Following along with Plant Based On A Budget’s $25 Challenge, I decided to create my own. Using all my own recipes found here. Super simple, cheap and easy! Hope you enjoy this plan and if you’re interested in another leave me a comment ๐
http://plantbasedonabudget.com/plant-based-on-a-budget-challenge/
Weekly Meal Plan – For One
Banana Muffins // Banana Oatmeal (10 meals)
Tomato Soup (7+ meals)
Spaghetti Squash w/ Tomato Sauce & Beanballs (2 meals)
Zucchini Pasta w/ Tomato Sauce & Beanballs (3 meals)
Rice Stir-Fry (7+ meals)
Mashed/Baked Potatoes (sides)
Fruit (7 snacks or less)
Carrot/Potato Fries (7 snacks or less)
Banana Muffins (Yields 14-16): 3 bananas, 2 cups oat flour, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda.
Banana Oatmeal (Yields 5-6 cups): 3 cups oats, 3 cups almond milk, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp sugar, half banana sliced on top.
Bean Balls (Yields 19-20): 1 can black beans, 1 cup oat flour, 1 cup oats, 1/4 cup diced onion, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp paprika, garlic and onion powder.
Tomato Soup (Yields half a gallon – 8+ cups) of soup: 7 tomatoes, 3 cups water, oil, 3 carrots, 1/2 onion, 1 bell pepper.
Spaghetti Squash (2 meals): 1/2 squash per meal with 3-4 bean balls.
Zoodles (raw zucchini “pasta”)(Yields 3 meals): 6 zucchini (2 per meal), salt & pepper w/ tomato soup as sauce & 2-3 bean balls.
Rice Stir-Fry (Yields 4 larger portions): white/brown long grain rice, 3 potatoes, 3 carrots, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 a medium onion, oil.
Crispy Baked Fries: 3-4 potatoes, oil & seasonings.
Mashed Potatoes (Yields 3-4 cups): 3-4 potatoes, 1 tbsp. almond milk, salt & pepper.
Covering 1 week for 1 person
Monday | Breakfast: Banana Muffins – Lunch: Zoodles w/ Beanballs & Soup – Dinner: Rice Stir-Fry
Tuesday | Breakfast: Banana Oatmeal – Lunch: SS w/ Beanballs & Soup
– Dinner: Rice Stir-Fry
Wednesday | Breakfast: Banana Muffins – Lunch: Zoodles w/ Beanballs & Soup
– Dinner: Rice Stir-Fry
Thursday | Breakfast: Banana Oatmeal – Lunch: Tomato Soup w/ Mashed Potatoes – Dinner: Rice Stir-Fry
Friday | Breakfast: Banana Muffins – Lunch: Zoodles w/ Beanballs & Soup
– Dinner: Rice Stir-Fry
Saturday | Breakfast: Banana Oatmeal – Lunch: Tomato Soup w/ Baked Potato – Dinner: Rice Stir-Fry
Sunday | Breakfast: Banana Muffins – Lunch: SS w/ Beanballs & Soup
– Dinner: Rice Stir-Fry
Starting with breakfast, I went with an easy option for all the ladies and gentlemen with careers and/or busy moms and dads that have no time free time to really think about breakfast in the mornings. Muffins are a great option, you can make the batch ahead of time and just freeze them or store in an airtight container. Obviously not everyone wants to eat 2 muffins for breakfast everyday. I personally don’t care, for myself. So if that’s not for you, then following the same concept you can just make oatmeal, using all the same ingredients and top it off with the banana. If you go this route then you’d go through oats a lot faster, but you’d have more bananas leftover for snacks throughout the week. Or you can eat just a banana if breakfast isn’t really your thing.
Also, if you already have flour and/or sugar on hand then you don’t even need to buy as many oats. I simply used them in bulk because they were on sale and I ground them up to make an oat flour as a sub for regular flour in the muffins, they are also great for adding into other meals – like the bean balls! So that’s an easy budget cut if you have a variety of staples on hand. I just wanted to include a healthier alternative. But I think they do taste and in general come out a bit better as the original recipe, which can be found here. For this plan I cut flour and sugar though and added an extra banana. Feel free to follow either recipe you’d like/prefer.
