How I Make Vegan Meals on $50 a Week
All of my tips and tricks for vegan food budgeting. This is how I prep a full week of vegan meals on ~ $50 per week.
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How I Make Vegan Meals on $50 a Week
Good morning friends! Today, I want to talk a bit about food budgeting. It’s no secret that food can be a huge expense. I personally find that when I don’t plan out at least some of my meals for the week, I end up spending more than I would like on groceries. Fortunately, with a bit of careful planning, I am able to spend around $50 each week on groceries. Here are the key ways that I make it happen.
How I Meal Prep On a Budget – Ingredients
The following are some of the main ingredients I purchase each month:
- Rolled Oats (I get a huge bag at Costco which lasts me quite some time)
- Peanut Butter or Almond Butter (Again, I purchase this at Costco)
- Frozen Fruit (I usually go for blueberries or strawberries, and I get these at Aldi)
- Pasta (I like whole wheat and lentil/chickpea pasta)
- Tofu (I like the extra firm kind)
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Canned Beans (I love black beans, chickpeas, and refried beans)
- Canned Beets
- Canned Pumpkin
- Canned Tomatoes (I mix these with olive oil to make an easy marinara sauce)
- Hard Corn Taco Shells (or flour tortillas)
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Baby Carrots
- Spinach/Greens
- Sweet Potatoes
- A Few Other Produce Items (I try to shop in-season to keep my costs low)
- Hummus
- Almondmilk (One carton typically lasts me one to two weeks)
- Fresh Sourdough Bread
- Sauerkraut/Kimchi
- Popcorn
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Coffee
Other Items That I Purchase Less Frequently Include:
- Coconut Flour
- Protein Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Unsweetened Applesauce
- Baking Powder/Soda
- Coconut Sugar
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Chia Seeds
- Ground Flaxseed
- Hemp Hearts
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds
- Condiments (Mustard, Ketchup, etc.)
- Seasonings
- Olive Oil
- Coffee Creamer
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- Other Breads (Pita Bread, Crumpets, etc.)
The grand total for all of my staple foods comes out to about $50 per week. I have to pay more up front for some items (like the oats and nut butters), but they last me a long time. So, everything evens out. Some of my staple meals include oatmeal, sandwiches, tacos, salads, and pasta.
How I Make Vegan Meals – The Menu
The above ingredients may not seem like much, but I can actually make a ton of different dishes out of these basic staple foods. The following are some examples of meals I make each week that utilize the above ingredients.
How I Make Vegan Meals On a Budget – Breakfast
For breakfast, I am a creature of habit. So, I eat oatmeal most days for breakfast (especially on work days). I almost always have my oatmeal with peanut butter/almond butter and fruit.
But, sometimes I like to switch things up. When I want a savory breakfast, I will usually go for a couple slices of sourdough (or whole wheat) bread topped with avocado. I also really enjoy a veggie tofu scramble.
How I Make Vegan Meals On a Budget – Lunch
For lunch, I like to switch things up a lot. I’ll either have a tofu scramble, a burrito/tacos, a sweet potato salad, a nourish bowl, pasta, etc.
How I Make Vegan Meals On a Budget – Dinner
For dinner, I often make similar meals to what I make for lunch. I love a good soup and sandwich, bowl of pasta, burrito, nourish bowl, etc.
How I Make Vegan Meals On a Budget – Dessert
For dessert, I love to freeze some bananas in chunks and make banana “nice” cream out of them. I will blend the frozen banana chunks up in my food processor with the tiniest splash of almond milk. This makes the consistency incredibly thick and creamy. I like to top my nice cream with a peanut butter drizzle and/or chocolate chips, and it’s the perfect summer treat.
There are also a ton of desserts that I like to make using oats, coconut flour, cocoa powder, etc.
Other Ways I Save Money on Groceries
The following are some more easy ways that I save money on groceries each and every week.
- I buy generic brand products — I often buy grocery store brand products to save money, especially on things like pasta, bread, tortillas, etc. They are cheaper and often have similar ingredients. Plus, I don’t really taste a difference for most items.
- I buy in bulk —I like to buy things that I eat often in bulk to save money. This includes oats, frozen fruit, nut butters, etc.
- I limit eating out — I try to eat out 1-2x per week max. This helps me save money on food. Plus, I make my coffee at home most of the time which saves me quite a bit as well.
- I avoid convenience foods—The pre-packaged foods tend to be more expensive, so I prefer to buy fresh ingredients and meal prep on Sunday’s. I know this isn’t feasible for everyone, but I have the time and I enjoy cooking.
- I get versatile ingredients — I like to buy ingredients that I can use for multiple recipes so that my food doesn’t go to waste and my meals don’t get to repetitive and boring.
How I Make Vegan Meals On a Budget – Final Thoughts
While budgeting can be a bit tedious, it has helped me immensely with staying on top of my spending, especially on necessary things like food. Anyway, that’s it for this post. I hope you all enjoyed it. As per usual, I will be back with more content very soon.
-Alyssa 🙂
