You can save an average of $750 a year by going plant-based.
According to a study by the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, participants who ate a vegetarian diet spent an average of $750 less on food per year than meat-eaters. Why? Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains are extremely affordable while meat products are more expensive.
Nowadays, eating plant-based is easier than ever. Grocery chains across the country even have their own product lines that make it cheaper to buy plant-based foods and meat alternatives.
1. Target
In September 2020, Target came out with Good & Gather, the company’s new flagship food brand with over 600 new food and beverage products all at affordable prices. Plant-based meat alternatives include burgers, ground beef, and for those of you reading this with kids, meatless chick’n tenders for just $3.99. The product line also offers plant-based yogurts, sauces and dressings, and non-dairy beverages.
2. Kroger
As the largest supermarket chain in the country with over 2,400 stores in 31 states, Kroger is both accessible and affordable. Just last month, the giant chain expanded its Simple Truth Plant Based brand to feature more than 75 plant-based foods and beverages by the end of 2020. New products include Simple Truth Emerge Chick’n, chicken-less patties, and grinds free of GMOs, dairy, and soy, and five flavors of oat milk ice cream. Yum!
3. Aldi
Did you know Aldi also has their own plant-based brand? Known as a budget-friendly supermarket chain, Aldi came out with their own plant-based brand Earth Grown in 2018. From meatless meatbulls to non-dairy desserts, options are endless. For Thanksgiving, they even have a meatless turkey breast for just $3.99.
4. Albertson’s
Last year, Albertson’s partnered with Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) to develop new plant-based frozen meals for their in-house brand, O Organics. Different meals include O Organics edamame teriyaki vegetable rice bowl, black bean & quinoa bowl, and chickpea curry & spinach rice bowl. They also have veggie burgers, plant-based breakfast patties, and plant-based crumbles.
5. Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is known by its shoppers for its affordable prices. This is because 80% of its products are in-house, meaning they’re produced under the company’s own private label. Delicious plant-based items you can find here include cashew fiesta dip, tofu organic baked teriyaki, and jackfruit yellow curry. You can stay up to date with the store’s plant-based offerings by joining its Facebook fan group, The Original Vegan Trader Joe’s.
6. Whole Foods
Whole Foods isn’t the most affordable grocery store but it does have its 365 brand that offers food items at convenient prices. Products include plant-based meats and falafels with tahini sauce, another great-tasting plant-based protein option. An added plus: all of Whole Foods’s 365 products are organic or enrolled in the non-GMO project.
7. Your local grocery store
Your local grocery store may not have their own plant-based line but they will have endless options for healthy, affordable plant-based foods. Canned beans such as black beans and chickpeas are usually priced no more than $2 per can and they have a long shelf life. There’s also quinoa, an affordable grain where a bag can go a long way. Don’t forget your fruits and vegetables too!