For lunch I typically keep it light and somewhat raw if possible. I know not everyone will be interested in raw veggie “pasta” but you could instead modify the plan and omit all the zucchini purchased for actual pasta if that sounds better to you. I merely wanted a healthier/lighter option.
I just washed, cut the ends off each and ran two per meal through a spiralizer. If you don’t have one then you can use a mandolin – lengthwise, a vegetable peeler – lengthwise or just a knife – thinly sliced lengthwise. I’ve also used my julienne peeler for a more matchstick style/salad version.
Each “pasta” dish has 3-4 bean balls (1 batch yields 19) served on it and a few spoons of the tomato soup as sauce. I used the extra oats, lightly pulsed to substitute for the breadcrumbs the original recipe calls for. I served this up withย a potato or cup of soup on the side (if I was really hungry).
Everything portioned out perfectly because some days I didn’t want any bean balls and I’d just have pasta with a cup of soup or I had a random combo of the 3. So yet again, lots of options for you to eat as you please with plenty of excess and moderate diversity.
Dinner is probably just as easy as the others. I made my rice (half of the total purchased, 1 pound) and just threw the extra in a bag in the fridge. Same goes for the veggies added. I very thinly sliced them using a mandolin and just cooked everything in a large pan on the stove till tender. Cutting it thinly cut down the cooking time significantly. I used my bag of white rice (1 pound) which portioned out at about 2 1/4 cups dried (roughly 4 cooked) and I cooked 3 potatoes, 3 carrots (half a 2 pound bag), 1/2 an onion and about 1-2 tbsp oil, finished off with a few spoons of tomato soup, salt & pepper. Which collectively made 4 meals for me.
Snacks really range on all the adjustments you decide to make. So for example, I used half of my carrots just on the soup and stir-fry alone. Leaving me with 1 bag (2 pounds – 6 carrots) to either cut up into sticks or make these amazingly delicious carrot fries – recipe here. I ate 2 carrots per snack, so going this route will only yield 3 snacks with the carrots leftover. Or you can just save them for more stir-fry since so much rice was purchased and left over.
Making only one batch of muffins (about 14-16 total) left me with 8 bananas left, I bought two bunches (14 total – 7 per bunch) so that’s basically a banana a day to snack on. Or you could easily make a second batch of muffins with the excess oats if you wish. Everything is super versatile, so you constantly have options to mix, match and change it up whenever.
Also with only using 3 potatoes in the stir-fry and 1 with each soup (if you do decide you want that) I had some left over. With the excess you can make fries, mashed potatoes as a side, hash browns for breakfast, more stir-fry or baked potatoes. Tons of options.
Total supplies:
1 can of black beans (15 oz.), 7 tomatoes, 14 bananas (2 bunches), 1 spaghetti squash (not pictured), 6 zucchini, 2 pounds rolled or quick oats, 2 medium-large yellow onions, 1 bell pepper (not pictured), 4 pounds carrots (about 12 total), 2 pounds rice (half white & brown), 5 pounds Russet potatoes, carton of almond milk, water, oil & seasonings on hand.
Cost Breakdown:
Long-grain brown rice – 1 pound for $.99
Long-grain white rice – 1 pound for $.99
Rolled oats – 2 pounds for $1.99
Almond milk – quarter gallon $1.99
Black beans – 1 can $.89
Carrots – 4 pounds for $1.69
Russet potatoes – 5 pounds for $1.99
Zucchini – 2.85 pounds (6 large) for $2.82
Spaghetti Squash – 1 small/medium for $2.00
Tomatoes – 3 pounds (6 medium) for $2.96
Bananas – 6 pounds (roughly 14 total) for $3.24
Onions – 2 yellow (large) for $1.52
Bell Pepper – 1 orange for $1.50
Total: $24.57
I originally omitted the bell pepper and squash from my plan, but I only spent about $20 bucks so I decided I’d “splurge” for those two to make my meals a bit nicer, to me. Also, if you do decide to completely omit zucchini (raw “pasta”) and replace it for regular pasta, you’d have more than enough in savings for a can of garbanzo beans and you could simmer those with a bit of the soup, almond milk, onions, carrots, potatoes and some spices like tandoori and make a curry like dish to serve over rice. So again, another option on using what you bought in bulk to make something completely different. Just gotta get creative! I highly recommend “investing” in some good spices. They can dramatically change any dish and keep meals interesting if you know things will get repetitive.
