I wrote this blogpost in French when I was on holiday in South of France with my parents. I enjoyed the time off to write about the recipes I want to share with you on my blog. A lot of readers and followers told me that eating plant based is asking a lot of money. And that might be true, if you eat a lot of surrogate meat from the supermarket and/or choose for a 100% organic lifestyle.
Yes, a lot of people are mixing both lifestyles. You can be a zero waste, organic & vegan person but it’s also possible to be just one of them or to mix for example eating vegan with other ways of living. So eating plant based is not by definition eating organically.
Easily accessible, but not cheaper
You can find plant based food quite easy in most supermarkets, in the nearest organic shop or in vegan shops. Often called a vegan sausage, veggie burger and many more others names. Many opinions exist and you are free to have and debate them. However, this kind of industrial product is often full of additives, sugar and/or salt: not that healthy for your body especially because of the sugar and the salt.
In my opinion, using these meat replacements are a nice way to start to ‘veganize’ your meals and your way of eating. You can buy them easy and they don’t take much time to prepare. I use them when I do burgers at home, or sometimes in a chili sin carne. But honestly, I prefer using natural tofu or tempeh that I marinate myself. Preparing these more neutral products are not only cheaper but also more adapting to the finishing recipe. So, to go on a more budget based plant based diet, using less ‘ready made’ products and to experiment with the basics is a first money saver.
Buying in Bulk can be Up to 30% cheaper
Buying in bulk is usually cheaper than buying small amounts in prepared packages. Especially if you already eat organic or buy the big brands (no discount brands). It can be up to 30% cheaper than those packages. If you can or have access to an organic market, it will be even cheaper. It’s also better for the planet as you’ll be reducing waste and if you pay for your waste per kilo (like at my parents place) you even save money after you bought the products. Or you save money on the trash bags, they are quite expensive nowadays.
Tastier and healthier
Maybe I repeat myself when I write that when you prepare food from basic products yourself it is usually not only cheaper but also healthier. You can control the quantity of all ingredients, you can also control what you add (extra) in your recipe. And it can be a nice moment to share with a roommate or the children when doing cakes and cookies. Did you know, for example, that in most recipes you can change the amount of sugar? And, in times of the social media, internet and a more individualizing society, it’s great to get some quality time with others.
This article is only the beginning of combining a budget & plant based adventure. Are you ready to get on this culinary adventure with me? I promise to share a lot of new recipes, suggestions, experiments with you later on. I promise that it will not only be on a budget, but also minimalist, cruelty free and plant based.
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