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Eating vegan can get expensive if you let it, but it can also be done frugally with the right recipes in mind. There is no shortage of cheap vegan meals that are just as delicious and nutritious as more expensive ones! You just need to know what to look for. The trick to cheap vegan meals is planning ahead and buying foods like steel-cut oats, whole wheat flour, dry legumes, canned beans, peanuts, and corn kernels in bulk, since they can be stored for a while on the shelf. Try these 10 plant-based meals from the Food Monster App you can make for under $10:

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And, don’t forget to check out our Budget-Friendly Archives!


1. Vegan Sloppy Joes

Source: Vegan Sloppy Joes

Vegan Sloppy Joes by Robin Burns are a fantastic family meal. Several ingredients could be used in place of cow meat for the base, such as lentils, chickpeas, and black beans.

2. Tofu Scramble


Source: Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Nutritional Yeast

Mimic a morning egg scramble by using tofu instead, along with your choice of spices and veggies. Try spinach and nutritional yeast in this Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Nutritional Yeast by Jennifer Valentine.


3. Tacos

Source: Lentil Tacos


Honoring Taco Tuesday can be as cheap and simple as having some black beans and rice with salsa fresca and lettuce. Dry legumes are very cheap, especially when you buy them in bulk. Get creative and try experimenting with vegan taco recipes, like lentil tacos, falafel tacos, and Tacos sin Carne. Check out these tips for veganizing tacos.

4. Kale Salad

Source: Vegan Kale Waldorf Salad

Kale is a powerhouse green with several nutritional benefits, so eat up and use it to frame a delicious salad. Try Vegan Kale Waldorf Salad or Cheezy Kale Salad (leave out the dates and hemp seeds to lessen the cost of making this recipe if you prefer.)

5. Hummus Sandwiches

Source: Hummus, Carrot, Cucumber, Avocado, and Sprouts Sandwich


Chickpeas aren’t expensive, especially if you buy them dried and in bulk. Even canned chickpeas are pretty cheap as well. Hummus is a great binder on sandwiches. Try it on the Vegan Humdinger sandwich by Aine Carlin.

6. Pasta With Vodka Cream Sauce

Source: Pasta With Vodka Cream Sauce

This Pasta With Vodka Cream Sauce by Amy Cramer and Lisa McComsey is hearty, filling, and is great for busy nights when you want to use packaged foods such as rice pasta and organic tomato sauce. Combine those with cashews and vodka, and voila, you have a delicious sauce and a cheap meal.

7. Stuffed Peppers

Source: Fat-Free Vegan Greek Rice Stuffed Peppers

A rice-based filling make stuffed peppers into a meal that won’t break the bank, but will also fill you up. Try Fat-Free Vegan Greek Rice Stuffed Peppers byVeronica Grace.

8. Soups

Source: Hearty Barley-Lentil Soup with Potatoes

Soups are so easy to put together. Though you can make some expensive, elaborate soups, you can also keep it as simple as throwing 5 ingredients into a pot of water on the stove. Try Hearty Barley-Lentil Soup with Potatoes. For raw soups, try Raw Green Pea Soup and Raw Carrot Avocado Soup.

9. Quinoa Salad

Source: Protein-Packed Vegan Salad with Quinoa, Chickpeas, Lime and Cilantro

Quinoa is a complete protein, so adding it with some oil and veggies makes a nutritious, filling meal. Try Cleansing Quinoa Carrot Salad with Super Zesty Lime and Ginger Dressing and Protein-Packed Vegan Salad with Quinoa, Chickpeas, Lime and Cilantro.

10. Baked Sweet Potatoes

Source: Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato and Sriracha Cashew Cheese Sauce

Bake a sweet potato and top it with black beans, cilantro, and tomatoes for a cheap, quick meal. You can also top it with broccoli and avocado in this Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato and Sriracha Cashew Cheese Sauce.

What are some of your favorite vegan recipes that are inexpensive to make? Let us know in the comments!

Honoring Taco Tuesday can be as cheap and simple as having some black beans and rice with salsa fresca and lettuce. Dry legumes are very cheap, especially when you buy them in bulk. Get creative and try experimenting with vegan taco recipes, like lentil tacos, falafel tacos, and Tacos sin Carne. Check out these tips for veganizing tacos.

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! Dairy consumption also has been linked many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based 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 great resources to get you started:

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