So above I linked each meal to a recipe it was modeled after as a reference for you. You can just follow that original recipe using the listed modified ingredients. So the soup called for stock originally, I subbed for water. Little changes that resulted in big savings – without cutting out flavor.
Tips when buying:
Always hit up your store’s bulk bins! I swear people, this is where you’ll save so much money! Especially when they’re on sale on top of already being lower priced. So stock on up basics to keep on hand, they’ll come in handy and hold you over in-between sales.
Ask you store is they have any over ripen/slightly bruised fruits and veggies. They’ll sell them to you at a lower price or give you a discount overall. So adding it all up it’ll really help cut costs.
Bring your own bags! Cutting down on plastic while grocery shopping is a must, come on people you don’t need to wrap EVERY piece of fruit or veggies. But my store actually gives you a discount per each bag used. So it’s a minor savings (like 10-25 cents) but hey it’s something!
Bring coupons! Scope out your favorite store’s ad and try to match sale items with coupons from your paper. Luckily my store was a double ad Wednesday so that’s the best time to stock up on my pantry staples ๐
DISCLAIMER
Now I just want to touch base on a few things regarding this plan, as a disclaimer. A. It’s a basic meal plan, nothing more. I’m not a doctor or nutritionist so if you feel these meals/recipes aren’t healthy or too healthy then please feel free to adjust and/or create your own. B. This is just a little guide to help show others that eating on a budget is totally possible, you just need to be creative and deal with a little repetition, and finally C. Please don’t leave any hate/negative comments regarding this plan. As I established, I’m no health professional. I just wanted to make this guide as a reference to help those in need of options. With that being said, I spent a very long time putting this together. I understand if it doesn’t work for you and/or prices may vary. Just understand I have no control over that, I’m offering my advice/tips and it’s up to you to find the best deals where you live.
Hope you all enjoyed this, below you can find another variation of the same concept. This plan is savory with a Tex Mex theme. Click here for the Tex Mex Made Easy | $30 Plant-Based 7 Day Meal Plan For One (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
I love this advice. Some of the prices like especially for almond milk. Im like where do you live?! LOL because that is like 4.00 where I live ๐
Thanks Nicole ๐ Yeah, everything I bought was on sale. I have this new rule on not buying things without a sale price, call me cheap hahaha but it’s really helped out my budget.
Thank you for this great plan – I can tell it took a lot of time and thought – appreciate it!!
You’re so welcome, Lisa! Thanks for the sweet comment <3
In the tomato soup recipe you have listed to use a vegan cream did you use that when you made the soup for your budget plan or is there a way to omit that from the recipe?
Hey Heidi,
Yes the original recipe calls for a few different ingredients and such, however on this meal plan if you look towards the upper half, right under the photo of the half-gallon jar of tomato soup – it says exactly the items used and how much. So using those quantities of said ingredients listed and then following the original recipe was what I meant. Sorry for any confusion. So this meal plan recipe is a lot more modified and ultimately it’s most simplistic form. Water instead of stock, and you can use a tad bit of the almond milk to add that cream like vibe to help cut some acidy. Hope this helps! ๐
Yes that helps thank you so much! I love your blog i check it daily its so inspiring keep up the good work!!!!
Yay, fantastic! ๐ Thank you so much, that makes me so happy to hear<3 Let me know how everything goes, if you decide to follow the plan or create any of the recipes! ๐
This post is FANTASTIC. You definitely have motivated me to share my testimony more, and reaffirmed my passion for veganism.
๐ Thank you so much Colton! I work with another site as a contributor (Plant Based On A Budget) and it’s always fun putting together meals that are super affordable but totally vegan and delicious! I love showing people you can live this lifestyle within your own means, it’s totally doable if you’re willing to plan ahead.
<3
This is awesome, I’m going to try it out for my wife this week!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy ๐ Let me know what you think!
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I love thisโฆ this is my main challenge right now as a newly married woman who can no longer use her parents’ credit card to buy groceries and still maintain her healthy eating lifestyle. I would love to see more meal plans like this one!
Thanks ๐ I know what you mean, I definitely plan on making another one of these in the future. I had a lot of fun with this challenge.
