For some reason I think there’s this misconception that being vegetarian is expensive, but have you seen the price of a pound of ground beef? Or chicken breasts? It can be so easy to be vegetarian and save money, and this BuzzFeed article I found has a bunch of tips for this.
There are 127 comments of advice, but I’ve summed up the most common ones for you:
Pimp your ramen: As every college student knows, ramen is super cheap, but it’s not the best meal. Pimp it up by adding an egg, some peanut butter, green onion, frozen veggies, and any other spices and sauces your heart desires.
Stay away from meat replacements: Sure, it may seem easy to use fake meatballs or chicken fingers every day, but most of the time those meat replacements can get pricey. Stick to whole foods like beans, lentils and nuts for protein, and have the meat replacements as a treat once in a while.
Stock up on frozen veggies: Not only are frozen veggies just as delicious and nutritious as fresh, they’re also usually cheaper. When you’re ready to use the frozen veggies, you can just microwave or steam them, or throw them in a pan and you’re good to go. You can also freeze fresh veggies you know you’re not going to eat before they go bad to prevent waste.
Make one big batch of meals: Not only does spending an hour making a huge batch of something save time, it can also help you save money by buying the ingredients in bulk. One of the comments recommended fajita veggies, and eating them on wraps, tacos, and rice bowls. Soup was also a suggestion that came up a lot for bulk meals, as well.
Buy. In. Bulk: Bulk stores like Bulk Barn are a great place to stock up on things like rice, dried beans, quinoa, and nuts for a lot cheaper (and it cuts down on packaging).
Potatoes: Potatoes are cheap, DELICIOUS, versatile, and filling. What more could you ask for?
Taco Bell: Taco Bell is cheap, and it’s very easy to switch out meat for beans and cheese in things like burritos, quesadillas and tacos.
If you want to read the whole BuzzFeed post, here’s the link: https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleno/vegetarian-hacks-add-yours
What are your tips to be vegetarian on a budget? Let me know in the comments below!
Sarah's Veggie Venture 