5 Cheap, Nutrient Dense Vegan Foods for 2020

On our way home, we stopped at Sam’s Club to stock up on groceries (when you leave for vacation you deplete your fridge so we needed food).  While we were in there, I noticed something about the types of food others were stocking up on and hoarding (despite the 1 item limit).  It was all relatively cheap food, but empty calories, packed with sugar, totally refined, and 0 nutrient density.  So I thought I would put together a small list of foods to help your budget go the furthest .

 Cereal, why were these people stocking up on boxes AND BOXES of cereal?  Well they are cheap, easy, sugary, and familiar.  Their carts looked much more full than ours full of produce.  The problem is, That processed food will not get them very far and they will be back spending more money sooner than we will.  Here are 5 foods to stock up on that will last a long time, are super filling, easy to customize, and cheap. 

Rice

This one should not surprise you at all.  Rice is one of the cheapest food items we have it is super easy to make and base meals off of, and the dried portion you purchase basically doubles when cooked.
Make sure to get brown or un enriched white rice to really reap those benefits.

Bananas

I thought for SURE that the banana section would be bare, nope, totally full.  People! If you are looking for cheap, bananas are about as cheap as it gets in the food world.  If you put it on the dollar menu its’ price would have to go UP!
​Snag bananas and use them as a filler in baking, or freeze them to make them smoothie bowl ready.

Tofu

Okay Annalisa you’re vegan you eat tofu, I don’t.  Well, if there is one versatile food Hunter and I have come across lately that is cheap and FILLING, it is tofu.  Super awesome source of protein and fat and if you buy organic, it is only a couple cents more.

Quinoa

Add this to anything and make it a super filling, nutrient dense meal.  Quinoa is another great cheap option that basically triples what you bought when it is cooked.  Add it to salads, soups, buddha bowls, pasta dishes, or anything else you can imagine.  They have a really neutral taste so they are easy to customize

Chickpeas

3 years ago I would have been like “what the heck are chickpeas”, but not today ya’ll.  These are my favorite things to have around the house.  You can mash them and make cookies, bake them and make a crunchy snack, or cook them and add to a pasta dish, salad, bowl, or (you get it by now).

Stay Healthy

Stay Happy

~Annalisa