Being a vegetarian or a vegan in today’s society can be very costly to begin with. Throw in the fact that you’re a university student and things get a lot harder. I got together with all of my vegan and vegetarian mates and together we made this list on how to be vegetarian or vegan on a budget. Follow these tips and you should be just fine.

Tip 1 – Shop at Aldi

Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, Aldi is a student’s best friend. Low prices mean you can buy twice as many items than you would have done at Tesco and still walk out having paid the same. Furthermore, Aldi sell great quality vegetables at an incredibly low price. In fact, you can choose 6 different pieces of fruit or veg for just 39p making Aldi a haven for vegetarians.

Tip 2 – Make big portions

A great way for a vegetarian to save money is by cooking enough for 3-4 people at a time. This way, you can always put servings in the freezer and eat them later on in the week, saving you from going out to buy ingredients for a new meal. Things like pasta, beans, peas and rice can all be bought in bulk for cheap prices. Take advantage of this for when you’re cooking and that way you’ll always have food in.

vegan-foods

Tip 3 – Buy own-brand alternatives

As many vegetarians know, buying foods such as Quorn can be very expensive and detrimental to a student budget. Although delicious, big brand food isn’t going to make your money go far. You should try supermarket own brands instead, they’re usually just as tasty and always a whole lot cheaper. Don’t just buy something for the name on the packet!

Tip 4 – Spice things up

Vegetarian food can sometimes get a bit boring. So in order to keep things exciting, try lots of different spices in your food. You’ll quickly find that sprinkling a few chilli flakes into your meal can make things much tastier for your taste buds. Spices can also be a great alternative to cheese if you’re vegan.

popeye-spinach

Tip 5 – Be like Popeye!

Popeye wasn’t messing around when he was eating all that spinach, it really is great for your health. Spinach is pumped full of iron, something that vegetarians don’t always get a lot of due to the lack of meat in their diet. Without iron, you can end up feeling weak, tired and irritable so it’s very important in your diet. Not only that but spinach tastes fantastic – it really is a super food!

What are your tips for following a vegan or vegetarian diet? Let us know in the comments.