Preface
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We examine the claim that eating vegan is too expensive and a luxury.
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| Key Points | 5 |
| Counterclaims | 0 |
| Advocacy Notes | 0 |
| Footnotes | 0 |
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Summary
A concise summary of the briefing (see below for citations).
The perception that vegan diets are too expensive is challenged by evidence showing that plant-based eating can be more affordable than diets that include animal products. Replacing meat with staples like potatoes, beans, rice, and oats can reduce costs.
Research published in the Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition found that a plant-based meal plan costs significantly less annually than a government-recommended diet that includes meat, while also providing more servings of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Many everyday foods are already vegan, such as most grains, beans, cereals, and produce, so switching to a vegan diet doesn’t necessarily increase costs. While some vegan specialty products, like plant-based meats and cheeses, can be more expensive, they are unnecessary for a balanced vegan diet. Moreover, these items are becoming more affordable as demand grows.
A vegan diet may also lead to reduced medical costs, as it is associated with a lower risk of various health issues. A study by the National Academy of Sciences estimates that widespread adoption of vegan diets could save over $3,000 annually per person in healthcare costs in the United States.
Even if veganism were more expensive, the ethical considerations—such as avoiding the exploitation and suffering of animals—provide a compelling reason to leave animals off the plate.
Context
Places this topic in its larger context.
Some have claimed that going vegan is expensive and, for some, unaffordable. The implication is that eating a vegan diet is a luxury that only the affluent can afford.
Key Points
This section provides talking points.
Vegan diets are usually less expensive.
If you continue eating the same amount of fruit and greens but replace your meat with staples such as potatoes, beans, rice, oats, and corn, it’s hard to see how you would spend more.
Mayo Clinic considers lower costs to be one benefit of meatless meals. In stating that meatless meals are budget friendly and can save money, they add that some plant-based proteins “tend to be less expensive and offer more health benefits than meat.”1
Registered dietitian Ginny Messina confirms, “replacing the meat, dairy, and eggs in diets with lower cost foods like grains, beans and tofu isn’t just frugal, it’s much more healthful.”2
Research bears this out:
- A study published in the Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition concludes that even an economic version of a government-recommended meal plan costs $745 more per year than a plant-based meal plan.”3
- A 2021 British Medical Journal study estimated that diets including less animal and more plant foods were up to 25% to 29% less expensive than omnivorous diets.4
- A large US Internet survey found that food expenditures for vegetarians were lower than for their meat-eating counterparts.5
Many foods cost the same.
You may be surprised to find that because many common foods in the grocery store are already vegan, your costs for these items won’t go up.
These include everything in the produce department, all bulk items (except jerky), most cereals, most breads, all grains and beans, most canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, most condiments, such as mustard, ketchup, pickles, relish, and sauces, and virtually all spices.
Vegan specialty foods are optional.
Some vegan items, such as burger patties and mayonnaise, are no more expensive. Vegan milks cost no more than organic, hormone-free cow’s milk. Vegan cheeses and meats can be more expensive but are becoming less expensive as demand increases.
Prepared foods will almost always cost more, vegan or not, and many of these foods you can make yourself for considerably less.
These processed foods are optional—you can choose to just leave them off the menu.
Your medical bills may decrease.
A study published by the National Academy of Sciences calculates a health-care savings of over $1,067 billion annually with a vegan diet.6 That’s over $3,000 for each person in the United States. Savings stem from the reduced need for medical care, as a vegan diet tends to decrease the likelihood of health issues.
Consider the cost to animals.
We are often willing to pay a premium for convenience, for products with a lower carbon footprint, and for designer brands.
Shouldn’t we be willing to pay a little more for items that don’t support, directly or indirectly, the breeding, enslavement, mutilation, and slaughter of sentient beings who have lives that are as important to them as our lives are to us?
Counterclaims
Responses to some yes but retorts.
Counterclaims are often not included in objection-type briefings because the objection itself functions as a form of counterargument.
Supplementary Info
Additional information that may prove useful.
Tips for Saving on Groceries
Buy in bulk and at farmer’s markets.
Shop seasonally.
Buy vegetables frozen, since they often cost less and are just as healthy.
Compare prices. A pound of green peas costs around $1.30 at Walmart, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods Market. The same pound of peas can be as high as $3.00 at other grocery stores.
Limit specialty foods, such as vegan meats and cheeses. They are unnecessary. While they may be more healthy than animal-based meats and cheeses, they are not as healthy as whole foods.
Further Study
Sources providing a deeper understanding of the topic or related topics.
Other Resources
This World of Vegan article provides a list of 30 affordable plant-based foods and recipes, demonstrating that eating vegan on a budget is both possible and nutritious.7
Advocacy Resources
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Additional media and advocacy resources are on the way, though not every briefing will feature every type of media.
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Advocacy Notes
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Footnotes
Our sources, with links back to where they’re used.
- “Meatless meals: The benefits of eating less meat” Mayo Clinic, July 26, 2017. ↩︎
- Messina, Ginny. “The High Cost of Ethical Eating.” The Vegan RD, January 20, 2010. ↩︎
- Flynn, Mary M., and Andrew R. Schiff. “Economical Healthy Diets (2012): Including Lean Animal Protein Costs More Than Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil.” Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition 10, no. 4 (October 2, 2015): 467–82. ↩︎
- Kahleova H, Sutton M, Maracine C, et al. Vegan Diet and Food Costs Among Adults With Overweight: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(9):e2332106. ↩︎
- Lusk JL, Norwood FB. Some vegetarians spend less money on food, others don’t. Ecol Econ. 2016;130:232-242. ↩︎
- via Springmann, Marco, H. Charles J. Godfray, Mike Rayner, and Peter Scarborough. “Analysis and Valuation of the Health and Climate Change Co-benefits of Dietary Change.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 15 (April 12, 2016): 4146–51. ↩︎
- Michelle Cehn, “Eating Vegan Meals on a Budget: 30 Affordable Plant-Based Foods.” World of Vegan, www.worldofvegan.com/eating-vegan-meals-on-a-budget-30-affordable-plant-based-foods/ 12 May 2024. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
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