Low-Cost Staples For A Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet

If you're attempting to live the lifestyle of a whole-food, plant-based diet, it can be daunting to realise how expensive the lifestyle can be. It's not uncommon to visit your local supermarket and realise that non-plant-based ingredients are more expensive than processed foods. Organic produce is obviously going to be your preferred choice, but if this doesn't fit within your budget, there are plenty of healthy low-cost alternatives you should consider.

To help you out, here's a list of my top 12 items to consider adding to your grocery list when on a tight budget:

1. Frozen vegetables
2. Frozen soups
3. Frozen fruit
4. Intact whole grains (quinoa, lentils, buckwheat, oats, etc.)
5. Canned beans (unsalted) (kidney beans, butter beans, canaloni beans, etc.)
6. Canned tomato products (unsalted)
7. Whole wheat pasta or brown rice pasta
8. Instant brown rice
9. Dried fruits
10. Almond butter (or make it yourself: check out a recipe here)
11. Raw almonds
12. Salt-free spice mixes

How to be smarter when it comes to eating on a budget
Ok, so even the cheap plant-based supermarket foods can still be a little expensive -- so my advice is to think outside the box (or supermarket, in this case) and consider buying in bulk online.
 
Foods such as whole grains, potatoes, and beans are generally very affordable, and can be bought in bulk. In fact, buying these ingredients in bulk can often save a lot of money in the long run.

Here's a couple of places I often buy my basic ingredients in bulk from:

• Buywholefoodsonline.co.uk
• Amazon

Do you have any questions about the suggestions listed above? If so, leave your comment in the section below or email me at me@haejinyoo.com

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