It must be acknowledged that being shamed for what you’re eating by a smug vegan is not everyone’s idea of a good time. We all know someone who brings up their virtuous eating plan within the first few minutes of every conversation. For some of us, all that dietary purity induces a mad desire to go find the nearest medium-rare hamburger and gobble it down right in front of them, just to be contrary.
But with the price of eggs and meat on the rise, there’s another argument for going vegan: It can save you money.
Maggie Baird knows a lot about the music industry (she’s the mother of Grammy Award-winning artists Billie Eilish and Finneas), but she also knows quite a bit about food systems and how they work. She’s the founder and president of Support and Feed, a nonprofit that works on mitigating climate change and increasing food security by driving global demand, acceptance and accessibility of plant-based food. And she’s clear that the consumption of meat, eggs and cheese, in addition to having a negative impact on health and the environment, is a very expensive way to eat.
Baird brings a home cook’s sensibility to the often-polarizing debate about why, or why not, to eat certain foods. “I save a lot of money compared to those who eat animal products,” she said.
While many vegans find themselves spending quite a bit on processed, convenience-focused, plant-based food, Baird buys bulk ingredients and always has options on hand. “The more you start from scratch, the more you’ll save,” she said.
She cooks with lentils, beans, quinoa, rice and in-season or frozen fruits and vegetables. One of her family’s favorites is her “kitchen sink” veggie burgers that include salsa, onion, garlic, beans, grains, nuts, mushrooms and chickpea flour. “I make a lot and freeze them, and they’re super affordable,” she said.
Describing herself as a “prolific baker,” she noted, “There are definite savings to be found in replacing eggs, butter and other dairy products with plant-based items. I use flaxseed, mashed banana, applesauce, plant-based yogurt, whipped aquafaba, powdered egg replacer made from potato starch, or a combination of these. They’re all less expensive than eggs, in addition to being better for the planet and more humane.”
Will you save money if you cut out eggs, meat and cheese?
The vegans we talked to acknowledged that it’s very possible to eat for much less as a vegan — if you focus on whole, unprocessed ingredients.
“Eating plant-based is not only about a third of the cost [according to studies], but it’s really delicious and simple,” said Michelle Courtright, the former owner of famed vegan/vegetarian restaurant Fig + Farro, which closed in 2020. “The food costs at my restaurant were 15% to 20% lower than that of restaurants serving animal products,” she said. And that’s still true today.
For Courtright, it’s not an all-or-nothing eating choice, either, and those who are cutting back on animal products will still spend less when they eat more plants. “If Americans can reduce consumption of meat and dairy even slightly, they’ll notice a huge shift in their health, their environment and their pocketbooks,” she said.
Gabrielle Reyes, host of YouTube’s “The Colorful Home Cooking Show,” has been vegan since 2011, and she’s learned how to stretch her budget by eating plants.
“When I first started shopping as a vegan, I had just $40 for an entire week of groceries, so I learned to make every dollar count,” she said. “With affordable staples like beans, lentils, rice and in-season produce, I discovered how easy it was to create filling, flavorful meals without breaking the bank.
“Since going vegan, I’ve stopped spending money on high-priced items like beef, cheese and eggs, which means I’m always saving, no matter how the economy fluctuates,” she said. “While grocery prices rise, plants remain some of the most affordable and nourishing foods available. Instead of dropping cash on expensive cuts of meat or dairy, I invest in whole ingredients that stretch further and can be transformed into endless delicious meals. No matter what’s happening in the world, my grocery bill stays low, my meals stay vibrant and my wallet stays happy.”
Here’s how to save right now by using egg substitutes.
Vance Lehmkuhl is the director of the American Vegan Center and communications director of the American Vegan Society. He was a vegetarian for 15 years before becoming a vegan in 2000, and he has practical suggestions for those wanting relief from the current high cost of eggs.
“For omelets and scrambled eggs, Just Egg and a couple other brands are doing a good job of mimicry at a price point which has now become competitive with eggs in the shell,” he said.
“For baking, there’s a substance, aquafaba, which is available to anyone who has purchased a can of beans,” he said. “It’s the slimy water from the can you’d otherwise pour down the drain. Especially with chickpea aquafaba, which is less ‘beany’ in flavor, it’s a stand-in for eggs. If you already have a can of beans on hand, you could instead pay absolutely nothing more for it, which seems like a pretty palpable economic benefit.”
He also had a hot take for all those bellyaching about food costs: “Eggs should be way more expensive than they are,” he said. “They’re one part of the under-regulated ‘livestock’ industry that is destroying a livable planet for humans while also wiping out animal species left and right.”
Research shows that plant-based eating is cheaper.
Courtright’s practical experience having lower-cost foods in her restaurant is backed by research, most notably a 2021 Oxford University research study that said that adopting a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian diet could slash food bills by up to one-third for those living in high-income areas like the U.S., the U.K., Australia and across Western Europe.
“We think the fact that vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets can save you a lot of money is going to surprise people,” Marco Springmann, researcher on the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food, said when the study was released. “When scientists like me advocate for healthy and environmentally friendly eating, it’s often said we’re sitting in our ivory towers promoting something financially out of reach for most people. This study shows it’s quite the opposite. These diets could be better for your bank balance as well as for your health and the planet.”
As part of the reporting around that study’s release, Miguel Barclay, author of the British “One Pound Meals” cookbook series, said, “I definitely agree that cutting down your meat, or cutting it out completely, will save you money. I’ve written seven budget cookbooks and have costed up hundreds of recipes, and without doubt vegan and vegetarian meals consistently come in at a much lower price than recipes with meat.”