Thanks so much for taking time to put this together for us. It’s wonderful. I often hear my friends say they can’t afford to eat healthy but this just shows they really can! Thanks for showing them how. I’m big on buying from bulk bins, dried beans and cooking them myself and looking for the sale items and working my meals around them too. There definitely is a way if you have the will.
Absolutely, it was my pleasure! I plan on doing an updated version in the future, this was such a fun challenge for me and I was truly amazed at how far my money went with just a little planning ahead.
Bulk bins are like a gold mine! ๐
Found your blog last week I love it! I am trying out your menu this week but for two so I doubled most of the ingredients, I also bought a bag of black beans instead. a little over 50 bucks! Thanks so much for making this list.
Welcome Vanessa!
That’s so amazing to hear, yay! It’s incredible how far money can go with a little planning and budget grocery shopping. I’m so eager to hear how everything goes for you two, keep me posted <3
I have been looking for a detailed vegan grocery list like this for so long. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Excited to try out some of your recipes.
I’m so happy you found this then, that’s awesome! I can’t wait to create another one next year, I really want to revamp this original concept and possibly work on a family of 4 meal plan. Hope you enjoy! <3
Hi Margaret!
I love your blog! (And instagram & pinterest!)
I can’t seem to get the spaghetti squash link in the meal plan to work, and I really need advise on how to cook them! I grow them myself in my parents’ yard, because you cannot find them in any stores in Denmark!
But they never really seem to come out right, either too soggy or not spaghetti-y enough… such a shame.
Can you help??
Hey Louise!
Thank you so much, you’re too kind.
I recently made blog adjustments and a lot of my links broke in the process, I’ll go in and manually edit those right now. If it continues not to work, go over to the “Recipes” tab on my page and search for “squash” in the search bar. But I think I might have actually removed that original content when I transferred my site. I’ll have to repost it, in the mean time though – I also have that recipe on this site http://plantbasedonabudget.com/recipe/roasted-spaghetti-squash/ so you can check it out there.
My advice would be to roast it and after about 30 minutes start checking on it. You want the outside to be tender to the touch and the inside to scrape easily with a fork. If it’s not removing with ease, it needs to roast longer. Face down squash, cut in half seems to cook best for me. It steams the inside a bit and cooks more evenly.
Hope that helps!
I am doing the happy dance. I love this post. I have a similar “plan” except I have a family of four (most weeks and more from time to time). I plan to print this post and get to work on those beanballs. I’m so excited. Thank you for adding such details, including recipes AND the prices. I know prices vary but it helps knowing. Thank you again. You have a new subbie in me. :o)
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Dana, I really hope this helps you out! I spent a lot of time on it and I cannot wait to create an updated version with a little more variety. I appreciate your support, thank you for subscribing <3 Have a wonderful day!
Like this, I know the cost would be more if did organic ingredients. Maybe I will try with local vegetables from farmers market. Thanks
Absolutely, I wasn’t able to purchase organic for this guide. However I plan on releasing an updated version with organic options. I might have to raise the price a little though. But it will still be affordable! Thanks for trying it out, good luck! <3
I know my cost would be double this as I’m gluten free also, the cheap oats would have gluten through cross contamination… great plan though
I plan to recreate this plan, gluten-free. It might be more, but I will do my best to keep it as affordable as possible.
Love this!! Make more posts like this please.
Will do!
Day one on this ๐
Yay, good luck! <3
Day 2! Can’t believe how full I am.
That’s so wonderful to hear, I can’t wait for you to keep me posted as you go on! <3
Day 4 I feel fantastic all my sugar cravings are gone I get full faster and I feel like food isn’t controlling me, I did this to start gettin on track and it helps it’s super cheap and easy
I’m so happy to hear you’re doing so well! That’s incredible, I’m so proud of your for sticking with this <3
Thanks for the article on eating on a budget. I’m a Gluten free Vegan who eats organic. Would you be willing to do an article to include that while trying to keep the budget at $200-250 per week? I am struggling with eating healthy versus my budget or doing without other necessities. I do not want to support gmo food so organic is they only way to do that & I do ‘t want to eat chemicals. In the warmer months I have a 16 ร 4 organic garden so that helps alot. I grow herbs & am beginning to to grow sprouts in my apt. Any advice that you could give to help those of us that want to eat organic would be appreciated. ๐
Ooh, some good tips for being plant-based on a budget. I like all the bananas! Have you done other meal plans already? If not, I look forward to them, especially a raw till 4 one. ๐
Thanks so much! If you love potatoes and bananas – then this is the meal plan for you lol. This is my only one, currently. I plan on writing a couple more this year for sure.
I would love more meal plans like this!!! Very simple yet sounds so good!
Will do, hopefully I can work on a new one soon ๐
Impressed with your job! I can see the effort. Sounds like meals I already eat..more or less. We have a budget we try to stick to, 2 omnivores but with my food intollerances I practically eat vegan, glutenfree and sugarfree. I’m the one who takes care of cooking and my boyfriend only complains if I’ m the only one that gets “all the good stuff” from the health shop, and he has to have the cheaper alternative. We can’t have all organic all the time, the budget is our priority. On the other hand we grow a lot of organic food..
Wow your veg options are a lot cheaper than here in Canada. Tomatoes was $3 a pound… and everything else is more than double your price here **cries**
I’m so sorry to hear that, my apologies!
When I convert USD to CAD it winds up being about $3.72. I was able to pick up 5 medium tomatoes from the market today for $4, so it’s not that far off. It may be worth looking around and comparing prices, to see if you can find cheaper places (the standard grocery stores aren’t always the bets bet).
so good!
Thanks!
Love the meal plan!!!! What are the serving sizes for the meals like this many muffins is a serving etc.
These recipes sound great!! But I think I would go hungry on this plan lol
Haha, fair enough. I honestly eat quite a bit and had tons of food leftover. But you can always add more, this was just meant as an example in showing people how to cut grocery costs and maybe add a few simple recipes into their busy schedules.
Could you do same receipes, but healthiest options possible no matter cost …?
I could try, usually people want more affordable recipes in place of quality. I tried to find a balance in this list of options, you can obviously make any substitutions that you would prefer, (organic, high-quality).
The way you put it sounds good, affordable and simple receipes that alot could repeatedly week after week
I was wondering if you could do one for gluten free vegetarian on a budget. If not possible Thanks for trying.
I could definitely do gluten-free, but not vegetarian – as I’m vegan. But I’ll definitely work on that soon, I’ve been wanting to accommodate more people with these guides and you could always add in dairy if desired.
loveee this meal plan! sounds very simple yet also super yummy, and all at $25 is a bonus! however for all the food, when you make something are you making a big batch of it and just saving it for the other days of the week? or are the recipes only showing you how much to make for that one day?
Thanks so much, I had a lot of fun creating this. All of it is pretty much made in bulk, you’ll see under each photo how much it prepares. Then just portioning that out over a week. All of it can be made ahead and frozen as well, minus the zucchini & spaghetti squash. Those are really best when fresh. It just depends on how you prefer to go about it though, making ahead saves time but it needs to be stored properly so it doesn’t spoil – that’s why freezing is best in terms of preserving the quality.
I’ve been looking for something like this forever! Can you do another week? Please?!
I will definitely be posting another one sooner than later.
This is SO SO SO useful thank you for taking the time to make such a practical and affordable meal plan for everyday living! Would be LOVE to see a RT4 version!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed, thank you! I’ll definitely be sharing a Raw Till 4 version ๐
Was super excited to find this but then noticed that most of the recipes call for ingredients beyond what you listed (making the cost more than ~$25 for anyone who doesn’t happen to have breadcrumbs or basil or cashews just on hand). Disappointing.
Actually, if you read through the whole post you’ll see that I explain how you can cut those things. For example, I explained that the oats can be pulsed to make a breadcrumb substitute and I completely omitted the basil from the soup, also replacing the vegetable stock with water. Under each photo I wrote out the updated/simplified recipe for each in place of what the original calls for. Adjust what you need to based on what is available to you and fits within whatever budget you have.
Please don’t be rude though – this post took me a very long time to formulate and compile, use your own creativity to make it work for you.
Oh I can not remember a week where i didn’t navigate to this page, i love it so much! everyone who knows me knows my tomato soups, zoodles, and beanballs and its all because of your wonderful blog! def top vegan blog, please keep up the amazing work! xoxo
Thanks so much, Hanna. I’m so happy to hear that! I really appreciate your gratitude <3
I’m definitely going to try this meal – plan. I doubt that any of this could be too unhealthy, but only after trying this out with my body will I know ๐
Plus cost of all this is hard to resist. And I thought I was cheap. Thanks for the free information. A lot of others out there try to sell others meal plans instead of sharing information that can help others T_T
I really hope it helps you out! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment, I’m happy to share information like this to everyone that needs a basis for formulating their grocery budget. This is such an easy base to start from, then adding things you prefer and finding what works best for you and your lifestyle.
