya milk.
  • Lentil and bean chilli costs on average £2.80 for 3-4 servings.
  • Plant-based sources of protein cost on average a third less than animal protein when compared gram for gram.

Take out and add items depending on what you have available and your budget

Breakfast 52p-80p per day

Day 1

Porridge made with water and milk. Top with frozen berries and nuts.

56p

Day 2

Overnight oats (Soak oats with milk the night before).

Top with fruit, nuts and seeds

82p

Day 3

Porridge made with water and milk. Top with raisins, nuts and seeds.

 58p

Day 4

Breakfast smoothie. Use some frozen fruit. Scoop of oats, milk, yogurt and top with seeds.

62p

Day 5

Banana.

Glass of fortified milk (250 ml).

Toast 1 slice and half a can of baked beans.

52p

 

Lunch £1.40-£1.42 per day

Day 1

Mashed chickpea (1 tin is enough for 2 days, mash with a garlic, lemon juice, salt) and vegetable sandwich.

Fruit and vegetable sticks.

Nuts

£1.40

Day 2

Mashed chickpea and vegetable sandwich.

Fruit and vegetable sticks

Nuts

£1.40

Day 3

Oat Cakes

Black beans mix in lemon juice, garlic and seasoning and quinoa

(1 tin beans for 2-3 servings).

Fruit and Vegetable sticks.

£1.42

Day 4

Oat cakes.

Black beans mixed in lemon juice, garlic and seasoning and quinoa.

Fruit and Vegetable sticks.

£1.42

Day 5

Left over from dinner.

Fruit and vegetable sticks.

 

Dinner £1.12-£1.63 per day

Day 1

Chilli made with lentils and kidney beans (can be frozen for another day) served with rice and green vegetables.

Banana and yogurt.

£1.24

Day 2

Chickpea and vegetable curry. Rice (can be frozen).

Green vegetables.

Fruit or Nuts.

£1.16

Day 3

Lentils in tomato sauce with pasta.

Green vegetables.

Banana and yogurt.

£1.12

Day 4

Roasted chickpeas (coat in a small amount of oil, curry or chilli powder, cook in oven for 10-12 minutes).

Sweet or white potato wedges and roasted veg.

Fruit or nuts.

£1.68 using sweet potato. £1.52 using white.

Day 5

Stir fried vegetables, rice and tofu.

Banana and yogurt.

£1.63