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that the nutritional information for every fast-food restaurant was online, and just a few clicks uncovered quite a few vegan fast-food options. The chain Chipotle, with its vegan-friendly menu and have-it-your-way meal options, was always a reliable, inexpensive place to eat. It was even possible to have vegan meals at “standard” chain restaurants—Denny’s has a veggie burger, for instance; and veggie fast-food restaurants seemed to be coming onto the scene, many of them squeezed into strip shopping malls or other convenient places. Often Colleen would just make a huge pot of chili that would last for the week; or Robbie would barbecue skewers of veggies and tempeh on the grill in nearly no time. They made chopped salads or fresh veggies every day to fill out the menus.

8. Think quantity. Nonperishable foods like dried beans, rice, and oatmeal are far cheaper if bought in bulk. If you plan your weekly meals in advance and make a list of what you’ll need—and stick to it when you go shopping to avoid pricey splurges or food that you won’t use up before it spoils—you’ll save quite a bit of money. Dried beans and lentils, for example, cost less than $1 a pound, and they are a great source of protein. Tofu—the “other white meat” of the vegan universe and one of those blank-slate foods, like flour, to which you add flavors to make interesting—usually costs less than $2 a pound. If you are fortunate enough to live near a Chinatown, you can sometimes find super fresh, locally made tofu for less than $1 a pound. If you live near a Trader Joe’s, you can find great deals on healthy, vegetarian foods—and you’ll probably discover some new favorites that your regular grocery store doesn’t carry.

9. Invest in some good vegan cookbooks (my favorites are listed at the back of this book, and there are many week’s worth of recipes in the back of both my Quantum Wellness books) so that you’ll be more likely to make meals at home instead of going out to eat or buying expensive convenience foods. There are also great websites that offer recipes for free, and I’ve listed them at the back of this book as well.

Of course, many inexpensive, healthy, and easy-to-make meals don’t even require a recipe. For breakfast, try toast or a bagel spread with vegan butter, peanut butter, jam, or avocado, or have a bowl of cereal topped with sliced bananas. My regular breakfast is cold brown rice (I make enough for a week at a time and keep it in the refrigerator) with chopped dates, raw almonds, and hemp or rice milk (I heat up the milk). A baked potato topped with salsa, baked beans, or vegan chili makes a tasty and filling lunch or dinner along with a salad; tacos loaded with beans, rice, and veggies are inexpensive and delicious. Good old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cheesy toast made with soy or tapioca cheeses are a hit with kids of all ages and are easy on the wallet.

Once you find your basics that you can depend on in a pinch, you will find that you can even splurge on some specialty products, such as veggie burgers and mock chicken, and still spend less than you would if you loaded up on beef, chicken, and fish.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in March 2010 the cost per pound of chicken breast, bone-in and boneless, was $2.25 and $3.26 respectively, and the cost of dried beans per pound was $1.36. Buying a pound of beans instead of a pound of chicken would cost you $0.89 to $1.90 less, and a pound of beans will feed you for more meals than a pound of chicken will. In the same month, rice was $0.76 per pound, apples were $1.17 per pound, bananas were $0.56 per pound, and lettuce was $0.86 per pound. Contrast this with $3.10 per pound for ground beef, $5.29 per pound for steaks, and $2.28 per pound for ham.

There’s really no question that you can eat more cheaply on a plant-based diet than on a meat-based one. In fact, that’s the initial reason many college students try a vegetarian diet. But in the end, leaning in to vegetarian fare isn’t only about saving money at the grocery store. There are so many hidden costs to eating