There are just some foods that you always have on hand in your home, right? I am sure you can relate. People try to say that eating vegan is expensive, but that is a crazy misconception. Plenty of the cheapest items in the grocery store are vegan. I think people assume you need to buy the mock meat/cheese and special vegan products in order to be vegan, but if you are truly just eating whole plant-based foods in their pure form, you’ll find that they are actually very cheap eats. I actually wrote an entire post on cheap vegan foods here if you are interested in a longer list.
Say it with me: Beans and rice are not gonna break the bank.
In particular, these are the items that I buy nearly every week (or as soon as they run out). They get used quicker than any other ingredients, to be honest, and are dirt dirt cheap. If you don’t keep them on hand, I think you’ll consider after you read more.
— Bananas. Bananas are like… 19 cents a lb. They are the quickest snack in the world that will fill you up. They can be used in smoothies, frozen for nice cream, cut up in oats and cereal, as a sweetener or to replace eggs in baking… endless uses for this baby. I never leave the grocery store without them.
— Oats. I eat oats for breakfast nearly every single day, is that a good enough reason? They are so versatile and can be made a million different ways. I prefer mine like this. I also use for overnight oats, cookies, and pancakes. I get a 42 oz container for about $2.50. Cheapest. breakfast. bowl. ever.
— Tomato paste. At 29 cents a can, I stock up on 4-6 of these at a time. One can will usually be used for 1-2 different dishes (depending on what it is). I use tomato paste to make pizza sauce, Italian gravy, soup bases, curries, and more.
— Rice. A cheap and easy grain to serve with soups, stews, stir-fry, curries, etc. I make a huge batch of rice every week just to have ready to roll. My grocery store carries a 10 lb bag for a little over $5. INSANELY CHEAP!!
— Dried beans. I grab a 4 lb bag of black beans for a little over $5 and it lasts me a few weeks. I make these slow-cooked beans on the reg and use them for soups, refried beans, burrito/taco/quesadilla filling, and just as is. I also love pinto, white, chickpeas, and kidney beans. The chickpeas in particular are my favorite addition to pasta.
— Potatoes. White and sweet potatoes, doesn’t matter which. Hearty and healthy and cheap. Great for soups, stews, hash, roasting, mashing, sauces, etc. You can get a huge bag for about $3.
— Lentils. My babies. I use lentils every week because they are not only nutritional powerhouses, but just so delicious and versatile. My favorite way to enjoy is in a soup, but I also use for lentil loaf (like meat loaf), sloppy joe filling, in salads, mashed in sandwich, and taco filling. A 16 oz bag runs about $1.29.
— Frozen veggies. Did you know frozen veggies and fruits are harvested at their ripest and then frozen? Really… you are not missing out if you use frozen veggies. Fresh is great and so is frozen in a pinch. My freezer is jam-packed with frozen corn, broccoli, spinach, peas, cauliflower, medleys… you name it. The best part is how easy it is to bulk up a stir-fry, soup, or any dish that calls for vegetables. A 24 oz bag averages anywhere between 99 cents to $2 where I shop.
— Kale. At 99 cents a lb and weighing next to nothing to begin with, kale is a super green that I have in my fridge every week for salad, sandwiches, soups, pasta dishes, sauces… really, anything.
— Pasta. About 99 cents a box… it’s a no-brainer for this Italian household to have on hand. All different varieties for tons of recipes… soups, bakes, pasta dishes, etc. This is also the easiest and quickest kind of meal to make when I am in a pinch or making something that I know Willow will like.
What are some of your cheap vegan staples? xx bianca
Same as yours, really, except for rice. Also, wheat flour, rye flour and if we can get it either soy flour, chickpea flour, quinoa flour or hemp flour to add when we make bread.
All great additions. xo