10 Cheap Plant-Based Meals

Eating plant-based on a budget

Interest in plant-forward diets has been growing, but critics say they can be expensive and time-consuming. While there’s no shortage of new premade plant-based products hitting grocery store shelves and freezer aisles, eating a plant-based diet is easily achievable and cost-effective if you build meals around affordable staples.

“Switching to a more plant-based diet can actually save you money,” says registered dietitian Sharon Palmer, the “Plant-Powered Dietitian.” Often, animal protein is the most expensive food on the plate. In comparison, plant proteins like beans, peanuts and tofu are economical choices.”

Instead of relying on premade vegan products, base quick meals on these inexpensive foods:

— Pulses like beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas

— Rice, pasta, oats and other whole grains

— Potatoes and sweet potatoes

— Frozen vegetables and canned tomatoes

Tips for affordable plant-based meals

Palmer suggests these five tips for eating plant-based on a budget.

1. Purchase seasonal produce. Eating produce when it’s in season is typically less expensive than buying fresh produce out of season that must travel great distances to reach where you live.

2. Rely on frozen and canned produce. When seasonal produce is not available, opting for frozen or canned vegetables and fruits can be less costly than buying fresh produce that is out of season.

3. Buy in bulk. Buying staple items, such as brown rice, oats, dried beans and nuts, in bulk can significantly reduce costs, as well as unnecessary food packaging.

4. Know where to shop. Explore your best local markets with the lowest prices, bulk bin access, and an abundance of minimally processed plant-based food options to help keep your food costs within your budget.

5. Plan and prep. Preparing meals for the week ahead with simple, budget-friendly ingredients can help you avoid costly food purchases on the go.

Loaded sweet potato

A loaded sweet potato is one of my favorite plant-based meals that is easy to assemble with ingredients I typically have on hand. I prefer sweet potatoes, but you can use a large russet potato instead.

1. Drizzle a whole sweet potato with olive oil and poke holes in it before setting it on a baking sheet.

2. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes at 425 F until soft inside; cut open and pile high with your toppings.

3. Some of my go-to potato toppers include black beans, salsa or pico de gallo, shredded cheese and diced avocado.

4. Try other toppings: roasted chickpeas with cumin and smoked paprika, sauteed spinach or mushrooms, roasted peppers and onions or vegetarian chili.

Black bean and tortilla soup

Soup is an excellent way to enjoy a cost-effective plant-based meal, especially when you rely on inexpensive ingredients like beans, lentils, rice, potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Jackie Newgent, a Los Angeles-based culinary nutritionist and author of “The Plant-Based Diabetes Cookbook,” is a big fan of budget-friendly beans that are featured in her recipe for a quick-to-assemble black bean soup.

1. Bring to a boil 1 (15-ounce) can drained black beans, 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth, 1 diced large tomato, 1 sliced extra-small jalapeño, juice of 1/2 lime, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, then simmer 7 to 8 minutes.

2. Add salt to taste.

3. Top with broken tortilla chips and a handful of fresh cilantro.

“Scrappy” hash

To save money, Newgent recommends using all parts of the produce you buy. She suggests opting for dual-use vegetables like carrots with their leafy tops.

“You can roast the carrots and dress them with carrot-top chimichurri or pesto sauce,” she says.

Newgent suggests saving all edible vegetable scraps and use for simmering into a broth, roasting and pureeing into a hummus or sauteing into a hash.

She created this recipe for ‘scrappy’ hash that uses leftover vegetable scraps.

1. Sauté 3 1/2 cups cubed boiled unpeeled red potatoes (chilled) in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes over medium.

2. Add another 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil along with 2 cups leftover fresh non-starchy vegetable scraps, 2 minced large garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and sauté for 10 minutes over medium-high.

3. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar. If you’d like, top with fried eggs.

Mediterranean bowl with edamame and quinoa

Any type of one-dish-in-a-bowl with grains and vegetables is an easy, cost-effective plant-based meal. Stock your pantry with canned beans and different grains like quinoa, farro, rice and bulgur wheat. This vegan version created by Sharon Palmer is a Greek-inspired bowl.

