Meat and Milk Prices Rise! Eat These Plant-Based Meals That Cost Less Than $5 Instead

Meat and milk prices have risen, which makes now a great time to eat more plant-based meals!

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who recently released its preliminary report on March farm prices, the livestock index is up by 5 percent. The USDA noted that March’s higher prices for broilers, hogs, corn, and cattle offset lower prices for eggs, grapefruit, and sunflowers.

It’s not just meat prices that are rising — milk prices are actually rising the most. The March price of $25.40 per hundredweight is up $6.30, or about 33 percent, compared with the price in March 2013.

Though maintaining a vegan lifestyle can seemingly be expensive, it’s actually very cost-effective in light of these riding meat and dairy prices! Convenience snack foods are one thing, but foods like steel-cut oats, whole wheat flour, dry legumes, canned beans, peanuts, and corn kernels can be bought in bulk and stored for a while on the shelf.

Try these recipes below that cost less than $5 to make:

1. Moroccan Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

This recipe can be a snack or a complement to a meal. If you already have the spices, buying a few sweet potatoes, a can of chickpeas, and a lemon is relatively cheap.

2. Vegan Goldfish Crackers

If you miss the taste of Goldfish crackers from your non-vegan days, there’s a delicious knock-off recipe. This is one much healthier than the factory food version.

3. Fruit Slices with Nut Butter

A jar of nut butter can go a long way. Cut up some apple slices and eat it with a tablespoon of nut butter for an inexpensive snack. Make your own nut butter to save even more money.

4. Popcorn

Instead of buying packaged popcorn and microwaving it, buy the kernels and airpop them yourself. You can make a huge amount of popcorn for $5. Sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top for a cheesy taste.

5. Toasted/roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted seeds make for a delicious, healthy snack. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with olive oil and your desired seasoning. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Cook until toasted, for about 10 – 15 minutes.

7. Fruit Smoothie

Smoothies can be as basic as frozen fruit and nut milk. You can easily keep each smoothie below $5 a pop depending on the produce you buy.

8. Oatmeal

Oats are cheap to purchase and are a great food to buy in bulk and always have stocked in the pantry. There are so many possibilities for making oatmeal, and yours can be as simple or extravagant as you like.

9. Black Bean and Corn Salsa

You can make a large bowl of the salsa for less than $5. Using dried black beans that you soak and cook yourself is the cheapest option, but you can buy cans of pre-cooked beans and corn relatively cheaply.

10. Steamed Edamame

Whether you buy fresh or frozen edamame, eating steamed soybeans is a great, inexpensive snack. Sprinkle them with some salt after steaming.

Try these snacks for an inexpensive, healthy way to eat vegan.