Plant Based Meal Ideas on a Budget

Hey there my little vegan nuggets. Today's post is all about plant based meals on a budget. These meals are very filling, healthy, & inexpensive. 

Our family of 4 (2 adults, 1 young child, and 1 toddler) have big appetites and a moderate grocery budget. We try to stick to around $65 on food a week. These meals are well within that range, and when executed correctly (buying in bulk, sale stock ups, etc) can be even less! They also don't require a ton of time. I like to keep dinner under about 30 minutes of cook/prep time. We also prep some things at the beginning of each week. Black beans, rice, wash & cut up veggies, etc. to save time and money! Without further ado, here they are!

Breakfast

• Oatmeal with fruit- We buy a canister of whole grain oatmeal at Aldi every few weeks. We add in some pure maple syrup, flax seeds, whatever frozen fruit we have, occasionally some cinnamon, and some almond milk. So nutritious & delicious. We do this one the most because it keeps them fuller longer. 
• Banana Muffins- I love this recipe! Nolan goes bananas over bananas! This makes about 16 muffins, so we generally can eat on these for a few days for a super quick breakfast!
• Tofu scramble with hash browns or potatoes- I'll be honest, I don't like tofu that tastes like tofu. This tofu scramble recipe is the bomb.com! We buy some frozen hash browns & usually eat this as our "fancy" meal before church every week. The left overs brings me to my next meal...
• Breakfast Burritos- Whenever we have left over tofu scramble, we usually make some breakfast burritos the next day. We usually make some more hash browns, salsa, peppers, etc. Whatever we have on hand. So yummy! 
• Breakfast Smoothie- Breakfast smoothies are quick & easy. I've found, if you make them the night before & refrigerate them, not only is this a time saver, but you're more likely to actually drink it. Waking up, blending it all, cleaning up the mess, etc in the morning is so blah. I'd rather do it the night before and have it nice & chilled for breakfast!
• Avocado Toast- Avocados can be expensive, so this isn't our go to. We generally eat this if we got a great deal on them for the week or if they're about to go bad. This toast is very creamy, delicious, and filling.
• Peanut Butter Toast- My boys aren't much into that avocado life as the rest of us. So when they have toast on the brain, I usually top with with peanut butter. You could easily do almond butter as well. I also add some flax seed on top. Yum!
• Tofu & Potato Hash- This potato hash recipe is good! I forego the oil. Use the tofu scramble recipe from above and mix them together! I also make this one for dinner!
• Pancakes/Waffles- This recipe is so simple & it's my kid's favorite breakfast. I make it about once a week because I am usually dead in the mornings, but it really takes about 5-10 minutes to prep, and a few to cook. Add some pure maple syrup, and I have happy & full boys!

Lunch

• Peanut Butter Sandwiches- We keep things super simple at lunch time. My kids eat this 4/7 days of the week. We usually add a fruit & veggie on the side, and they're covered! Make sure to use whole grain bread & oil free peanut or almond butter!
• Chickpea "Tuna" Salad- This recipe is seriously amazing! I was craving tuna salad one night & came upon this! Luckily, we keep chickpeas on hand, so I made it & wow! So good & filling. Even my 5-year-old devoured it! 
• Baked Potato- I usually eat baked red or sweet potatoes for lunch every day. It's fast, inexpensive, and super filling! You could top with alternatives to dairy toppings, but that get's pricey. I usually just do salt, pepper, & ketchup. Good to go!
• Quesadillas- My kids used to eat quesadillas every other day for lunch! They're not huge advocates for vegan cheese, so they eat it sparingly, and again, it can be pricey. On the rare days, they will eat this & I'll throw in some spinach with it for some extra green!
• Salads- Liam eats raw spinach, but for whatever reason, is not a big fan of salads. Nolan only likes his green veggies purred with fruit added. A bit odd for a kid who grew up doing baby led weaning, but anyways....Salads are usually only for me. I just buy whatever is on sale & that I like. Spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, seeds, nuts, fruit, lemon juice, and balsamic dressing. Be sure to make your salad filling! I've learned the hard way, most people's regular salad portions are a vegan's small portions. I eat a huge (mega) bowl of salad when I eat one as a meal. Fills me up and there ain't no shame in my game!
• Wraps- My husband raves over spinach wraps. He usually throws tortillas, peppers, leftover veggies, and salsa in a tortilla. Not my favorite thing, but easy & cheap!
• Leftovers- Leftovers are always your cheapest option! Make a bit more and eat it the next day. My husband usually always takes leftovers to work. 
• Buddha Bowls-Got leftover veggies, rice, & beans at the end of the week? Throw them together for a Buddha bowl! Simple, quick, & very inexpensive!