There are no words that can thank you enough… but I send lots of love!!!
<3
Thank you so much. So many have well, LEAN weeks now.
Bills come and… A grocery cheapie or a store cupboard only challenge, or a freezer challenge (and fridge) not only clears and ensure date safe but money safe too!
I remain thankful for a roof over my head, and food in the kitchen, warm clothes from the stores recently come to Ireland for ski wear (I think it is like that) is strong, smart, easy care and cheap.
Thank you again for thinking budget.
Are you going to do a budget Xmas one for us? I know I would appreciate that very much and a mention of freezer friendly is so helpful as extra portions see us through the dark cold days of January etc.. It promises to be another long, cold winter and store cupboards set up as and when we can, and freezers groaning will allow us to survive as we will not be able to get out in that.
Oh yes, a store cupboard checklist would be helpful too, any ideas. I have got my flours in bit by bit, and my spices and herbs, been cooking pies and cakes, started on pastas (gf causes havoc, I made one bag go for seven portions by doing with a lot of vegetables and sauces!).
Burgers and flatbreads in afterwards. So any of those on your to do lists?
PS STARTED MY SHOP SEPTEMBER AS USUAL.
So there is my bit of love for all and I hope somebody likes something.
Thank you for making the list and showing pictures of your recipes. My food budget is $50 (sometimes $40 depending on finances) per week for two adults. My husband is 6’3″ and works a very physically intense job. I’m able to make my dollars stretch by going to a local farmers market. I can all of my fruits and vegetables usually for less than $30. This lets me by rice, beans, oats and other staples. By being smart we are able to eat very healthy and be very satisfied for a decent price.
This is awesome. Please do these weekly plans very often!!!! I have become vegan recently because I have health issues that will no longer tolerate meat or dairy in my diet. This is all very new to me and I’m starting to get very excited about this way of living. I’m subscribing!
So helpful! Headed to the grocery store now ๐ i would love to see more of the $25 challenge posts.
I really wanted to have a new one up this month, I’m still working on it though. You will definitely see a new version from me this year! Thanks for your input, Grace ๐
Thank you so much for this. I am going back to school and was stressed about money and being able to afford food. Seriously, THANK YOU ๐
No problem, Kristy <3 Good luck!
I love this! Thank you! Definitely interested in another variation of this!!
THIS IS PERFECT! (sorry for yelling, I am just so excited haha!) I see all these great meal plans but no one writes how much of, and what to buy from the grocery store. Thanks for putting all the work in to this, I hope to see more soon ๐
~ Andi
Thank you! I hope to make a new one this year, something that accommodates more people.
Margaret, thanks for all the effort you put into this economy vegan week-long plan. I’ve been vegan my whole life (26 years) and usually cook for myself. It’s demoralizing how expensive fresh produce is here (Boston, MA). I’m going to use your ideas to try to significantly push down my weekly food budget (~$100/week). Thanks for the inspiration. I’m also sharing this link with some buddies of mine who’ve just started working in NYC and feeling a HUGE financial crunch with the exorbitant cost of living there. On their behalves, thanks, too.
Hi Tom, thank you very much. I’m happy to hear this could be of help to you, I’m actually working on a new version. My goal is to share a few themed ones to accommodate more people and specific types of vegans (gluten-free, high-carb). If you’re ever needing more ideas, let me know what type of content you’re interested in and I’ll definitely take that into consideration for the next budget-friendly meal plan! I appreciate you sharing this with your friends! <3
This is just what I was looking for! Thanks for taking the time to put this together!
I’m so pleased to hear that! You’re very welcome <3 A new version will be posted next month! ๐
Thank you soso much for all your hard work on this! I recently got a huge pay-cut at my job and I was looking for ways to save money when I stumbled upon the Plant Based on a Budget site and this challenge. I’ve been perusing the lot of responses from other bloggers and yours is absolutely the BEST… it’s super thorough!!
