21 mostly Plant Based Tips to Beat Inflation

By Donna Dior

Share

With pretty much everyone talking about how expensive eggs (& many other items) have gotten as of late (& by the way you can make plant based alternative versions of eggs with ingredients such as chickpea flour, tofu or mung bean (Take a Look Here))...
Click "Read More" below to continue... 

I felt it may be helpful to share a few tips on how to save yourself a bit of your well earned money especially when purchasing plant based ingredients. Even if you can manage to incorporate just a few plant based meals into your weekly plan, it may be very beneficial to your piggy bank along with your health & planet earths too !
In comparison to animal based products such as your dairy and meat that are commonly more expensive and are potentially inflammatory to your body (especially if not responsibly pasture raised / grass fed/ free of hormones etc) as well as draining to your bank account, pure plant based foods that come from nature are typically highly nourishing, anti inflammatory as well as less expensive.
To clarify, when we’re talking about plant based foods, we mean nutrient dense whole foods in their closest to pure form. These foods, such as vegetables & fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils & peas), nuts & seeds, are loaded with life giving enzymes and nutrients that nourish your body, unlike the many available packaged and highly processed items loaded with potentially harmful ingredients.
Just to further note, many packaged & processed plant based food products are potentially as unhealthy, inflammatory and expensive as some animal based ones. So the key is to purchase and consume foods that come as close to directly from nature as possible. 
I’m quite certain that my whole food plant-based food purchases are generally less expensive than an average persons on an animal based diet. You can even splurge in buying mostly organic items and your bill will likely still come to less.
It doesn’t need to be challenging & complicated to eat a bit more whole food plant based. It is very simple to throw a meal together in just a few minutes…
From grain & veggie bowls to tortillas & burritos to stir frys, amazing salads, soups, whole grain pizza & pasta dishes to Roasting Veggies (such as cauliflower & portabellas) as a main course  (just like meat) the possibilities are literally Endless ~ as well as quick & easy ! 
...and if you don't mind food prepping a little, you  can really easily prepare a number of your ingredients or meals in advance so all you need to do is toss them together / heat them up if necessary. 
Also just to note, preparing (as well as growing) your own food from scratch may be the overall most winning way to fortify your health as well as save money at the same time.

& Here are your Tips...
​

1) Have a Plan

Meal Planning is a highly beneficial practice in the quest to becoming healthier and losing weight, but it can also be super helpful in the area of saving money.
Having a meal plan for the week or at least the next few days can really equate to savings. Knowing exactly what you’ll be needing to create your meals for any period of time will help you to be laser focused on exactly what you need to purchase when shopping, versus just mindlessly walking around the market with no plan and possibly impulse buy all kinds of things that don't necessarily add up to cohesive meals. If you so choose, you can also plan your meals with some lower cost (especially plant based) ingredients that you can use in several of your dishes. So plan your meals either written on a meal planner (Take a Look Here) or on your device (Chronometer which is a nutrition tracking website/app is one of my favorites (Take a Look Here)) !
​

2) Know What You Have

Often times we already have ingredients that we have forgotten we've previously purchased. It’s always a good idea to take inventory of your food stock, your pantry, refrigerator, and otherwise to make sure you don’t already have the ingredients you need to create your meals, and so you don’t end up spending money on them Again !
​

3) Use Up What You Already Have

After you take inventory of what you already have, it's never a bad idea to make recipes for the week or at least a day or two using Only these ingredients in order to use some of them up. Often times we have quite a number of possibilities in this area since many of us have fridges, freezers & pantry's full of random items. This is especially a good idea when these items have a shorter shelf life. You’d sometimes be amazed at how many dishes can be created from these products. This would include ingredients such as grains, canned or dried beans, frozen veggies or items like potatoes, pastas, noodles & tortillas. Many easy & healthy recipes can be achieved saving a good amount of money  and preventing food from going bad.
​

4) Repurpose Leftovers

Even leftovers in small amounts can often be used to repurpose for other dishes. Whether using leftovers from a single meal or random pieces of several, Just adding a grain, a little plant based protein or veggies & a sauce to them can create a whole new & large meal.. & this is obviously a huge savings when it comes to cost! You can also equate into and account for this in your meal planning & grocery shopping lists & trips. 
​

5) Make A List

Just like having a plan, having a list of items & ingredients you need for your weekly meal plan is essential in keeping you focused, saving money & limiting impulse buying. Walking aimlessly about the market is a sure way to throw lots of stuff in your cart that you weren’t intending on purchasing. Thus there's a much better chance you'll spend less if you create & take your list with you !
​

