Welcome to the Plant Based on a Budget Challenge! Thank you for considering this week-long plan. The idea is simple: seven days of plant-based meals for $25 per person. You can start any day—this is a flexible guide to help you see how affordable plant-based eating can be.
I live in California where produce is plentiful and reasonably priced, so I designed meals to be adaptable. If spinach is cheaper than kale, use it. If you don’t have plant-based bouillon, substitute broth and keep the same measurements. This plan is a starting point—adjust ingredients and portions to match local prices and your pantry.
Food is personal and I’ve poured a lot of time into this project, so please be respectful. If parts of the plan don’t work for you—if you prefer different oils, no sugar, or alternate seasonings—feel free to create and share your own $25-per-person plant-based meal plan. I’m happy to promote other budget-friendly approaches. The more options people see, the easier it is to adopt affordable plant-based eating.
About me: I’m Toni Okamoto, founder of Plant Based on a Budget. I grew up in a low-income household and understand how limited food budgets can be. Fresh food access and nutrition education are real challenges in many communities. While I can’t solve those systemic problems alone, I want to show that eating healthfully doesn’t have to be expensive.
I became vegetarian in high school for health reasons and transitioned to veganism in college for ethical reasons. As a young adult on a tight budget, I learned to make nutritious, inexpensive plant-based meals and to stretch ingredients so they feed many meals.
Helpful resources: I run a support group on Facebook to share tips and low-cost plant-based recipes. Dr. Michael Greger’s How Not to Die and the NutritionFacts.org website are excellent for plant-based nutrition information. I also compiled a list of cookbooks and favorites on my site for further reading.
Practical tips: I work a lot, so I prep when I have time. Chop all vegetables at once and store them in the fridge, and cook beans or grains ahead to save time on busy nights. When shopping, write exact measurements to avoid wasted ingredients or bring a measuring cup to buy precise quantities. Bring any coupons or rebate apps you use. Ask grocers for discounted, slightly ripe produce and bring reusable bags to save small fees. Find the cheapest grocery stores and bulk bins near you—prices vary widely. If a store is expensive, swapping ingredients or choosing different stores will help keep costs down.
Grocery list and prices (example):
Garlic – .48
Dried Cranberries – .54*
2 Carrots – .22
Cheapest Non-Dairy Milk – 1.28
5 Dried Apricots – .17*
12 ct Corn Tortillas – 1.27*
Lemon – .33
Pack of 6ct Bouillon Cubes – .91
15 oz can Apple Sauce – .95*
Kale – .98
1/2 lb Green Lentils – .46
1/4 lb Cheapest Cereal – .34
1/4 lb Old Fashioned Oats – .16
8 oz can Tomato Sauce – .28
1 Cup Brown Rice – .27
2 Yellow Onions – .95
1/2 lb Cheapest Granola – .81*
Green Bell Pepper – .68
Orange – .41*
5 lb Bag of Russet Potatoes – 1.18
Small jar of Peanut Butter – 2.05
Tofu – 1.48*
Mexican Fideo Pasta – .33
2 Zucchini – .89
1 lb yam – .48
Bunch of Spinach – 1.68
Bunch of 7 Bananas – 1.64
1/2 Cup dried Panko Breadcrumbs – .25
1/4 cup cheapest seeds (unsalted sunflower) – .15
Total: $21.52
Items marked with an asterisk are optional if you need to trim the budget. Omitting those brings the total to $15.74 in this example.
Day One
Breakfast: Oatmeal with soy milk and diced dried apricots. A cup of oats provides notable iron and protein.
Lunch: Spinach salad topped with dried cranberries, seeds, and orange segments, dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.
Dinner: Zucchini and potato casserole with slight adjustments: 2 zucchini and additional potatoes, use yellow onion and bell pepper instead of shallots. If you need gluten-free, skip the breadcrumbs. Recipe yields about five servings.
Dessert (optional): Peanut butter cookies made from pantry staples. Ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, applesauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Mix, drop by tablespoonfuls, bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes. Enjoy occasionally as a treat.
Day Two
Breakfast: Cornflakes with soy milk and sliced banana.
Lunch: Leftover casserole.
Dinner: Vegetable soup. Base recipe: bouillon cubes, water, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and diced potatoes. Sauté onion and garlic, add other vegetables, bouillon and water, simmer until potatoes are tender. Add barley, rice, pasta, lentils or beans if available.
Day Three
Breakfast: Pumpkin flax granola with soy milk. Granola can be eaten dry or with milk if you need to cut costs.
Lunch: Leftover soup.
Dinner: Spiced lentils with kale and sweet potato. I used a simple version with onion, garlic, a carrot, bouillon, water, kale and sweet potato. Adjust spices to taste. Makes two servings.
Day Four
Breakfast: Cornflakes with soy milk and banana.
Lunch: Leftover casserole.
Dinner: Sweet potato tacos and Mexican fideo. For the tacos, use cooked sweet potato, onion, and spices on corn tortillas or as a salad topping. For the fideo, sauté pasta with onion and broth; omit fresh tomato to reduce costs. These dishes make 2–3 servings.
Day Five
Breakfast: Oatmeal with soy milk, seeds, and dried cranberries.
Lunch: Leftover casserole.
Dinner: Leftover kale and lentils.
Day Six
Breakfast: Kale and banana smoothie using the remaining kale and a banana with non-dairy milk.
Lunch: Leftover sweet potato tacos and fideo.
Dinner: Tofu and spinach (or other greens) with peanut sauce served over brown rice. This is flexible—use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Makes about two servings.
Day Seven
Breakfast: Peanut butter banana smoothie. Blend frozen bananas, non-dairy milk and peanut butter for a filling, protein-rich start.
Lunch: Leftover tofu and peanut sauce.
Dinner: Leftover casserole.
This plan is a guide—adapt recipes, portions and seasonings to your tastes and budget. I’m not a doctor or registered dietitian; consider a plant-based multivitamin and do additional research based on your individual needs.
If you have questions, use the Contact Us section on the site.
For updated meal plans, check plantbasedmealplan.com.
