15 of our Top Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipe Picks from 2021! (2024)

These 15 budget-friendly vegan recipes from the Food Monster App are so good and so cheap! A big concern about transitioning to a vegan diet is the price of groceries and food, but these budget-friendly recipes prove that it’s so easy to eat well without spending a ton of money. Eventually, you will remember how to make these amazing dishes by heart and learn how to create your own budget-friendly dishes from scratch!

We understand the struggle, so we put together a list of the ultimate 15 plant-based budget-friendly recipes of 2021. Don’t forget to check out our budget-friendly recipe archives and also our top budget-friendly recipes from 2020!

1. Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

Source: Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

This Sweet Potato Lentil Stew by Nele Liivlaid is a delicious plant-based weeknight dinner that is ready in 30 minutes. It’s one of those delicious recipes that are perfect for meal prepping.

2. Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ramen Noodles

Source: Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ramen Noodles

This Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ramen Noodles by Jenn Sebestyen and Kelli Foster Kelli Foster is everything: cozy, comforting, healthy, easy, and so delicious. Make it when you feel yourself coming down with a cold. It’s soothing and nourishing.

3. Veggie Packed Thai Pasta Salad

Source: Veggie Packed Thai Pasta Salad

This eggie Packed Thai Pasta Salad by Hayley Canning is a 20 minutes healthy dinner recipe full of flavor. It’s filling, incredibly satisfying, and healthier than you might imagine! Fresh veggies add that needed crispy crunch. The cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and green onions are all added to the salad raw which means less cooking time.

4. Turmeric Cauliflower Rice

Source: Turmeric Cauliflower Rice

This Turmeric Cauliflower Rice by Daphne Goh is a simple twist to the Cauliflower rice with aromatic fragrance from the turmeric powder and cumin powder. Easy to make and so delicious!

5. Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

Source: Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

This Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing by Molly Thompson is packed with flavor (hello, red chile paste!), vibrant colors, and plenty of vitamins and nutrients to help fight inflammation. We love to make this on a Sunday and throw several portions in meal prep containers to take for lunch throughout the week. You can add fresh herbs to brighten it up—my favorites are cilantro and Thai basil.

6. Peanut Butter Bars

Source: Peanut Butter Bars

These Peanut Butter Bars by Harriet Porterfield are super delicious, loaded with protein and sure to please every peanut butter lover. Quick and simple to prepare with just five ingredients! These are a no-bake treat to so easy to whip up in a snack emergency.

7. Pumpkin Brownies

Source: Pumpkin Brownies

These Pumpkin Brownies by Kirsten Kaminski are super easy to make as you simply throw everything into your food processor and after 30 minutes of baking you have a tray of these delicious goodies!

8. Sesame Cauliflower Bites

Source: Sesame Cauliflower Bites

These Sesame Cauliflower Bites by Annie Kimmelmanare sweet, filling, sticky, and so flavorful.

9. Fruit-Sweetened Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

Source:

Fruit-sweetened peanut butter & jelly muffins. These by Caroline Doucet are sweetened with bananas and jelly and are made with whole wheat flour for a nutritious snack!

10. Blueberry Chia Pudding

Source: Blueberry Chia Pudding

Chia seeds are a superfood, loaded with health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids—nearly five grams in a one-ounce serving! They are also an excellent source of fiber at 10 grams per ounce (about 2 tablespoons), and contain protein and minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Try out this Blueberry Chia Pudding by Helyn Dunn!

11. Mushroom Shawarma

Source: Mushroom Shawarma

This Mushroom Shawarma by Kirsten Kaminski is a combination of cuisines. In Thailand, I got inspired to use oyster mushrooms as a juicy meat alternative, and in Israel, I learned to love the smell of shawarma. Combining the two creates a mouthwatering dish that is one of my most popular recipes among family and friends. Take a bite of the warm pita filled with creamy hummus, tahini, salad, tangy amba, and crispy mushrooms, and fly to heaven! Reprinted with permission from The Traveling Vegan Cookbook by Kirsten Kaminski, Page Street Publishing, Co. 2021. Photo credit: Kirsten Kaminski.