Torie, I’m so sorry to hear about the pay-cut. I hope this guide can help your budget, I actually have a brand new version that’s going live at the end of this month. I’ve spent a few weeks working on it and really feel it’s even better than this version, much better photography too! Sending you all my love <3
Is this for just one person or for a family of four?
One person, I believe Plant Based on a Budget has plans listed for families of 4.
Thank you so much for this! I am newly vegan with a husband and two boys that aren’t (yet ?) it’s been a little hard trying to find meal plans that are budget friendly and not super overwhelming!!! This is great! Thank you again!!
No problem at all, glad you found this helpful! A new plan will be up next week, I’m very excited about it!
When I go on line using your link I only get the 2013 version. Have you put up a new version for this year?
The newest meal plan will be posted later on this week. Right now I’m sharing a recipe each day (all from the guide), leading up to it’s release date.
Thank you
No problem!
Thank you! I’m going to try this plan! ??โค๏ธ?
I hope you enjoy it! ๐
How wonderful! I love that you put this together. While it is on a budget, it has various nutrient sources and is quick for those who lack time. if I had a few extra cents left, I may throw in a tiny bit of dark chocolate ๐
Thank you for the positive feedback, Nabiha!
I am not vegan, but I want to be. I am allergic to soy, onion family, peppers (bell only). Any suggestions? Your recipes and blog have a new fan! ?
I say if you’re allergic to bell peppers use those little sweet pepper they still add that type of flavor and they can be used to make a vegan queso! allergies to can help you cut down on alternative they make in the store and sub for more veggies. you can probably use leeks or shallots for the onion part of the dishes. They give good flavor and aren’t part of the onion family so they are gentler for the palette.
There are different milks out there too, like almond or coconut or rice milk, so you don’t have to worry about that. As Carolina said, you can omit the bell peppers and onion family products for other peppers or leeks, shallots, etc.
The recipe above for the Banana Muffins is different from the recipe that is linked to. Is this on purpose? Can you make the muffins with no added sugar?
Yes, in this guide it’s a modified version to make it more affordable. It can be made either way, if you remove the sugar you will need to adjust the other ingredients to compensate for the volume loss. I can’t be certain of how it will turn out, I’ve only made them these two ways.
Whoops – and I see now that there is an existing comment with a similar question. Okay, now I know the answer…
I love this! I was recently laid off and so I’m searching for ideas to reduce our food budget. I recently discovered that our $0.99 store has vegetables! They aren’t the prettiest, and they are most basic of fruits and veggies, but they get the job done. I bet I could get a lot of these ingredients at my local dollar store, no joke. Everything except the almond milk and spaghetti squash, likely. These give me great ideas for thinking along more budget minded ways. Thank you for all the work in putting this together.
Thanks Carol! I’m so sorry to hear that, I really hope this guide helps you out. Eating a simpler diet usually saves me quite a bit of money, especially when I buy items in bulk and stick to starch/carb heavy foods, like rice and potatoes. Glad this gave you some ideas to incorporate into your lifestyle, good luck! <3
Thank you!! Also, just making sure I’m reading this correctly. You omitted sugar from the banana muffins, correct? And I presume that is to be within the budget challenge, yes? Great for me – I have sugar in my pantry already! ๐
I <3 this post. I am hosting a Lazy Girl's Guide to Penny Pinching workshop in my local area and will totally use your awesome suggestions and recipes! Thank you for taking the time to put this together. ๐
Thank you, I been look for my low income and only have 78 dallor for food, till this thank you vegan are not easy and very pure health too, thank you!
I don’t know where you live that a tomato is that cheap, but that is not the case by me. That amount would easily be $15. So I made a few adjustments.
Instead of tomato soup, I made butternut squash soup ($.49 tomato paste, $1.00 squash). It’s cooling right now and hoping it works. Super simple to make and extremely filling.
Bananas are also super high right now so doing apples – super cheap in Washington ($3 for 3 huge granny smiths).
I like the ease of this plan and looking forward to this week and trying it all out.
Thanks for the ideas!
I’m glad you modified to your needs. Wishing you the best with the plan.