Dinner

• Tacos- There are all sorts of vegan taco ideas out there! Our favorite is black beans & brown rice. Depending on what was on sale & what we have will depend on our toppings. It's usually always spinach, tomatoes, salsa, corn, and occasionally avocado or cashew sour cream. Served with chips & salsa, YUM! If you're wanting to avoid tortillas, add these on romaine hearts for some extra green! My husband also tops his with hemp hearts!
• Rice & Beans with Green Veggies- This is Liam's absolute favorite meal! Even before we went vegan. This meal is incredibly inexpensive, cheap, and filling! We usually add frozen spinach to our rice as it cooks. 99.9% of the time we add broccoli as our side veggie. It's all of our favorite veggie and it's usually fairly cheap. We buy a large frozen bag and eat off of it for a couple of weeks. Sometimes we add salsa on top for a different flavor as well!
• Spaghetti, Sauce, & Garlic Bread- Grab some whole grain pasta, get an oil & dairy free sauce (or make your own). I love taking jarred sauce, adding some diced tomatoes, sneaking in some extra veggies, and spices. We then take some whole grain bread, add some vegan butter, and sprinkle some garlic powder on top. Broil in the oven until brown. We usually also serve a side salad with it. Boom. Easy, simple, and definitely affordable!
• Pizza- My kids & husband are pizza obsessed! I have tried to make a fancy, healthy crust. It's never worked out! I just try to buy the healthiest premade crust I can, add whatever veggies we have or are on the sale, some leftover spaghetti sauce, and if we have it, cheese alternative. It's amazing how good pizza is without cheese though, crazy almost! We have also made a BBQ chickpea pizza which was amazing, but premade BBQ is insanely full of junk, so we rarely eat it. When it comes to pizza, I want it fast, so the less I have to do, and the healthier & cheaper it is, the better!
• Chili- Chili recipes are so easy & adaptable. Just exchange the meat for lentils or black beans, add in some spinach. Since we no longer top with cheese & sour cream, we love adding our chili to sweet or baked potatoes! SO filling and yummy! Be sure to double the batch and freeze one batch for later!
• Soup- Soup is another easily adapted meal and throwing it in a pot is so simple. We like vegetable, minestrone, our own White Bean & Sweet Potato recipe, lentil soup, taco soup (with black beans instead of ground meat), chicken-less noodle soup, etc. Again, double your batch and freeze one for later. Only a few cents more and a whole other meal. You should have leftovers from the first for lunch the next day as well!
• Stir-Fry- We love stir fry! Like love it! We mostly just do frozen mixed veggies over brown rice. Sometimes we add tofu on top, but that's rare. 

Snacks

• Veggies & Hummus- My husband is all carrot & I am all cucumber. For a quick, easy snack, we pair our favorite veggies with some hummus. We make homemade occasionally, but love the taste of store bought.  Just read ingredient labels. 
• Fruit Salad- This is my children's favorite snack. We always have bananas on hand. Depending the sales that week, we might have: strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, grapes, etc and we always combine and make a yummy fruit salad. They gobble it up!
• Celery & Peanut Butter- We only buy celery if it's on sale or we need it for a recipe, but one of my favorite snacks is celery and peanut butter! Best combo ever!
• Fruit- Fruit on it's own is a very quick and easy snack. Think about it, most fruits are the original fast food! 

So there you have it lovies! Over a week's worth of plant-based breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks on a budget! What are your favorite plant based meals for less? Leave them in the comments below!