Ingredients:

— 2 cups loosely packed leafy greens

— ½ cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

— ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

— ½ cup cooked quinoa

— 10 Kalamata olives, pitted, whole

— 1 small cucumber with peel, sliced

— ¼ cup sliced red onions

— 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Mediterranean vinaigrette:

— 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

— 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

— Pinch each of garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper and smoked paprika

— ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

1. Fill one large, individual-sized bowl (about 3 cups capacity) with greens.

2. Arrange ingredients on top.

3. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in a small dish and drizzle over the bowl.

Italian chopped salad

Salads are always a good choice for a plant-based meal. Just be sure to add a source of plant-based protein, including beans, lentils, falafel, nuts, seeds, edamame, whole grains, tofu or tempeh.

Created by Palmer, this salad featuring economical canned chickpeas is a bright, crunchy and nutrient-dense meal.

Ingredients:

— ½ head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 4 cups)

— 2 cups red cabbage, chopped

— 1 cup peeled, diced jicama

— 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

— 1 small cucumber, with peel, diced

— ¼ red onion, diced

— ½ cup sliced green olives

— 1 (15-ounce) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Italian vinaigrette:

— 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

— 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

— 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, diced (or 1 teaspoon dried)

— Pinch salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Add lettuce, cabbage, jicama, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green olives, and chickpeas to a large salad bowl and gently toss.

2. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over the salad and gently toss.

Easy vegetable tostadas

Tacos, tostadas, quesadillas and fajitas can be quick, budget-friendly options. They can be filled with refried beans, grilled portobello mushrooms, buffalo-style cauliflower or roasted spiced sweet potatoes and black beans.

“Starting with a tortilla as a base offers endless possibilities to create a meal that’s truly satisfying,” says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of “The Superfood Swap” and “The Flexitarian Diet.”

“And tortillas aren’t just for Mexican-inspired dishes; they can be the foundation for a wide variety of flavorful, affordable meals,” says Blatner, who also recommends a chickpea Caesar wrap with smashed chickpeas, romaine or kale, tomatoes and Caesar dressing.

Here’s Blatner’s recipe for what she calls “lazy veggie tostadas,” which she says works well with any vegetables you have on hand.

Ingredients:

— 6 sprouted corn or grain-free tortillas

— 1 can refried black beans

— 1 small white onion, chopped

— 3 cups fresh spinach

— 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, chopped

— 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

— Mexican/taco seasoning

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 F.

2. Place tortillas on a large sheet pan and bake for about 5 minutes until they begin to crisp up.

3. Remove from oven and top each with beans, onions, spinach, tomatoes, shredded cheese and seasoning.

4. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

Vegetable burrito

Tortillas can also be used to make plant-based burritos. Newgent suggests being a “plant protein mixologist.” To use a pricier plant protein, such as tempeh, she recommends stretching it with not-so-pricey plant-based options like lentils.

For instance, make a vegetarian burrito filling by crumbling tempeh and sauteing it with cooked lentils, diced onions, a splash of tomato sauce, Mexican seasonings and a squirt of lime juice.

Newgent also suggests plant protein pairings, such as beans and whole grains or beans and nuts or seeds.

One of her favorite vegetarian burritos layers plant-based cream cheese, refried black beans, mashed avocado, pico de gallo, brown rice, sauteed vegetables of choice (or leftovers), cilantro and salsa verde on a sprouted grain tortilla.

Mediterranean-inspired chickpea salad sandwich

There are endless ways to create quick and economical plant-based sandwiches using different breads, buns, wraps and pitas. Try this vegan sandwich made with mashed chickpeas created by registered dietitian Catherine Perez, creator of Plant-Based RD and author of “Peaceful Kitchen.”

Ingredients:

— 1/4 small red onion, minced

— 3 cloves garlic, minced

— Juice of two lemons

— 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

— 1/3 cup olives, roughly chopped

— 2 teaspoons capers (optional)

— 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

— 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

— 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

— 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

— 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, diced

— 1/4 cup tahini

— 1/4 cup water

— Salt and pepper to taste

— Bread for serving

1. In a small bowl, add red onion, garlic and a pinch of salt then squeeze the juice of one lemon over top. Stir well and allow to sit.

2. Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to a medium-sized mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until chunky.