6) Don't Shop When You're Hungry

As many are already aware, shopping when you’re hungry is a big No-No, as it is the road straight to impulse buying stuff you don't need. When you feel like you want to eat just about everything in sight, it is Not a great time to go food shopping, especially if you’re attempting  to save money. So make sure you make a shopping list in advance and shop on a full stomach.
​

7) Purchase From Bulk Bins

Purchasing items that are available in bulk bins in most stores these days (& especially health food stores & markets), such your grains (such as rices, couscous, millet, quinoa & pastas), legumes (beans, lentils & peas), seeds (such as pumpkin & sunflower) and nuts as well as oats & flours, cereals & granolas and dried fruits can equal savings. These items are usually sold by the pound & end up being quite a bit less expensive than packaged foods. As a bonus these foods are often loaded with powerful nutrients such as minerals as well as vitamins & plant based protein !

8) Purchase Canned Items

You can purchase many plant based foods such as beans, vegetables and even fruit canned & even organic items can be super affordable. Some of these items can be a staple of a plant based meal such as chickpeas (roasted chickpeas are my fav) or mixed beans which are an excellent source of plant based protein as well as fiber & loaded with minerals & all important B vitamins.
Ingredients such as canned tomatoes or coconut milks are also staple ingredient that you can use in endless recipes.
Canned products have an extended shelf life & will stay fresh  and useable for quite a long time.
When choosing canned items make sure cans have BPA free lining !
​

9) Purchase Frozen Produce

Frozen fruits & veggies (even when organic), are often cheaper & more cost effective than fresh due to their price as well as their long (frozen) shelf life, so there is minimal waste.
You can purchase anything from solo veggies to combinations to veggie rices (such as cauliflower), & spirals (such as zucchini), to edamame (soybean) pods (make sure these ar organic)…and these are all super easy options to use to quickly whip up your meals especially when you’re short on a thing called Time..
Frozen fruits are also an amazing nutritional option to use in recipes including delicious smoothies & smoothie bowls as well as defrosting them for deserts or additions to dishes such as salads.
..and again, you don’t have to be concerned that your frozen options will go bad and go to waste as fresh items often can.
*Just a note to again recommend avoiding frozen processed & fried items (such as potatoes and numerous other entries including some plant based burgers)) especially when they contain inflammatory (& sometimes outright toxic) oils such as canola, soybean, corn, sunflower & safflower. These products often additionally  contain other potentially harmful ingredients.
​Stick to Unprocessed Whole Food Plant Based items !
​

10) Purchase Produce in Whole Form

Pre-prepared packaged produce items such as cut, chopped, etc  are usually a bit more expensive than purchasing them in their whole state. These pre-prepared items include everything from chopped broccoli and other chopped veggies as well as all types of chopped blends, salad mixes and fruits such as cut up pineapple, melons etc.. In addition, the whole food versions of these items are often much fresher than pre-packaged versions. So unless you're physically compromised and have difficulties chopping, purchase the whole food and take the few minutes to dice/ food prep it up at home & store in mason jars or glass containers. It will be well worth your while along with being fresher & cheaper!

11) Purchase Whole Produce in Bulk

Depending on where you shop, often times bulk bags of produce items such as potatoes, apples, pears as well as grains such as rices & quinoas are less expensive per pound in bulk than single items or smaller packages. This is often the case even if  purchasing organic. Additionally, if grains are on your shopping list and can't be found in bulk bins, larger packages of them are often more cost effective than smaller ones. Check your price per pound and purchase bulk packages when more affordable and especially if it's an item your household goes through quite quickly.
​

12) Shop Items That Last

Shopping for & purchasing grains, particular veggies and some fruits that hold up a bit longer are a good way of preventing food waste while at the same time saving you money. Especially if you don’t consume ingredients soon after bringing them home. Items such as oats & rices, dates & dried fruit, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower and fruit such as orange, grapefruit, apple & grape  don’t go bad super quickly so there's less food waste. Less waste equals savings!  Often regarding produce, the thicker the skin or rind the greater longevity. All of these items can be added to many delicious recipes !
​

13) Shop Deals & Stock Up

Obviously you’d want to shop sales and deals when they happen! It’s a great and money saving idea to stock up especially on items that have a longer shelf life such as grains, canned & frozen foods. If items in bulk bins ever go on sale this is also a great time to stock up on your grains, legumes, seeds, granolas, flours etc. You can even store these items in food storage containers, bulk & otherwise, as well as BPA free of course (Take a Look Here), (Here), (Here), (Here) & (Here) !
​

