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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes

    Cheap Vegan Meals (all under $5 for 2 servings!)

    Published: Aug 22, 2022 · Modified: Oct 27, 2022 by Becky Striepe · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    image collage of steel cut oats, quinoa salad, sushi bowl, tofu sandwich, lentil loaf, and cauliflower tacos with text overlay that says, "Cheap Vegan Meals Under $5 for 2 servings"

    Eating vegan doesn’t have to be expensive. All of the cheap vegan meals here cost $5 or less for two servings!

    image collage of cheap vegan meals: steel cut oats, cauliflower tacos, lentil loaf, and noodles

    Veganism gets the reputation for being overpriced, but it doesn't have to be! These cheap vegan meals are proof that you can eat vegan without breaking the bank. They all clock in at under $5 for two servings, or $10 for four servings.

    Jump to:
    • Cheap vegan meals that you'll love!
    • Breakfasts
    • Lunches
    • Dinners
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Why going vegan seems pricier than it is

    Cheap vegan meals that you'll love!

    This list includes options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Many of the options are also 1-pot and come together in under half an hour.

    To calculate the 2-serving cost of the recipes below, I combined prices from my local grocery store with prices that I found online.

    Breakfasts

    jar of banana and peanut butter overnight oats with slices of banana and a peanut butter drizzle on top

    Banana and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats Recipe

    This six-ingredient banana and peanut butter overnight oats recipe is sweet, creamy, and so, so decadent. No chia seeds, no yogurt needed. Just plenty of PB and banana goodness!
    bowl of quinoa porridge with strawberries

    Fruit and Nut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

    This Fruit & Nut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl is a healthy, satisfying way to start the day. Just simmer everything on the stove for a few minutes, and you're ready to eat!
    birthday cake granola parfait with yogurt in a glass. It has a candle on top!

    Birthday cake granola

    Make your breakfast dreams come true with crunchy, colorful birthday cake granola! Serve it with your favorite plant milk or with yogurt, parfait-style!
    vegan oatmeal cups on a blue table

    Vegan Oatmeal Cups

    Tender baked oatmeal cups are a perfect quick breakfast. They only take seven ingredients and about half an hour to make!
    close-up of sliced vegan pumpkin banana bread on a white plate, so you can see the texture

    Vegan pumpkin banana bread

    Deeply seasoned, spiced vegan pumpkin banana bread recipe is just the ticket for easy breakfasts and snacks on the go.
    Instant Pot steel cut oats with apple pieces in a white bowl topped with applesauce and maple syrup

    Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats with Apple

    Make these nutty, hearty Instant Pot steel cut oats with sweet cinnamon apple in about 20 minutes. Your breakfast game just leveled UP!
    overhead photo of vegan strawberry muffins in the muffin tin

    Vegan Strawberry Muffins

    Moist and fluffy vegan strawberry muffins with a touch of oats are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast or snack.

    Lunches

    hand holding a pita stuffed with smashed chickpea salad

    Mashed Chickpea Salad Recipe

    Weekday lunches are easy with a container of creamy, flavorful mashed chickpea salad in the fridge. This salad is seriously the BEST!
    close-up of the fried tofu sandwich with veggies and curry mayo on it and a side of waffle fries

    Fried tofu sandwich

    A crispy, pan fried tofu sandwich with creamy curry mayo is an easy lunch that's flavorful and satisfying.
    tofu egg salad sandwich on a white plate

    Tofu Egg Salad Recipe

    This isn't your average vegan egg salad. This tofu egg salad is packed with flavor that will seriously up your packed lunch game!
    serving bowl of curried couscous salad with roasted vegetables

    Curried Couscous Salad

    Roasted cauliflower and sweet potato combine with deeply seasoned, curried couscous to create an aromatic salad.
    southwest pasta salad in a serving bowl on a wooden table

    Southwest Pasta Salad

    Quick and easy southwest pasta salad is oil-free and packed with flavor! It's the perfect vegan pasta salad recipe for cookouts and picnics.
    overhead photo of a bowl od noodles with carrots, cabbage, edamame, and tofu

    Cold peanut noodles recipe

    Creamy peanut sauce, crunchy veggies, and tender tofu make this cold peanut noodle salad a crave-worthy one-bowl meal.

