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June 29, 2016

Is being vegan more expensive?

There’s no doubt about it – veganism is definitely on its way to becoming mainstream. With far more than just a handful of celebrities publicly backing plant-based diets, governments urging countries to cut down on meat consumption and trend data showing an spike in interest for vegan products, we can safely say that veganism is not just for hippies anymore.

One common misconception that hasn’t quite dissipated yet however, is the money matter. Across the board people seem to still be convinced that a vegan diet, while better for your body, animals and the environment, is not so beneficial to your bank account. Of course, this is hardly a new debate; but having been faced with this question a number of times, I thought it best to take to pen and paper (or laptop and keyboard, rather) to settle the answer once and for all.

So, is being vegan more expensive than following a “standard” diet?

The short, simple and truthful answer is no. If you were to pile your shopping basket full of vegetables, fruit, beans and rice, I’m willing to bet it’d cost you less than 5 steaks and an eggplant (kudos to anyone who got that reference). Pound for pound, simple plant-based ingredients are cheaper than their animal-derived counterparts – this is a fact that a quick trip to your local grocery store can indeed confirm. 00-VV-14-0723b2-19-cheap-vegan


The long, more complex and brutally honest answer is: no, eating vegan does not have to be more expensive. But it probably will end up costing you more.

Let’s delve deeper here.

While the vast majority of vegetarians and vegans choose to adopt their lifestyles out of concern for animal welfare (among other reasons), most people come to veganism through a much larger exploration. High on the list of motivational drivers are personal ethics, concern for the environment, and most commonly, in our day and age of chronic disease, health.

As a result, many new vegans are also newly converted health-foodies. I know I certainly was. Having always had a soft-spot for cooking from a young age, it really blossomed early on during my vegan journey. Suddenly I became obsessed with buying organic where possible. Health food stores were like disneyland to me. My cupboards started to fill up with more spices than I had ever heard of. I bought every bean and pulse I could find, and my superfood collection was shaping up nicely with chia seeds, buckwheat, goji berries, cacao powder and quinoa becoming staples.

While there are of course exceptions (junk food vegans do exist, trust me) the chances are that if you’re transitioning into a veg*n diet, you’ve probably started to learn a thing or two about nutrition, and are becoming more selective about what ends up in your shopping cart. This may mean opting for more premium items which, admittedly, don’t come as cheap as beans and rice.

Another important factor to consider is the cost of vegan speciality food items. Things like vegan sausages, mock deli-meats, vegan cheeses and other imitation dairy products also cost quite a pretty penny, but for good reason. A vegan cheese start-up, for example, receives few to no government subsidies (as opposed to its dairy-farm counterpart), operates in a much smaller niche market and therefore has a smaller production scale. Not to mention the high costs of R&D – mass producing plant-based versions of animal-based products is no easy feat and takes a significant amount of experimentation, development and testing.

So where does one draw the line? Can we definitively say that veganism and other plant-based diets  are accessible and realistic for all, regardless of income?
In my opinion, yes.
Being vegan is about more than just fancy food. It is about doing the least amount of harm possible, and living a compassionate lifestyle to the best of your ability. While I’m grateful to have access to exotic ingredients and specialty items, I’m very aware that these things are indeed luxuries, and not necessities. It is 100% possible to make delicious, satisfying and nutrient dense meals from simple, unprocessed and humble plant-based ingredients.
If you still find that switching to a plant-based diet is a little bit cost prohibitive, here are my top  tips to staying vegan on a budget:
1. Buy local, or as local as possible. Living in Bahrain, this isn’t always so easy as most of our fresh produce is imported year-round. That said, I always try to buy fruit and veg that has travelled the least amount of possible. Don’t be afraid to be the crazy person asking the greengrocer where the grapes are from – your wallet will thank you.
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2. Spend to save. While I haven’t always been a believer in this myself, it definitely makes a difference. Buying from bulk bins and taking advantage of special offers and promotions is key. I also make it a point to do my bigger shopping trips at supermarkets with friendlier prices.
3. Specialty food items are a treat, not a must-have. It can be tempting to stock-up on vegan ice cream, pizza, cheese and  yoghurt, sure. However not only are these items going to run up a significant bill at the check-out counter, they’re also highly processed and ultimately not the healthiest options. Try to limit your purchases for when you’re really craving them, or set yourself a limit of 1 item per shopping trip, for example.
4. Don’t be afraid to substitute. If I had a dollar for every time I went out to buy an obscure expensive ingredient for a recipe, I probably would’ve made all my money back! If your recipe calls for raw apple cider vinegar or nama shoyu sauce and you don’t have it, just leave it out or substitute with something similar.
5. Keep it simple, silly. For cost-effective and nutrient-filled meals that don’t cost the earth try to stick to “a grain, a green and a bean”. My favourite go-to meal of all time is brown rice or quinoa, steamed green vegetables like broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts and chickpeas with a dressing or seasoning on top.
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Do you think being vegan is more expensive? 
Until next time, friends!

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Veganism Tagged With: musings, vegan myths, veganism

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Daaim Shabazz says

    June 30, 2016 at 1:05 am

    It’s cheaper than doctor bills.

    Reply
  2. Camilla says

    June 30, 2016 at 1:56 am

    It’s been so long since my family and I ate anything but vegan stuff, so it’s hard to tell, but no, I don’t think being vegan is more expensive.

    Reply
  3. Mr Stephen G Anderson says

    June 30, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    Your post is almost spot on, as usual. The one factor you haven’t taken account of is geography. In desert regions (hot and cold) plant based diets may not be feasible, especially for nomadic people. Given that they will mainly be hunter gatherers, their food may come at no or low monetary cost to them. My favourite North African- Mediterranean basin-“Middle-East”-“Far-East” vegan food sources may cost rather a lot if you live near the Arctic Circle!

    Reply
  4. Kledja says

    July 4, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    I really like your articles. They’re insightful, thoughtful, and well balanced. I agree with you that being vegan does not have to be expensive. I only find vegan-ism to be expensive when I try to buy fancy items to please my omnivore family, or when I’m trying to cut corners and buying ready prepared food instead of making it at home (buying hummus instead of making it). Bottom line for me is: healthy food is love, and if we do not make time to give healthy food to our bodies then we’re not giving enough love to ourselves or others. Happy Ramadan!! Two more days to go 🙂

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Nada, (pronounced ned-a). I create simple, healthy, plant-based recipes inspired by Middle Eastern flavours and write about leading a vegan lifestyle in the Arab world. Read More…

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