budget-friendly vegan meals keep me from ordering $50 pad thai at midnight. i swear. right now i sit in my overpriced portland studio. i eat cold chickpeas straight from the can. it works. i’m alive.
how i accidentally became the queen of budget-friendly vegan meals
my doctor scared me. cholesterol numbers looked rough. tiktok made plants look cute. then groceries got stupid expensive. now i hunt dented cans like it’s my job. https://www.noracooks.com/lentil-bolognese/
the 10 budget-friendly vegan meals i actually eat
1. emergency peanut butter oats
dump oats in bowl. add peanut butter. slice banana. splash milk. eat over sink. costs 70 cents.
2. smashed chickpea “tuna” budget-friendly vegan meals
drain chickpeas. mash with fork. mix in vegan mayo, relish, celery if i own any. shove in bread or eat with spoon. weirdly good.
3. lazy lentil bolognese
cook green lentils. add cheap tomato sauce. chop one onion (cry). dump in old spices. boil spaghetti too long. still slaps. (stole the idea from nora cooks but i double the garlic) https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-budget-friendly-recipes/
4. yellow curry rice mess budget-friendly vegan
rice + red lentils + cheap coconut milk + frozen veggies + curry powder. everything turns neon. i love it.
5. sweet potato black bean bowls
stab sweet potatoes. microwave forever. heat black beans with cumin. top with sad greens and hot sauce. dinner done.
6. 7-minute miso tahini noodles
cook ramen noodles. toss packet. stir miso + tahini + hot water. throw in frozen broccoli. i make this when i’m feral.
7. fridge-cleanout fried rice budget-friendly vegan
use hard leftover rice. add frozen peas. scrape scary carrot. drown in soy sauce. burn slightly. perfect. https://sweetpotatosoul.com/meal-prep-for-busy-people/
8. garlic white bean skillet
dump two cans white beans. roast whole head of garlic because i’m dramatic. wilt spinach. squeeze plastic lemon. my mom asked for the recipe. i lied.
9. depression chili (lovingly) budget-friendly vegan
open random beans. add tomatoes. half an onion. too much chili powder. simmer until emotions settle.
10. rent-due banana nice cream budget-friendly vegan
blend frozen bananas + cocoa + peanut butter. use sad blender that screams. eat whole pint while checking bank balance. therapy.
yeah i still screw up these budget-friendly vegan meals sometimes
last week i bought $18 cashews. ate them in one sitting. cried. normal tuesday.
anyway. these meals look ugly. i repeat them nonstop. sometimes the smoke alarm sings backup. but i spent $41 on groceries this week and i’m not dead so… win?
drop your broke vegan lifesaver meal below. i’ll steal it and claim i invented it. thanks.
