Study: Grocery Costs on a Vegan Diet Are 40 Percent Lower Than Diets with Meat

Beyond all of the nutritional and environmental benefits associated with plant-based diet, a new study claims that ditching animal products can be one of the best ways to save money. The report from data and consulting company Kantar found that cooking vegan meals at home would cost approximately 40 percent less than meat-based meals. It also went on to claim that the meals take nearly one-third less time to prepare on average, saving the household both time and money. The Kantar study was commissioned by the non-profit Veganuary, an organization that challenges people every January to adopt a plant-based diet to start the new year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a huge increase in people interested in trying a plant-based diet – whether for their health or the health of our planet – but it has also sadly caused economic loss for many,” Veganuary US Director Wendy Matthews said. “This new study shows that people can protect their health, the planet, and their wallets with a plant-based diet.”

Kantar collected the data by reviewing the online weekly meal diaries of around 11,000 people in the United Kingdom. The organization found that an average meal containing meat costs $2.36 per person whereas a plant-based meal costs $1.41 per person. At nearly half the price, plant-based shopping would save any family or individual consumer a sizable amount of money. Beyond this analysis, Kantar surveyed 30,000 British households to discover that vegan households spend eight percent less on grocery trips than non-vegan households. With growing food insecurity throughout the world, the study and non-profit responsible hopes that these figures encourage people to go plant-based for more than just health.

“While some plant-based meat and dairy substitutes carry a premium, this study shows they are only a small part of a typical vegan diet and overall eating plants costs less – another great reason to try vegan this January,” Matthews said.

Veganuary wants consumers to really understand their budgets when grocery shipping, launching its Budget Meal Plan in its growing campaign. The meal plan helps American consumers grocery shop for food and remain under $1.40 per serving, ensuring that consumers who receive SNAP benefits can eat healthily and shop well within the limits.

The plant-based non-profit began operating in 2014 and by last year, it saw more than 400,000 participants from 192 countries join its annual challenge. The fight against food insecurity continues to gain momentum, and Veganuary is starting to show how plant-based eating can be a step toward helping this issue. Approximately 600 businesses joined Veganuary to roll out nearly 1,200 products in support of this cause.

Other organizations, celebrities, and political figures have come out to advocate for plant-based eating as a primary method to fight food insecurity. Billie Eilish and her mother Maggie Baird repeatedly host events with Baird’s charity organization Support + Feed. The mother-daughter duo speaks out on how plant-based foods can help with poor food distribution and inequality, working with communities across the US to bring plant-based foods to any people facing hardship. NYC Mayoral candidate and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams continues to be outspoken about the need for plant-forward initiatives in the New York City area. The new Kantar report reveals that consumers can really save money by swapping animal products for plants, showing that plant-based eating could be a real first step to tackling food insecurity in households across the US.