14) Shop Ethnic Food Markets

You can often find great savings shopping for food staples at ethnic food markets such as Asian, Latin, Caribbean, Middle Eastern & European, Pantry Staples such as Rices, Grains & Beans and Produce are often available at a great savings. You can also find many items in bulk shopping these markets, with adds up to big savings.
​

15) Use Methods to Reduce Spoilage

There are many ways to help prevent food (especially produce) from going bad & spoiling quickly. Food waste is one of the areas that can really put a dent in your budget as massive amounts of purchased food ends up going badly & in the trash. Methods of better food storage are many and range from using specialized containers to proper treatment of your produce (Take a Look Here) & (Here) !
​

16) Join Store Savings Programs

Membership programs & e-coupons at many markets are a great way to save on your groceries. Especially when there are deals on the items you often use, it's a great opportunity to stock up on those  and the ones that have a longer shelf life in particular !
​

17) Order Groceries Online

If you have a hard time controlling impulse buying at the market, it may make sense for you to order your groceries online where you can  order exactly what you need and just pick it up at the curb or have it delivered. This way you will completely avoid walking down the isles in the store being tempted to buy everything that looks good, and items you just don't need. This means savings ! 

18) Food Prep

 Food Prepping (preparing ingredients in advance) is one of the most effective ways of preparing healthy meals from scratch and at the same time saving money. Since you’ll have your meals at least somewhat already planned & prepared waiting for you at home that you can just heat up or throw together, you will not be tempted to grab & consume everything in sight or ordering takeout. For even the busiest of people, there is practically always a way to carve out a small amount of time to dedicate to this important practice once or twice a week. Along with generally being far more beneficial to your health, food prepping is also time & money saving !
​

19) Purchase Fresh Produce

If you buy fresh produce at the market, it’s often worth it to shop in a place where they sell huge quantities of it, as these markets replenish their supply more often than others where the product sits there for a longer of period of time. Therefore it would be fresher as well as more nutritious. It being fresher obviously will equate to less of a chance of it going bad, being disposed of & wasting money. This holds true especially if you buy organic produce, as certain stores will sell way more of this than others where consumers are less interested in it. So it’s probably worth the extra trip even if this is all you’re purchasing from a particular place. It’s difficult enough to obtain fresh produce when you consider the challenges of shipping, timing, temperature and other issues product has potentially endured  prior to reaching your local store. So if it hasn’t been grown & harvested locally, your best bet for reduced food spoilage is to  find & buy it in the place that sells it the most & where it’s as fresh as possible. Do this & Save !!

20) Buy Local

Besides it being healthier for the planet, purchasing produce from places like your local farmers market can be really cost effective  as well as planet & community supportive compared to larger markets. Due somewhat to middle men & shipping of product being unnecessary, it’s often offered at a lower price point. It is also generally far fresher & more nutritious than product that has been shipped for endless miles which also lessens the issue of potential food waste. So support your local farmer !
​

21) Plant A Garden

As your final tip...The ultimate way to save money.. and at the same time have the freshest and most nutritious food, is to Grow Your Own. Even a bit of indoor gardening such as growing herbs can save you money and boost your overall wellness at the same time. Gardening is an art in itself & is super therapeutic (Take a Look Here). It is the best way to save money, and at the same time benefit your health & the planets while having access to the freshest food possible. Seeds are inexpensive even when organic and precious gifts (Take a look Here). Being more self sufficient  while growing any part of your own food supply is powerful and undeniably the way to go !!!
​

​As a last word on this topic, it is my personal opinion that spending any amount of your money on earths grown, nutrient rich, enzyme loaded, anti-inflammatory food is money well spent, as it holds the powerful potential to payoff in dividends  in the category of wellness.
Sickness is not inexpensive (in Any way) after all…
.. and though choosing to spend your money on whole plant based food is typically far more affordable anyway, it’s possible impact on longterm wellness is potentially Priceless.

 May Health, Wealth & Wellness be One...
​

This wraps it up for now with inflation beating tips...
​Happy plant-based shopping & saving ! 

**Stay tuned next for some easy, quick  & affordable plant-based recipe ideas...

"We are quite literally, gambling with the future of our planet for the sake of hamburgers"
Peter Singer

Disclaimer   
This blog, it's content and any linked materials does not provide medical advice and is presented and intended for informational purposes only. It is based on my personal experience and research and is Not a Substitute for Medical Advice or Treatment. Do not Disregard Medical Advice, or delay in Seeking it because of something you have read in this blog, website or in Any linked material. Consult with a Medical Professional if you have a Medical Condition ! ​