I went vegan for a week using only $5 meals — these were the clear winners

It all started when my grocery receipt looked at me like I’d just impulse-bought a private jet. I hadn’t—just oat milk, hummus, and a suspiciously small bag of pistachios. Still, the total rang up like I was catering a wedding.

So I asked the question no kombucha-sipping, budget-conscious vegan wants to face: Could I eat plant-based for just $5 a day?

Spoiler: I could. But it took some culinary Tetris and a lot of lentils.

The challenge: one week, 100% vegan, $5 per day. That’s $35 total.

No cheating with pre-stocked pantries or emergency takeout. Just smart shopping, strategic cooking, and the willingness to treat rice and beans like a love language.

But here’s the bigger reason I did it: Food affordability and sustainability matter.

Eating plant-based shouldn’t be reserved for people with $9 nut milk and unlimited time to spiralize zucchini. This was about testing whether budget-friendly vegan eating could be accessible, satisfying, and maybe even…fun?

How I made it work (without crying into dry rice)

Step 1: Shop with strategy

I hit the store with a calculator in one hand and a game face in the other. My goal? Grab low-cost, high-yield staples that could stretch across multiple meals. Think:

• Brown rice
  
• Dried lentils
  
• Canned black beans
  
• Oats
  
• Sweet potatoes
  
• Cabbage
  
• Frozen mixed veggies
  
• Carrots, bananas, garlic, canned tomatoes, tofu, peanut butter, tortillas

All totaled? Right on budget.

Step 2: Batch-cook the basics

I prepped a few key items at the start of the week:
A big pot of rice
A simple lentil-tomato stew
Roasted sweet potatoes
Sautéed cabbage with garlic

From there, I mixed and matched. It wasn’t strict meal prep—it was more like meal remixing. I felt like a jazz musician with a spatula. And the best part? The rhythm made it easy to stick with.

Flavor tip: Don’t skip the seasonings

Salt, oil, and basic spices didn’t count against the budget—I treated them like pantry constants. Garlic powder, cumin, soy sauce, and a few leftover hot sauce packets brought life to even the humblest beans. Flavor doesn’t have to cost extra—it just needs intention.

The clear winners (aka meals I’d eat again, even off-budget)

The Dollar Dumpling Bowl

Cost per serving: ~$1.75

Frozen veggie dumplings on sale. Cabbage sautéed in garlic. Leftover rice. A splash of soy sauce. It came together in 10 minutes and tasted like a late-night takeout fix—minus the $15 delivery fee.

Bonus move: Add chili crisp or hot sauce if you have any in your kitchen arsenal. The dumplings were great, but the crispy cabbage? Total sleeper hit.

Peanut Butter Noodle Remix

Cost per serving: ~$1.30

A quick sauce: peanut butter, hot water, soy sauce, garlic. Toss it with noodles and frozen stir-fry veggies. It’s the broke vegan cousin of pad Thai, and I loved her.

Creamy, savory, and surprisingly filling. Also? It made me feel like a functional adult at lunch.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Cost per serving: ~$1.50

Roast sweet potatoes with cumin and garlic. Heat some black beans. Stuff both into warm tortillas and top with shredded cabbage. Add lime if your budget allows.

They were crunchy, creamy, earthy, and satisfying—aka taco night success.

Honorable mentions and budget flops

Honorable mentions:

• Overnight oats with banana: Cozy, quick, and endlessly customizable
  
• Lentil stew over rice: Filling and full of fiber
  
• Tofu veggie stir-fry: A little pricier, but worth it if tofu’s on sale

Budget flops:

• Cabbage soup: Tasted like warm disappointment. No spice = no soul
  
• Raw carrot snack plates: Technically food. Spiritually a cry for help
  
• Nooch-less mac and “cheese”: A sad beige bowl of lies

What I learned from eating vegan on $5 a day

1. Flavor doesn’t have to cost extra

Toasting your spices. Roasting your veggies. Actually letting onions brown. These small steps made my food taste better—no fancy ingredients required.

2. Plant-based can be affordable

Beans, grains, and produce are some of the cheapest foods in the store. This challenge flipped the script that veganism = expensive.

3. It made me more mindful

Not just about what I ate—but how I stored leftovers, reused ingredients, and avoided waste. Sustainability starts in the kitchen.

4. This isn’t just an experiment for everyone

For me, it was a choice. But for many, this kind of budgeting is everyday life. It reminded me that conversations around plant-based eating need to include access, equity, and food justice—not just flavor and macros.

Want to try it? Here’s your $35 starter kit

If you’re thinking of giving this challenge a shot, here’s what I’d grab again:

Brown rice, dried lentils, canned black beans, oats, sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, bananas, garlic, canned tomatoes, frozen mixed veggies, peanut butter, tortillas, soy sauce, and your spice rack MVPs.

3-day meal plan preview

Day 1
Breakfast: Overnight oats with banana
Lunch: Lentil stew over rice
Dinner: Peanut butter noodles with frozen veggies

Day 2
Breakfast: Oatmeal with cinnamon and peanut butter
Lunch: Sweet potato and black bean tacos
Dinner: Dumpling bowl with sautéed cabbage and rice

Day 3
Breakfast: Banana with peanut butter on toast
Lunch: Veggie stir-fried rice
Dinner: Lentil soup with garlicky toast

Final thoughts: This was budget, but it wasn’t boring

The $5-a-day vegan challenge surprised me. I expected bland—I got bold. I expected stress—I found rhythm. I expected to never want to see rice again…okay, that part almost came true.

But this experiment reminded me that eating sustainably doesn’t have to cost a fortune. It just takes a little planning, a little creativity, and a dash of spice.

Whether you’re trying to cut grocery costs, eat more plants, or just challenge yourself in the kitchen, this is a week worth trying.

Your wallet—and maybe the planet—will thank you.