3. Add olives, capers, herbs, spices, tomatoes and onion-garlic mixture to the bowl with chickpeas.

4. In the same small bowl used for the onion-garlic mixture, mix tahini and water. Whisk together until creamy then pour into the bowl with the chickpeas.

5. Sprinkle the top of the bowl with another pinch of salt, add in remaining lemon juice and fold mixture together to fully combine.

6. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Give another good mix and adjust seasoning before serving between two slices of bread.

Baked hummus pasta

Pasta is a budget-friendly, versatile ingredient for plant-based meals. Choose your favorite pasta and top it with pesto and parmesan cheese, lentil bolognese or white beans and tomatoes. This pasta dish created by Perez uses hummus as a protein source. It’s loaded with flavor and is simple to make.

“You can save extra money by making your own hummus,” says Perez. “Making your own hummus is easy and requires chickpeas as the base. You can also adjust the flavors more compared to store-bought hummus.”

Ingredients:

— 1pint cherry tomatoes

— 3 to 4 peeled garlic cloves

— 1 cup hummus

— 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

— 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

— 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

— 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

— 8 ounces dry pasta

— 1 cup reserved pasta water

— 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into strips

— 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

— 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips

— Juice of half a lemon

— Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large baking dish, add cherry tomatoes, garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil; toss to combine.

2. Make a well in the center of your baking dish add hummus and then top with the herbs and remaining olive oil.

3. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomatoes are blistered and juicy.

4. While hummus bakes, prepare pasta according to package, making sure to season the water with salt. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce after the pasta cooks.

5. Once tomatoes and hummus are cooked, carefully mash tomatoes and garlic with a fork to fully release their juices, then mix into the hummus to get a thicker sauce.

6. Add in pasta water, sun-dried tomatoes and nutritional yeast, making sure to stir well to create the sauce.

7. Pour in cooked pasta, fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon juice, then toss to coat evenly and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Crispy tofu with peanut butter noodles

Tofu is a fast, easy and affordable way to add high-quality protein to meals, says registered dietitian Dana White, author of “Healthy One Pan Dinners.”

“My favorite preparation is well-drained, extra-firm tofu, cubed and tossed with a sprinkle of seasoning,” she says. “Add a drizzle of oil and cook until golden in the air fryer, oven, or skillet and it’s ready to rock. Add that crispy tofu to rice bowls, stir-fries, wraps and noodle dishes.”

Try her noodle recipe, which she says is a game changer for those who think they don’t like tofu.

Ingredients:

— 14 ounces extra-firm tofu

— 1 pound spaghetti or brown rice pasta

— 2 tablespoons cornstarch

— 1/4 cup canola oil

— 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

— 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari

— 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

— 2 teaspoons honey

— 1 teaspoon sesame oil

— 1 teaspoon minced garlic

— 2 cups grated carrots

— 2 cups sliced cucumber

— Sriracha for serving

1. Drain tofu and cut into cubes. Gently press with paper towels to remove as much of the liquid as possible without breaking the pieces.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving some cooking liquid; drain and set aside in a large bowl.

3. Place drained tofu in a bowl and toss with cornstarch. Heat canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu and cook, turning frequently, until crispy and golden, about 10-12 minutes.

4. While tofu is cooking, prepare peanut sauce. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl. Continue to whisk until sauce is completely smooth, thinning with a little warm water until it reaches desired consistency.

5. Pour sauce over hot pasta and toss to coat. Adding some of the reserved pasta water if needed.

6. Serve pasta topped with tofu and vegetables.

Plant-based meals can be cheap and easy

You can make affordable plant-based meals and stick to a budget at the grocery store by shopping seasonal produce, buying in bulk, opting for frozen or canned and knowing where to find deals. To save money without sacrificing nutrition, try planning meals using inexpensive foods such as black beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, lentils and other vegetables.

Here are 10 dishes to try:

— Loaded sweet potato

— Black bean and tortilla soup

— “Scrappy” hash

— Mediterranean bowl with edamame and quinoa

— Italian chopped salad

— Easy vegetable tostadas

— Vegetable burrito

— Mediterranean-inspired chickpea salad sandwich

— Baked hummus pasta

— Crispy tofu with peanut butter noodles

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