Most people usually adopt a vegetarian lifestyle for ethical reasons, such as protecting the right of animals, personal/religious reasons or environmental reasons. This explains why there are varieties in the forms of vegetarianism and kind of restrictions that come with each of them.
A vegetarian diet which excludes eating of meat, fish and poultry, has lots of health benefits such as enhancing weight loss, reducing cancer risk, stabilizing blood sugar levels, and promoting heart health among others.
Since foods like dairy, eggs, fish and any other foods from animal sources are all off limit on a complete plant based meal plan, individuals choosing to make this transition may find it challenging to shop for or select foods at first. They may spend quite a bit buying processed, costly meat and dairy alternatives. This does not have to be the case. This post will educate you on the steps you can take to plan a cheap vegetarian meal plan, without missing out on essential proteins, vitamins and nutrients and jeopardizing your health or starving yourself in any way.
1. Go For Cheap Whole Foods
The first tip in making a cheap vegetarian meal plan is basing your meals on cheap whole foods. Processed vegan foods such as meat substitutes, sweets and vegan cheese are generally more expensive than whole foods.
By staying away or avoiding processed substitutes for meat and dairy and choosing whole foods, you will benefit from consuming fewer chemicals and other preservatives, and save a lot more with regards to spending.
It is time to start thinking of whole, unprocessed foods, as raw materials. Legumes, nuts and seeds, grains such as oats and brown rice can all be used to create and maintain an vegetarian meal plan. From homemade plant based spreads to sauces to cheese to milk to granola to pies, just to name a few. What you can create is truly limitless. Feel free to contact us for ideas on some of these tasty, yet cheap alternatives.
2. Make Time To Plan Ahead
Planning is very important if you are going to create a healthy but cheap vegetarian meal plan to meet your budget. The headache comes when you decide what you want to eat at the last minute and this racks up the cost of things.
Spend a few minutes each week to put down your ideas for daily meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Next, come up with a grocery list. This can be done by going through your pantry and refrigerator to determine any missing ingredients.
Batch food prepping and cooking as a result of planning ahead will save you much time and money.
If you mainly shop at supermarkets, as much as possible, navigate the perimeter of the supermarket. This is where you will find whole foods. When you wonder to the center and other isles, not only will the food choices be more processed, but you are more likely to spend money on that which you do not need.
Try to buy fresh produce. Organic and inorganic products from farmer’s market are significantly cheaper than the ones in the grocery store/supermarket.
3. Follow These Shopping Tips
Opt for seasonal whole fruits and vegetables when grocery shopping. They are cheaper and you can freeze them in different forms for later use.
Buy frozen vegetables; They come in very handy when certain foods become scarce and as result, more expensive. They can also save you time when you want a healthy meal, but don't have much time to spare or simply too tired from a long day. They are convenient, pre-washed, chopped and readily available to be steamed, stir fry or used in a stew.
Buying frozen fruit such as berries will also help you save a lot of money.
Buy your foods in bulk; it is one of the most effective ways to save more money on your weekly budget. However, you need to be wise and avoid foods that are high in salt, sugar and fat. Fresh products do not have long shelf life, so don’t buy them in too large quantities.
Don’t forget to compare prices when shopping around.
4. Try These Tips For Your Kitchen
Arrange your kitchen, structure your freezer, fridge and pantry with cheap vegetarian food.
- Dry Store
In your dry pantry, you can have all kinds grains such as rice, oats, pasta, barley, quinoa, all kinds of dry lentils and beans and canned beans( in the event of emergencies).
- Fridge
Your fridge should consist of seasonal fruits and vegetables, and foods such as leafy greens wrapped in damp paper towel for durability.
- Freezer
Fill your freezer with leftovers, frozen herbs, fruits and vegetables that can be frozen and whole wheat bread as well.
Storing foods in the appropriate manner will help them last longer and save you money.
5. Grow your own fruits and vegetables
You do not need to acquire acres of land to eat healthy. Consider vertical farming techniques in your home as well as backyard. For instance, cucumbers can be grown using a vertical rack, Irish potatoes can easily be grown in buckets, you can sprout beans for a more nutrition dense food, spring onions can be easily grown in a glass. These a few out of many ideas that you can incorporate to eat not only healthier but economically as well.
Take Away
Instead of the processed foods that add fat, sugar and sodium to your diet, go for whole foods instead.
Be sure each of your meals comes with adequate fiber and protein. Protein sources for vegetarian foods include seeds, nuts, beans, soybeans, legumes and whole grains such as quinoa. Most vegetables and fruits are loaded with fiber and beans, whole grains, berries and oat bran are especially great sources of this nutrient.