12. Coconut Waffles

15 of our Top Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipe Picks from 2021! (12)

Source: Coconut Waffles

These Coconut Waffles by Rouxbe are fluffy and spongy and can be paired perfectly with fresh seasonal fruits and drizzled with maple syrup for the added kick of deliciousness.

13. One-Pot Barley and Potato Soup

Source: One-Pot Barley and Potato Soup

Veggie soup got an upgrade: this One-Pot Barley and Potato Soup by Katherine Vaught is hearty, comforting and flavorful!

14. Simple French Onion Soup

Source: Simple French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is normally cooked with beef broth, but it can easily be made vegan with a combination of different sauces and spices! This Simple French Onion Soup by Sarah Ottino is super close to the real thing. I prefer using croutons in my soup since I’m not a fan of soggy bread. It’s also easy to make for anyone who doesn’t own French Onion Soup ramekins since this doesn’t require baking the bowls in the oven. This simple vegan soup can be whipped up in under an hour, making it a great option for dinner!

15. Cinnamon Turmeric Sweet Potatoes

Source: Cinnamon Turmeric Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be dressed up with all sorts of delicious things, from sweet maple tahini to fluffy marshmallows to cauliflower cheese. This Cinnamon Turmeric Sweet Potatoes by Holly Bertone for cinnamon sweet potatoes lets the natural flavor of sweet potato shine, elevating it with a few select seasonings: cinnamon, turmeric, thyme, salt, and pepper. Just a quick toss, some time in the oven, and voila! A delectable side dish you will use time and time again.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

  • Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
  • Plant-Based Health Resources
  • The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
  • Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
  • Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
  • High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
  • Plant-Based Meal Prep

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Lastly, being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!

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15 of our Top Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipe Picks from 2021! (2024)

FAQs

What are the most filling plant-based foods? ›

Healthful foods that are high in protein, fiber, or both tend to be filling. Rich sources of protein for vegans include foods such as soybeans, pulses, and some nuts and seeds. Oats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruit are all good sources of fiber.

Can you eat plant-based on a budget? ›

A whole-food, plant-based diet is not expensive. In fact, plant-based staples such as brown rice, potatoes, and beans are some of the cheapest—and healthiest—ingredients in the supermarket.

What are the super six plant-based foods? ›

Spotlight the Super Six:

When it comes to the plants you eat, you want to eat from across the six different plant groups: vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes (beans and pulses), nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices.

Can you eat eggs on a plant-based diet? ›

In other words, plants were paired with protein sources, like eggs, to make a nutritious and well rounded meal. Eggs can and should be part of a plant-based diet, and these five suggestions showcase how easy it is to incorporate the incredible egg into your plant-forward dishes.

What is the downside of a plant-based diet? ›

Some studies have shown that those on a plant-based diet are found to have lower plasma vitamin B12 levels and higher levels of vitamin B12 deficiency than those who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important cofactor in DNA synthesis, and deficiency can lead to anemia and severe neurological dysfunction.

Can vegans eat oatmeal? ›

Oats are a cereal grain derived from a plant, meaning anyone who follows a vegan diet should be safe to eat them as in their natural form as they're plant-based. However, when it comes to getting creative with the flavours, you'll need to start keeping an eye out for the added ingredients that might trip you up!

Is Peanut Butter vegan? ›

As with many food items, in its simplest form, peanut butter should always be vegan. The vast majority of peanut butters you find in grocery stores will therefore be fully plant-based. Traditional peanut butter is made from peanuts and often a small amount of salt or oil.

Does plant-based food fill you up? ›

A plant-based (i.e., vegan or vegetarian) meal will lead to better mood, higher satiety, and less stress compared to an omnivorous meal. Higher fiber content in the meals will mediate higher mood and satiety and lower stress, whereas higher unrefined sugar and fat content will mediate the opposite.

Why am I so hungry on whole food plant-based diet? ›

It might seem obvious, but "one of the reasons why you might feel hungrier when you transition to a vegan or plant-based diet is because you may not be eating enough calories and nutrients," explains Julie Barrette, a senior clinical dietician with Providence Mission Hospital.

What foods are actually filling? ›

Some of the most filling foods include boiled potatoes, oatmeal, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, and popcorn.

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