I have found that the 99-cent stores in my area (SoCal) always have low-fat soy milk and almond milk (the small bottles) plus coconut flour, vegan white and brown sugar. They often get vegan items one time only, but it’s worth the look. Today, they were selling a gallon bottle of a new item, Nutchello (caramel, almond and cashew milk ) from Silk, which I think would be perfect for this recipe. Their produce selection has gotten better and better, even upscale in some items like different kinds of organic lettuce, kale, and spinach (all Earthbound Organics) [for 99 cents!] and also sell spaghetti squash. and excellent berries. And, contrary to what you might hear, these items have NOT passed their expiration dates.
I always go there first to check out their produce, frozen section and staples before going to other stores to finish off my shopping.
This is freakin awesome! Super helpful. My daughter and I are going to enjoy every bit of this! Thank you.
You’re so welcome!
Going to Chinatown today to pick up some fresh/cheap fruit and veggies from this list, thanks!
No problem, hope you enjoy!
You should totally buy a block of fresh tofu while you’re there. It’s very, very cheap in Chinatown, as are rice and veges, and it’s so versatile and delicious.
Thank you so much. This is the very thing I’ve been searching for. I usually run across a plan with lists that cover 20 different meals with so many items and a high price point. You’ve made things nice, simple budget conscious and good. Thanks again. Look forward to seeing more
Thanks Lynn, I appreciate the kind feedback. Hope you enjoy this plan <3
Can you make a meal plan for two weeks? Just for 1 person.
Of course, it will take time coming up with the plan and figuring out a budget, but I would love to share that as a future post.
This is fantastic! Just what I was looking for. Thanks so much for sharing; I know how much work goes into meal planning ๐
Thanks Ashlee, I appreciate the positive feedback!
This is great! Thank you!
Thanks so much! Me and my daughter are going vegan (she’s 9 and already decided to totally switch a week ago) and this shows how we can do it and not spend a fortune! I’m in my plan the meals phase and will be switching within the next week-two weeks! Again, thanks so much!
You’re very welcome! That’s such exciting news – wishing the two of you the best in transitioning. Let me know if you need any help or have any questions <3
This was super helpful thank you! Would you happen to have another week plan as mentioned in the beginning?
Yes, it’s linked at the bottom of the post above the photo for it.
Hello. I am just finding your blog and I know this post was from a few years ago but I wanted you to know that I found it very, very helpful. I am newly vegan and I am needing to get better organized regarding meal planning. This is a lovely week long plan and I am going to try to replicate it (except I will use soy milk as I am allergic to almonds).
Did you feel satisfied, hunger wise, on this plan?
Thank you again! Your blog is lovely and helpful ๐
I’m so happy to hear my post was helpful for you. Thanks for the positive feedback! I would say it’s a very satiating meal plan, potatoes and rice are two of the most satisfying foods available. Please feel free to increase the amounts though if you’re not feeling full. This meal plan pans out to about 1800 calories per day of whole plant foods, adding more is never discouraged – especially if you’re very active.
Thank you so much for your reply! ๐
I really like potatoes and rice and I know that these are healthy foods (despite what some people think). I am finding your blog to be very, very helpful and I am also reading the archives. There is something very healing and meditative about your posts. This journey into veganism has been wonderful BUT I am needing guidance and also help with the practical aspects of recipes and meal planning. Thank you for taking the time to do this blog as it is really appreciated!!!
I enjoyed this post,thank you. I just turned vegan back in October(mid-late),and am still learning. I’m not a great cook,but trying my best. Any advice for a soon to be single mom and a soon to be 7 year old boy whose currently Omni but would like to get him more into vegan options? I want to spend around $50/week groceries at the maximum,but up to $75 is fine for getting started. Could you do a post like that?
I joined some Facebook groups,and use Pinterest a lot,,but it’s barely made a difference for him yet.
Thanks.
I’ll definitely try making a meal plan geared towards one adult and one child. It’s definitely doable for the budget for sure, sticking to whole foods and bumping up the potatoes, grains and beans since those tend to be the cheapest and most filling options.
I know this posting is old, but it’s still relevant. I plugged all the foods in the grocery list into a recipe calories calculator (split over 7 days). It’s ~1800 calories/day, ~50g protein, but only ~25% of your calcium. It’s pretty good otherwise! Just account for the calcium and B vitamins vegans regularly miss out on and it should be a good plan for an adult under 150 lbs who does not exercise much. If you are generally larger than this, or do exercise, you will likely want more than 1800 calories. https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Thanks KB!