Vegan Diet Offers Health Benefits and Big Savings

Switching to a low-fat vegan diet could help you save money while improving your health, according to research from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, revealed that a low-fat vegan diet costs 19% less than the standard American diet, translating to savings of $1.80 per day. Compared to the Mediterranean diet, the savings increase to $2.40 per day, making a vegan diet a more affordable option.

Lead researcher Hana Kahleova, MD, Ph.D., emphasized the dual benefits of going vegan: “A vegan diet won’t just save money; it could save lives by helping to avoid or improve conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.” Dr. Kahleova also noted that swapping out meat and dairy for plant-based foods could reduce annual grocery bills by over $650 compared to a standard diet and more than $870 compared to a Mediterranean diet.

The cost reduction is largely due to lower spending on animal products. For example, eliminating meat saves $2.90 daily while avoiding dairy and added fats reduces expenses by $1. However, the vegan diet does involve slight increases in spending on vegetables, grains, and plant-based meat alternatives, amounting to an additional $1.30 per day.

The study, a secondary analysis of earlier research, compared participants who followed either a low-fat vegan diet or a Mediterranean diet over 16 weeks. Researchers found that the vegan diet led to better results for weight loss, cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity, in addition to lower food costs.

Dietary data was linked to the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, a database reflecting national food prices, for the cost analysis. The findings align with earlier research by the Physicians Committee, which also highlighted cost reductions with a vegan diet.

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