How to Eat Plant-Based on a Budget

Many Americans are strugglign financilly right now, but that shouldn’t mean we can’t eat as health as possible. The good news is that it can be easier and cheaper than you think to provide yourself with a clean, energizing daily menu. These tips can help:

Buy in bulk – Dried beans, lentils, split peas, quinoa, oats, and brown rice are all cheaper in bulk, which many health food stores offer. Even packaged, they’re a nutrtional bargain. Store them in glass canisters in your pantry so you can see what you have to work with daily.

Cook in quantity – It’s easy to make tasty, nourhsing meals when you have prepatred staples on hand, like cooked beans, lentils, brown rice, quinoa, etc. From there you can create countless entrées, soups, stews, salads, sides, and more.

Buy seasonal produce – When fruits and vegetables are in their natural growing season, local farms produce them in large quantities. This abundance increases supply, which, combined with steady demand, keeps prices lower than when supply is limited.

Be a locavore – Farmer’s markets are great for reasonably priced healthy, fresh fare as produce is typically grown nearby, which means less transport time and no plastic packaging/advertising costs built in to the price tag.

Make your own condiments – Homemade sauces, dressings, salsa, etc. are invariably better than commercial products when prepared well. This not only saves you money, but also allows you to control the ingredents for a more wholesome outcome, free of added sugars, colors, and dubious  chemical additives.