    Dinners

    sliced lentil meatloaf, so you can see the texture of the inside

    Quinoa Lentil Meatloaf Recipe

    A hearty baked quinoa and lentil meatloaf smothered in sweet ketchup glaze is the easy dinner you need! This recipe is easy to make and a total crowd-pleaser!
    spoon serving tofu shepherd's pie from the pot

    Tofu Shepherd's Pie Recipe

    Rich, flavorful tofu shepherd's pie combines traditional elements with a dash of greens and toothsome tofu. It's deliciously hearty and one of my family's favorite meals!
    vegan bean chili topped with vegan sour cream, green onion, and jalapeno in a white bowl on a marble table

    Vegan Bean Chili Recipe

    My family is obsessed with this flavor-packed, super-easy vegan bean chili! You can use any canned beans you like to make it. 
    blue plate of chili pie with sliced avocado on the side

    Chili Pie

    A cozy, vegan Chili Pie with a creamy cauliflower mashed potato crust is the perfect way to use up a whole bunch of leftover chili.
    hand picking up a taco from a plate of buffalo cauliflower tacos

    Buffalo cauliflower tacos recipe

    Crunchy buffalo cauliflower is the star of these decadent cauliflower tacos topped with avocado, cilantro, and velvety garlic cashew crema!
    air fryer stir fry on a white plate with rice

    Air fryer stir fry with veggies and tofu

    This air fryer stir fry is packed with flavor and is so easy to make! The magic is in the 5-minute blender stir fry sauce.
    tofu sushi bowl with fresh veggies, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds on a marble table

    Tofu Sushi Bowl Recipe

    Think of this sushi bowl recipe as a jumping-off point. Pile on whatever veggies you like that are in your budget. You can omit pricier ingredients, like avocado and pickled ginger and still have a delicious sushi experience!

    Frequently asked questions

    How do vegans live on a tight budget?

    Shopping for vegan food on a budget isn't much different from shopping as an omnivore on a budget. Clipping coupons helps a lot. Some weeks, I plan our menu around coupons!

    My other money-saving strategy is to base our weekly meal plans around food that's already in the pantry. If I see that we have rice, then sushi bowls are on the menu, for example.

    What are typical vegan meals?

    A typical vegan meal can be a lot of things, but bowl meals are my favorite when it comes to keeping our budget under control.

    To create a bowl meal, start with a starch -- like rice, potatoes, or pasta. Then, add a protein, veggies, and sauce to make it a meal.

    Beans (dried or canned) and tofu are my go-to affordable proteins, A can of beans costs around $1 and serves 3 people, and a block of tofu costs around $2 and feeds 4.

    For veggies, see what's on sale, and have fun cooking it! Roasted broccoli or sautéed spinach are both very budget-friendly veggies that go with lots of grain-protein combinations. So are pan fried collard greens.

    Top that off with store-bought or homemade sauce, and you have a flavorful vegan meal on a budget!

    Is it cheap to eat vegan?

    It can be! Beans, grains, veggies, potatoes etc are very affordable. You don't need vegan specialty foods to eat a vegan diet.

    Why going vegan seems pricier than it is

    When you first go vegan, it can seem super expensive. Part of the problem is that you’re restocking your pantry with vegan groceries. Once you're actually cooking from your vegan pantry, the price goes way down.

    The amount of nutritional yeast or agave nectar in a single recipe may not be much, but the bag, jar or, bottle can seem expensive before you look at how many servings it contains.

    Think about those grocery trips when you seem to be out of all of the staples, like ketchup, mustard, mayo, flour, salt, and spices. That’s an expensive shopping trip! But you only have to do that stocking up occasionally. And usually not all at once.

    A recipe that calls for a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast might seem expensive when you include the cost of the whole bag. But that bag will last you for many meals. A tablespoon-sized serving of nutritional yeast, though, costs only about 30 cents.

    Eating vegan, like eating in general, certainly can be expensive, but you don’t need a pantry full of maca and goji berries to eat vegan. Ingredients like beans, whole grains, and even fresh veggies can be incredibly budget-friendly.

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

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    About Me

    photo of Becky Striepe
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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