Nowadays, every time we go grocery shopping it seems the bill is always $200 or more, and sometimes it feels like all our money is going exclusively toward food. Whether you live in Canada or the United States, grocery shopping has become a significant expense for many households. Food is something we cannot avoid buying, but are we getting the best nutritional value for our money, and could we find ways to reduce our grocery costs?
Is that $8 package of chicken from Costco really the best option for your health? And is it actually cheaper overall than buying a can of chickpeas, some vegetables, and a few other ingredients to make a nutritious meal?
Many people do not realize how much money they could potentially save by following a vegan diet. And no, this does not mean you have to spend your money on expensive vegan alternatives or completely change the way you cook. In fact, research suggests that eating a plant-based diet is one way to reduce your grocery bill while also improving the nutritional quality of your meals.
A Vegan Diet Could Save You More Than $500 a Year
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) recently highlighted research examining exactly this question: does following a vegan diet actually cost more than eating a regular diet?
The study, titled Vegan Diet and Food Costs Among Adults With Overweight, was conducted by Dr. Hana Kahleova and her research team. It examined whether following a low-fat vegan diet was more expensive than maintaining a person's usual diet.
The study included 244 participants who were randomly assigned to either follow a low-fat vegan diet or continue eating their usual diet for 16 weeks. Participants recorded everything they ate over three consecutive days at the beginning and end of the study.
So, what did they find?
When all the costs were calculated together, the participants following the vegan diet saved an average of $1.51 per day on groceries. That adds up to approximately $551 in savings per person per year, or a 16% reduction in grocery costs. Participants were not instructed to limit their grocery spending or actively look for ways to save money. They were simply following the vegan diet and shopping as they normally would.
By eliminating meat, dairy, and eggs, participants were saving money. For example, they saved about $0.13 per day on eggs, $0.74 on dairy, and $1.77 on meat. And of course bought more plant-based foods like fruit, vegetables and beans. For example, spending increased by approximately $0.40 per day of fruits, vegetable spending increased by $1.03 per day, and bean spending increased by $0.30 per day.
You can read the full study here:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2808910
Eating Healthier Without Spending More
The benefits were not only financial, but also healthier.
Participants increased their consumption of whole grains while reducing their spending on refined grains. They also spent less on sugary drinks, even though they were not instructed to stop purchasing them. The researchers suggested that participants may have felt more satisfied after their meals, which could have contributed to these changes.
This is another important point. Eating vegan does not mean replacing every animal product with an expensive plant-based alternative. In fact, some of the most affordable foods are naturally plant-based.
Think about it. You can make a simple black bean dish with rice, tomatoes, an avocado, and a few spices. You have a meal with fibre, protein, carbohydrates, and other essential nutrients without having to spend money on meat.
Of course, the cost of ingredients varies depending on where you shop, the season, and where you live. Fresh produce can be expensive, and we should not ignore the fact that many families struggle to afford it. However, choosing affordable staples such as dried beans, lentils, rice, potatoes, and seasonal or frozen vegetables can make a significant difference.
There is also no shortage of research showing the financial benefits of eating more plant-based foods. A landmark study from the University of Oxford examined the affordability of different diets across countries and found that healthy vegan diets could reduce food costs by up to 34% in high-income countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
And if you are looking for some affordable vegan meal ideas, this is a great place to start:
https://thestingyvegan.com/vegan-on-a-budget/
Get ready, because we are also going to be sharing some great vegan alternatives to your favourite foods! You do not have to eat boring meals just because they are vegan.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, with grocery prices continuing to put pressure on households, it is worth looking at whether the way we currently shop and eat is actually the most affordable option.
The research is showing us that eating vegan does not have to be expensive. And that replacing meat, dairy, and eggs with more affordable plant-based foods can help reduce grocery bills while increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. The benefits are not only financial but can also support a healthier diet.
And beyond our own grocery bills, there is a much bigger issue. We are using enormous amounts of land and resources to produce animal products while billions of people continue to experience nutrient deficiencies and food insecurity. We need to start questioning whether our current food system is making the best use of the resources we have.
A vegan diet is not going to solve every issue surrounding food affordability or global nutrient scarcity. But it is one practical change that can benefit our wallets, our health, and the animals who are raised and killed for food.
So the next time you are doing your grocery shopping, maybe consider picking up a few more beans, lentils, vegetables, and grains. You might be surprised by how much you can save.
Sources
- Vegan Diet and Food costs; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMsdEvLbtc&t=63s; Interview with Dr. Kahleova
- Physicians Committee's summary; https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/eating-vegan-diet-reduces-grocery-bill-16-savings-more-500-year-finds-new; they saved about $0.13 per day on eggs, $0.74 on dairy, and $1.77 on meat
- Vegan Diet and Food Costs Among Adults With Overweight; https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2808910; The participants following the vegan diet saved an average of $1.51 per day on groceries. That adds up to approximately $551 in savings per person per year, or a 16% reduction in grocery costs.
- Sustainable eating is cheaper and healthier; https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-11-11-sustainable-eating-cheaper-and-healthier-oxford-study; healthy vegan diets could reduce food costs by up to 34% in high-income countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
Picture credits and sources: Man and woman shopping for groceries; from the physicians committee research summary Two other photos of food; from Megapixl non-copyright website