To create an easy budget vegan meal plan in record time with no fuss is the aim. I believe you can do it. I’ll give you lots of tools in this article to help you on your way.

Why make a budget vegan meal plan?

There are so many reasons to make a meal plan.

It saves time. I hope you are not buying food day in, day out. It saves you so much time if you do a bigger shop and get the things you need for all your meals and then it is done for the week. No more shopping.

It saves money. Because you plan your meals you can be organized about what ingredients you need and what you will make with them.

It saves waste. It helps not to over buy if you have a plan. This is a big plus for having a budget vegan meal plan.

Picture of a family with a shopping cart and looking at a shopping list. Part of an article make a budget vegan meal plan with no fuss.

Budget tips:

Here are some things I do to help keep a good handle on the budget while I plan my meals:

  • MAKE A DOUBLE PORTION. Now there is just the two of us at home, it is important to me to not waste the left overs. For example, a cauliflower is a pretty big vegetable. If, for example, we make a curry with it, we will make sure to use all of the cauliflower and make a bigger batch. Left overs can be eaten the next day or put in a freezer. This means you get the full value of what you buy.
  • KEEP PROCESSED FOOD TO A MINIMUM. Usually whole foods end up being cheaper. From having others live with us at different times, I noticed that buying all those drinks, snacks and processed foods are expensive.
  • BEWARE OF LURES. We usually all like a bargain, but sometimes we are victims to that. Not all bargains are good for us. Try to stick to your budget vegan meal plan, and don’t keep adding things to the cart.
  • COMPARE AND LOOK AROUND. Check around your shelves, is there another brand making the same product with better ingredients that is cheaper. A brand name doesn’t guarantee it will be a better product.
Shop now

Vegan tips:

Myself and my husband have been vegan for over 10 years now. Here are some tips we use:

  • LEARN ABOUT ALTERNATIVES. When we started we didn’t know much about vegan cooking and baking. As we went along we discovered more and more. Now when we put together our budget vegan meal plan we often already have the ingredients needed.
  • FIND YOUR FAVORITE INSPIRATION. This is a bit of trial and error but myself and my husband have over time found our favorite vegan chefs and if we want to try a new recipe we know where to go. For me it’s pickuplimes and for my husband it’s thehappypear.
  • LESS IS MORE. Sometimes vegan treats and snacks can be pricier than the mainstream. But we find that getting good quality products and eating less of them is our way to go. So a vegan alternative to your mars bar could be a lovely organic dark chocolate nut bar, but maybe only have a couple of squares and save the rest for another day.
  • BE BALANCED. When we began making a budget vegan meal plan many years ago, we put down lots of lovely recipes, but the truth is, they can be time consuming. It’s ok if one day on your meal plan it says ‘vegan sausage and chips’ or ‘take-away’. Sometimes OUR best is not THE best, but it is ok for us, and we roll with it.
A woman looking at a label on a can of food. Part of an article - make a budget vegan meal plan with no fuss.

Making your meal plan.

So you have some tips, now let’s put them together into your very own budget vegan meal plan.

STEP 1.

Have a list of meals that you like to do on a regular basis. Look at this and decide which ones will go onto this weeks plan.

STEP 2.

Why not add a new recipe. Not every week, but on a regular basis we will look up and find a new recipe to try. [If it is really good, add it to your regular meals]

STEP 3.

Now you should have a plan for 7 meals for the week. Now get a shopping list ready. Go through the meals you have chosen and add what you need to the shopping list. Mostly I’m looking at what veg or special ingredients are needed.

STEP 4.

Then I go though the staples in the fridge and cupboard, what of our regular things do we need to get? I do this by eye. Remember this is a meal plan with no fuss.

STEP 5.

Buy your list and stick to it!!

In conclusion

This is my food management system. It’s definitely a budget vegan meal plan with no fuss.

I think it is quite easy, but what do you think, do you use a different food management system? And please do tell us below if you have any of your own tips for making a good meal plan.

Thanks for reading, happy planning!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE..