Want to Spend Less on Food? Try a Vegan Diet
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
A recently published study examined the cost of food for those on a vegan diet compared to those on a nonvegetarian diet (1). This report was a part of a larger study comparing the health effects of having people who were categorized as overweight follow either a low-fat vegan diet or their usual nonvegetarian diet. The study took place between January 2017 and February 2019 in Washington, DC and was paid for by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
The study had 223 participants who completed all parts of the study. Study participants, who were not on a vegan diet at the beginning of the study, were randomly assigned to either a lowfat vegan diet or told to follow their usual diet for 16 weeks. Participants who were assigned to the vegan diet attended weekly cooking demonstrations and classes where they were taught about vegan diets. Participants in both groups provided their own food, were not told to cut calories, and were told to maintain their usual exercise habits. The group on the vegan diet lost significantly more weight (13 pounds on average) compared to the group on their usual diet (weight loss averaging about 1 pound) (2).
The researchers compared food costs on each diet, based on diet records that were kept by participants. Compared to the beginning of the study, the participants on the vegan diet had a 16% decrease in their food costs. Their being on a vegan diet reduced their daily food cost by about 90 cents per day. The group on their usual diet did not have a significant decrease in food costs. While those on the vegan diet had higher food costs for fruits, vegetables, and legumes, these were more than made up for by the reduced costs for meat, eggs, and dairy products since these foods were omitted from their diets.
Of course, food choices can affect the cost of a vegan diet. Still, the results of this study support the idea that vegan diets don’t have to be costly and can cost significantly less than nonvegetarian diets.
References
- Kahleova H, Sutton M, Maracine C, et al. Vegan diet and food costs among adults with overweight: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(9):e2332106.
- Kahleova H, Petersen KF, Shulman GI, et al. Effect of a low-fat vegan diet on body weight, insulin sensitivity, postprandial metabolism, and intramyocellular and hepatocellular lipid levels in overweight adults: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2025454.
To read more about low-cost vegan diets see:
Low-Cost Vegan Menus Based on USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Budget
Quick and Easy Low-Cost Vegan Menus
Favorite Inexpensive Vegan Foods of Summer 2021 Interns
